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Created Sep 22, 2014 09:27PM PST • Edited Jan 25, 2020 10:05PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Good 3.0

   The biggest British movie of ‘98 was Guy Ritchie’s first ever, a very British one indeed. Much of the humor is how unintelligible most of the movie’s lowlifes are, Ritchie being a specialist in ultra vernacular comedy.

   Three million Brits bought tickets. Frankly, that’s too much British comedy for me, especially lowlife comedy. But let me say I’m happy to have seen it, since Ritchie and producer Matthew Vaughn went on to create several of my favorite movies – Downey’s Sherlock Holmes & Kick-Ass to name two series-starters.

   Their freshman effort evokes a grotesque pub-crawl through the London criminal underground. Picaresque in the extreme, it is nothing if not committed to its conceit, just not that funny and defiantly unlikable.

   Boosting Lock, Stock’s appeal are the stars who emerged from it – Jason Statham mostly – and that Sting appeared in it. Guy Ritchie even did the casting, so gets credit for discovering the future Transporter.

   Yet, a light-hearted Clockwork Orange with labored laughs can hardly be labeled a classic.

4. Acting

   Really Great 4.5

   Jason Statham made his screen debut in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, going on to major action movie stardom. Knowing that, it’s a bit incongruous that he’s somewhat of a secondary player, even though it made sense at the time.

   Vinnie Jones jumps off screen as an enforcer and diligent father, with the onetime soccer star also making his screen debut in Lock, Stock.

   P. H. Moriarty makes a vivid impression as a porn king and crime boss. Lenny McLean makes an even more vivid impression as his bodyguard. McLean died before the movie was released.

   Sting acquits himself well as a pub owner with little regard for others, even his own son.

   The rest of the huge cast are justly celebrated elsewhere, so needn’t be here.

5. Male Stars Really Great 4.5

6. Female Stars Really Great 4.5

7. Female Costars Really Great 4.5

8. Male Costars Really Great 4.5

10. Film

    Good 3.0

    Guy Ritchie opens his debut film in very British-like fashion, Who-like in a way.

    As an action movie, it starts off with meager firepower, making it somewhat quaint from an American POV. That said, big guns do ultimately get employed.

11. Direction Great 4.0

    I dubbed Guy Rithie the British Tarantino when reviewing Sherlock Holmes. Guess that makes Lock, Stock his Reservoir Dogs.

12. Play OK 2.5

    Many blokes think the screenplay is brilliant. Perhaps it is, but that doesn’t make it enjoyable.

13. Music Good 3.0

14. Visuals Very Good 3.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Sordid 2.8

    Nasty & Brutal make this movie Sordid – Lock, Stock and Barrel.

17. Sex Innocent 1.3

18. Violence Brutal 3.2

19. Rudeness Nasty 3.9

21. Reality

    Surreal 2.1

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.8

23. Biological Glib 2.0

24. Physical Glib 1.6