The movie is one of the best, the seller was fast and was cheaper then others.

..well, almost all. this is a gloriously misanthropic british movie that hinges on a crooked card game that leaves our four heroes in debt for a half a million pounds to a gangster with the unpropitious name of Hatchet Harry. The boys attempt to raise the money and the world in the form of various crooks and ganja dealers tries to take it from them.
the dialog is crisp and ironic. unfortunately, it's masked by the unfortunate tendency of the english to speak, well, english and the wise american viewer will take advantage of the subtitles which appear in unmistakable english-i mean, american.
this variant on the classic caper movie depends on almost every single character being to vile to be tolerated. the denouement is a jolly cathartic bloodbath in which hardly anyone is left standing.

Lynn Hoffman, author of the much less bloody novel, bang BANG

This is a funny movie, but, a bit to black-humor for my taste. I do recommend it tho.

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels still remains as Guy Ritchie's best accomplishment. There is no shortage of humor to be found in this twisted tale of cunning, bafoonery and highly coincidental plot twists. Guy Ritchie manages to weave multiple characters through seemingly implausible plot twists (much like Snatch) and still manages to edge-out a story that isn't far from believable. The style of film is rather dull but it has a quality to it that sets it apart from it's descendant "Snatch" which is no better or worst in terms of camera and lighting when compared to most mainstream films. The dull facade of Lock, Stock gives the film a less mainstream but more authentic (local) look. It feels more like London than Snatch does.

The dialogue is both witty and smart and all the main characters are funny. The movie has a great ending that leaves you well satisfied,not craving for more. Lock, Stock doesn't get as much praise as Snatch does but Snatch made no great leaps and bounds over Lock Stock either. In fact, you could call it Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 1.2. Not to say that it's a bad film but It doesn't get better on subsequent viewings as LOCK does. The characters in LOCK are way more like able and far more interesting and even if one were missing it would still make a great film.

Back to Lock: it is still Ritchie's best film and the reason why many first sighted him as the english Tarantino. Certainly not as good as Tarentino (not nearly as good actually) but perhaps very promising. If Lock Stock and Snatch are any indication, Guy Ritchie has the potential to be a great films. He just needs to do it more often.

Great movie! Not quite as good as Snatch, but a close second. Think of it as a prequel if you want.

Well it's no Snatch! BUT if you like Snatch you will enjoy this movie!

A classic.. Should be apart of everyones DVD libary along with Snatch. Out of all the Brit movies this is one of the top two! Great price.

Top drawer entertainment from start to finish. If you haven't seen it, ask the warden why not.

This popped up on the film making horizons in the frenzy following the success of "Pulp Fiction." For a while there turning the drug-dealing London mob into an episode of Monty Python seemed like a proper answer to Tarantino's antics. Ritchie succeeds here brilliantly, creating a first-class entertainment of menace and mayhem. This is Harold Pinter meets the keystone cops. The cast couldn't be better. What an assortment of creeps and misfits. Some sport unforgettable mugs, while others are entirely forgettable but totally necessary to the plot, which features the goings-on of a bunch of nobodies. The dialog is at times incomprehensible to Americans, but nobody says anything worth hearing; it's all in the action: guns, guns, guns. This should be required viewing for those Masterpiece Theatre buffs; in fact I would recommend selling this in a boxed-set with "Sense and Sensibility." That'd give 'em a clearer idea of what life's really like in the mother country.

I enjoy British humor much more than American. "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" had me laughing all the day through. Probably my favorite bit was the scene with the traffic cop--having dealt with Campus Parking police one too many times, this was just too good.

I won't belabor the plot--four Cockney lads get into trouble when they think they can win a high-stakes card game and turn out to be 'out-sharked' when the game is rigged. Harry, who is not to be messed with, lends them the half a million to get them out of the spot they're in, but they've got to pay it back--in a week, or Harry is going to forfeit body parts from each of them. So--they get involved deeper in crime and drugs and introduce us to a cast of characters from London's seedy underbelly that are both fascinating and frightening at the same time.

I avoided this film because of the "Pulp Fiction" comparisons, but "Lock" was much easier to watch and for me, much more entertaining. I'll probably go find "Snatch" just to see if I like it near as well.

I also loved the soundtrack, which I am adding to my Wish List right after this review is complete. The sounds are eclectic and just right on for the scenes they take place in. Very few movie soundtracks hit the spot quite as well.

The first time I saw this, I liked it a bit, but I wasn't overly impressed. It was British, slick, but I never felt like I had seen a masterpiece of the British gangster genre (The Long Good Friday is light years better than this. Even lighter films like The League of Gentlemen and The Lavender Hill Mob are much better than this one. So is Donald Cammell's Performance.). Watching it again recently on The Sundance Channel, it's really a vain, shallow film, with very predictable dialogue that sounds Tarantinoesque, except with Cockney accents. It's really trying to be hip, edgy, and clever, but it's really rather tiresome and ultimately boring. Most people have said it's a U.K. ripoff of Quentin, and there's some truth to that. The film has a cute title, and it's nice to see London, but aside from that, I can't really think of anything this film can offer you. If you've seen it once, that's all you need.

I enjoy Guy Ritchie movies. "Snatch" is probably my favorite, but "Lock, Stock, & Two Smoking Barrels" is a blast to watch too. These dark British comedies are some of the best you will see. However, you will need a tolerance for violence. If you enjoy the "Kill Bill" movies and/or "Formula 51", you will probably enjoy this movie.

A member of a gang loses all his money and goes into debt to a crooked loan shark. His own gang is held responsible for the debt. They rob a group that robbed some pot dealers. Throw in some double barrel shotguns that get stolen that the loan shark wants and him hiring to many thugs to get him want he wants and you have lots of people dying. Great story and action. I recommend it.

Definitely one of the best movies ever seen. Gave Vinnie Jones credibility as an actor and in my opinion, made some people notice Jason Statham. Never short of action and typical Brit humour. One of the defining movies of British cinema

If you've seen "Snatch" you have to watch this film (since it is the pre-sequel to "Snatch".) It is a very funny and yet full of action that you won't get bored. I am a big fan of Jason Statham so I purchased this film and I am hooked. Everyone who I recommended this film to has purchased it to add on to his/her collections. This film is idea at get-togethers.

I already own his movie "Snatch" and that brings me to tears laughing, this movie is no exception. The way way he draws you into the storyline and the characters reactions are hilarious. Absolutly love this movie.
CHEERS

Looking back on "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels," it's not hard to see why Director Guy Ritchie became one of the hottest directors around. It's a rollicking joyride of a film that delivers non-stop action, head-spinning plot twists and plenty of laughs.

The movie centers around four young punks who chip in some money so Eddy (Nick Moran), the master card player of the group, can enter a high-stakes card game with Hatchet Harry (P.H. Moriarity), a local gang boss whose specialties include gambling and porn. Unfortunately for Eddy, he's in way over his head, and ends up owing Harry a cool 500,000 pounds. His penalty if he doesn't come up with the money in a week? Having his fingers cut off one by one by Harry's mammoth enforcer, Barry the Baptist (Lenny McLean).

Eddy and his friends Soap, Tom and Bacon are understandably distraught at this turn of events. As they rack their brains to come up with a plan to scratch together the money, they overhear their neighbors discussing plans to rob a wealthy group of drug dealers. A plan is quickly hatched to ambush the theives and steal the drug money that they stole. And did I mention that a seemingly unrelated pair of antique shotguns manages to work its way into the picture?

Needless to say, when Eddy & Co. put their plan into action, glorious mayhem ensues. The cast, which includes European soccer star Vinnie Jones as Harry's collector Big Chris, is a likeable bunch all around. But the film's real star is director Ritchie, who pulls out all the stops to command our attention, from freeze frames to slo-mo to speed-up and everything in between.

Naysayers call the plot ridiculous and lament the film's lack of substance. Come to think of it, the police do seem conspicuously absent considering all the gunplay, drug dealing and theivery that's going on. And even diehard fans of "Lock" will likely admit that it's ultimately a triumph of attitude & style over substance.

In spite of its shortcomings, though, "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels" feels blisteringly alive from start to finish, a thrilling rollercoaster of a movie that's well worth the price of admission.

Director Guy Ritchie expertly concocted an amusing crime thriller replete with crosses and double crosses among various criminal groups in London's underworld. The plot surrounds a group of 4 low level criminals played by Jason Statham, Nick Moran, Jason Flemyng and Dexter Fletcher who pool their resources to sit in at a high stakes card game with a 100,000 pound admission. Nick Moran playing Eddie is a card shark but the game run by porn king Harry "Hatchet" Lonsdale played by P.J. Moriarty is fixed. He loses the 100,000 and an aditional 500,000 which must be paid within a week or else.

The band of 4 friends contrive to recoup the stolen funds by ripping off a marijuana growing cartel that conveniently live next door. That group had already been targeted by other group of robbers and things as a result get predictably muddled.

Meanwhile The "Hatchet" has commissioned the theft of a pair of antique shotguns worth a small fortune that bizarrely wind up in the hands of Moran and his friends. The various groups begin exchanging both the money and the shotguns among them leaving behind a trail of bloodied corpses in this farcical romp.

Ritchie concludes this well contrived comedic thriller, which includes a plethora of tough looking British thugs, with a touch of irony that effectively caps this winning film.

This is the best british comedy EVER....well in my opinion ;-)

It has a pulp fiction vibe, following a group of wheelers and dealers (hustlers) who get into a sticky situation with an East End gangster.

Original plot, clever dialogue and great cinematography. I'm sure Americans will struggle with the dialogue but give it a try!

This movie has a more advanced story line portrayed through a heavy dialog, with highly developed fun characters that drive the movie. Typical Guy Ritchie film.
Directors Cut is worth the extra money.

I forgot how much I enjoyed this movie. Good characters, good story line and a good mix of humor and drama. If you haven't seen it - see it now.

If you're a fan of Guy Ritchie's movie SNATCH, then I highly recommend adding Lock Stock to your DVD collection. The director's cut adds some funny special features.

I absolutely adored this movie (as well as "Snatch"); the dialogue was snappy, the cinematography is AMAZING, the characters are well-rounded and it is nice and violent :-) I don't care if he married Madonna, this man is a genius and I'll be a fan of his work always!

A friend of mine suggested that I watch 1998's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels..."It's the British version of Pulp Fiction," he proclaimed.

There is the similarity that characters unaware of each other's presence are ultimately all connected by the closing credits in both Pulp Fiction (1994) and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. There is a lot of shooting. But otherwise, there were not a lot of plot similarities. And Pulp Fiction is much more of a violence R-rated film than the mainly language R-rating slapped on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

So, I'm glad that my friend recommended Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels to me, but I'd mostly disagree about his summation of the film. This movie absolutely stands on it's own as a good, suspenseful action flick with some terrific twists. It's funny when it wants to be. It's serious. It's thrilling...a thoroughly enjoyable movie from the late 90s.

I don't know why I'd never taken the time before yesterday to watch Director Guy Ritchie's story of 4 guys that get themselves in deep with a local kingpin. But I can tell you that Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was sure good enough to have me add Ritchie's 2000 follow-on Snatch (aka Lock, Stock and Six Stolen Diamonds) to my Ready-to-View queue; I understand that several of the actors are back, but all playing unrelated characters along side Brad Pitt. But that's another review entirely.

Check out Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

A friend of mine suggested that I watch 1998's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels..."It's the British version of Pulp Fiction," he proclaimed.

There is the similarity that characters unaware of each other's presence are ultimately all connected by the closing credits in both Pulp Fiction (1994) and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. There is a lot of shooting. But otherwise, there were not a lot of plot similarities. And Pulp Fiction is much more of a violence R-rated film than the mainly language R-rating slapped on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

So, I'm glad that my friend recommended Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels to me, but I'd mostly disagree about his summation of the film. This movie absolutely stands on it's own as a good, suspenseful action flick with some terrific twists. It's funny when it wants to be. It's serious. It's thrilling...a thoroughly enjoyable movie from the late 90s.

I don't know why I'd never taken the time before yesterday to watch Director Guy Ritchie's story of 4 guys that get themselves in deep with a local kingpin. But I can tell you that Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels was sure good enough to have me add Ritchie's 2000 follow-on Snatch (aka Lock, Stock and Six Stolen Diamonds) to my Ready-to-View queue; I understand that several of the actors are back, but all playing unrelated characters along side Brad Pitt. But that's another review entirely.

Check out Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

I've owned Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) on DVD for a few years now and I've watched it about three or four times so far mainly due to the fact it's extremely entertaining and engaging, but also because it's one of those films that actually gets a little better each time it's viewed, in my opinion. Written and directed by Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Swept Away), the film features Jason Flemyng (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), Dexter Fletcher (Tristan + Isolde), Nick Moran (The Rules of Engagement), and Jason Statham (Snatch, The Transporter, Crank), in his first, feature film. Also appearing is P.H. Moriarty (Jaws 3-D), Vinnie Jones (Snatch), Lenny McLean (The Fifth Element), Frank Harper (Bend It Like Beckham), Steven Mackintosh (Underworld: Evolution), Nicholas Rowe (Young Sherlock Holmes), Stephen Marcus (Quills), Vas Blackwood (Mean Machine), and Sting (Dune) aka Gordon Sumner, former frontman of the band The Police.

The story, set in London's seedy East End, involves four friends named Eddie (Moran), Bacon (Statham), Tom (Flemyng), and Soap (Fletcher) who find themselves in deep with a local criminal boss after Eddie loses big during a poker game. Here's the deal...a scary fellow named 'Hatchet' Harry Lonsdale (Moriarty), who operates an adult novelty shop as a front, has a running card game, one in which the buy in is 100 thousand pounds. Seems Eddie's specialty is not so much in cards, but the ability to read his opponents, so Eddie and his friends come up with the dough in the hopes of turning around a quick profit. Thing is, Harry cheats, so subsequently Eddie loses, and loses big, to the point where he's a half million in the hole to Harry. Harry knows Eddie's buy in money came from a collective pool, so he now holds them all responsible for the debt, and has given them approximately a week to pony up, or else he'll have his collector, a seriously scary individual named Big Chris (Jones), come around to start removing body parts. The situation seems bleak but hope does arrive in the form of a plan, one in which involves Eddie and his friends putting it to Eddie's neighbor, a man named Dog (Harper), who, along with his crew, are planning to rip off a group of local weed dealers. As the various plans come together (along with various comical complications tied to each), Eddie and crew successfully heist Dog's score, but even more complications arise as various players get involved, resulting in an extraordinary amount twists and turns, so much so you just may need a scorecard to keep track of all the action...

One should know I barely scratched the surface of the story above, as there's a great many interesting characters running about this film, along with a large number of varied plot elements which don't seem all that related at first, but eventually do tie together well as the film careens towards its conclusion. The story is very complicated, but I think Ritchie does an excellent job in keeping things orderly and moving along at a solid pace. Ritchie uses a decent amount of techniques to forward the story, including voice overs, slow motion, still frames, flashbacks, odd shooting angles, etc., all of which are utilized in such a way to enhance the story. All the performances are solid, bolstered by a lot of great dialog awash with cockney slang. At first some of the language may seem odd, but after awhile the viewer doesn't notice it as much as they're engrossed in the activity on the screen and certain things not understood through dialog alone become apparent from the inflection of speech and the action of the characters. The first quarter or so of the film sets up most of the characters, while the second quarter presents the dilemma, and then the rest involves Eddie and friends trying to extricate themselves from a very deep hole. As I mentioned earlier, there's a large number of characters introduced throughout, but know each has a specific role in the overall scheme of things, and is presented with the appropriate amount of screen time in terms of their importance to the story. Given this was Ritchie's first film, I was amazed at how well he managed to present as much as he did with the ease in which he did it, as everything clicked her for me. I should also mention the eclectic choice of tunes used throughout worked very well, as there's songs by The Stooges, James Brown, Dusty Springfield, Robbie Williams, The Stone Roses, among others. My favorite character in the film was Big Chris, a no nonsense enforcer/collector played by Vinnie Jones (he was `Big' Chris, as his young son, who could often be found at his side, was `Little' Chris). There's a great scene near the end where Big Chris deals with a threat to his son by utilizing a car door on the head on the one who made the threat. There is a copious amount of violence throughout this comical crime caper, but most of it, in terms of the actual visceral displays, isn't shown. An example of this is you'll see someone shooting a gun at someone else, but you don't necessarily see the person being shot at during impact. The trick here is what you don't see you fill in with your mind, given the detailed events just prior, so there's a perception of violence, rather than the actual depiction, which can be just as effective. All in all this is a highly entertaining film, capped off by a great ending. If you've seen this film and are interested in others like it, I'd highly recommend Ritchie's next film entitled Snatch (2000), as they're very similar, the main difference being the latter has a larger budget and features a slew of recognizable faces such as Brad Pitt (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), Dennis Farina ("Law & Order"), and Benicio Del Toro (Traffic), along with a number of performers from this film.

The DVD I own is the initial release, and not the `Lock N' Loaded' director's cut which was released later. In terms of the version I own, the picture, available in both widescreen anamorphic (1.85:1) and fullscreen format (1.33:1), looks clean, and the Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio comes across very well. In terms of extras there are production notes, cast and crew biographies, a production featurette, trailers for both the U.S. and U.K. release, an informative cockney rhyming slang dictionary, and subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

Cookieman108

This is Guy Ritchie's first movie. Very few screenwriters and directors can say they their first endeavor was so successful. This is an amazing story that is clever, funny, and unpredictable. I wish I could write movies like this! A must see for any serious film fan.

a low budget but extremely well acted and directed movie. you are taken into a part of england that few americans are familiar with. the rough and tumble world of the cockney english criminals is explored with a great deal of humour buy director guy ritchie. this movie is rated "r"for a very good reason, there are ALOT of drug references,some minor female nudity and ALOT of language,but if this doesn't bother you and you are looking for some great saturday night type movie entertainment this is it.
the violence is intense but this movie is not what i would call mean spirited,there is only a bunch of cockney criminals trying to do their JOB and a bunch of younger guys who are trying to make a quick buck(or pound in this case" and find themselves in a lot of trouble over a gambeling debt. the humour is great which takes alot of the edge off of the extreme violence in this movie and you just have to kind of ignore the language (if that bothers you).
all in all a wonderful escapism movie,one that has been embraced by a ever growing cult and for a good reason.
enjoy this one!

If you own the previous edition of Lock, Stock you might really want think about if it is worth double-dipping. The transfer for this one is as good if not slightly worse than the previous 2003 release. There are only two (slight) new extras on this edition. "One Smoking Camera" features the film's cinematographer talking about how he shot the film. He takes us through a few key sequences and shows how they were shot or edited.

Finally, there is "Lock, Stock and Two F**king Barrels," a montage of colourful insults and curse words used throughout the film by various cast members.

Why the extras on the superior Region 2 release weren't ported over is a mystery and as a result this edition is really not worth your time.

This movie is so good, it's finally here in the US in a special edition both fans and newcomers should pick up. While the second disc of extras is nice (the cinematography extra is probably the most informative of the bunch) the real treat here is having the director's cut.
This cut of the film actually helped me to better understand the plot (as well as clearly explaining the rules of the game of poker played in the film). And it's not that much longer, just long enough that a fan of the film will notice the "new" parts.

I already own the UK release of this dvd and i'm glad that finally it's available in R1 for more people to experience.

This is a very good picture of that english lad married to a strange weird looking woman

Guy Ritchie's first feature length movie (if you ignore The Hard Case, circa 1995 20min short. prequel to this movie) is an excelent DVD to spent money on!!

Entreteining, and funny as a black comedy could bE!!!! this new edition will add +8min of new footage!


So what're the EXtras on this new Edition? Maybe the same on The UK Region 2 DVD 2disc??

#R2 SE United Kingdom - (Universal Pictures - Shotgun Edition)
#Extras: DISC 1: *The Film
#Extras: DISC 2:
-Interactive Map of East London
-Interactive Poker Game
-"Lock, Stock and Two F**cking Barrels" Montage (1:53)
-"One Smoking Camera" Featurette (11:08)
-Five Smoking Featurettes
--------- Beginning (21:55)
--------- Shooting (11:56)
--------- Cutting (6:50)
--------- Marketing (7:07)
--------- Done and Dusted (5:54)
-Publicity:
--------- Artwork Gallery (4 images)
--------- 4 TV Spots (1:43)
--------- 3 Trailers (4:32)
#Soundtrack(s): English DTS 5.1, DD5.1
#Note: R2/4 encoded (both discs).


I HOpe Yes!!!

A superbly woven story that features gambling, thugs, drugs, toffs, scousers, cockneys and a couple of antique shotguns thrown in for good measure. The acting is excellent throughout with a very strong casting. Guy Ritchie's direction is excellent with well used camera placement/editing. The soundtrack compliments the film well. I would advise that for the first 15 minutes you don't do anything but concentrate on the film - there are a number of separate storylines that unfold - if you miss the beginning the later scenes might not make much sense. 100% recommended and lends itself to repeated viewings. A classic.

This movie is good but the direction is great. Guy Ritchie took a decent plot and enhanced it into a cinematic romp.

This is a hip movie. The soundtrack is cool, the actors are fresh and different and the camera styles are unique.

While there were some flaws in the movie (Some of the twists are too coincidental) there is no argument that Ritchie is a promising filmmaker in the same vein as Q. Torrentino

To be honest, my initial reason for watching this movie was that Jason Statham is in it, and he's one of my favorite actors (not to mention a hottie). But I won't get into that here.

However, as I began to watch this movie, I realized that even if Jason wasn't in it I'd love it. As an adolescent, it's not often that I get to watch movies with humor like this. And perhaps movie-makers think that our young minds can't handle plot twists, because the movies that the rest of my generation is interested in don't come anywhere close to having plot twists like Lock, Stock. But I loved this movie, I really did. It actually had me cracking up, and few movies can do that.

I definitely recommend that people watch this, and I think it can appeal to a wide variety of audiences. After all, my favorite movie next to this one is Pride & Prejudice.

Without giving the story away, this film is about four men who pool their money together so that one of them can play in a high rolling card game which turns out to be fixed. Because of this, they are heavily in debt so the film deals with them trying to get out of debt and at the end, they actually have in their possession, 2 antique guns which they are actually throwing in the river at the film end.....so no one really knows what happens. Have to see this movie. Too complicated to explain but it's very funny and very entertaining.

Lock, Stock, and 2 Smoking Barrels is definitly an awesome movie. Its combination of humor and a fascinating story line really makes this movie worth seeing.
You begin this movie getting to know a variety of characters and the different situations they are in. Watching how they all play into the overall heist is amazingly creative.
The plot is very fun to follow and the British slang is very funny- but you may find the british accents sometimes bothersome and hard to follow.