Customer Reviews
Lock, Stock's uglier twin. - By: DangermouseZilla, 01 Aug 2008 
There's no doubt that 'Lock, Stock, & two Smoking Barrels' was a magnificent example of a new film maker at his creative best. With Snatch though it feels like Guy Ritchie found his comfort zone & set up permanent camp there.
The film contains some very clever dialogue, & many of the characters display a deep philosophical intelligence you don't expect from a thug - this brings humour & style, but it also seems as though the film tries a bit too hard to be 'Lock, Stock...'.
Jack-the-Lads, guns, snappy dressers, & uber-cool lines initially grace the screen nicely, but it eventually comes clear that these are being shoe-hornedin to build a trendy flick. But when you can see through it - it just doesn't work.
In a nutshell: Whereas a 'Lock, Stock...' was a film which came from nowhere & became the coolest flick around, 'Snatch' knows exactly what it wants to be, it is sharply written & well directed, but it isn't allowed to be it's own film. It doesn't fallin the shadow of 'Lock, Stock...' - it actively follows it. Appearing to be cool isn't the same as actually being cool. What made the predecessor so fresh, makes this so average.
the ultra coo,l fun british crime caper follow up to lock,stock - By: mike clarke, 01 Jan 2008 
guy ritchie had a breakthrough british gangster gem with lock,stock & now with snatch he has played all the same moves again just with different characthers & actors making this an unnoficial sequel to lock, stock. This time its pikey boxers, brad pitt, untouchable russians, bullet toot tony, stolen diamonds, dodgy fights & a dog who will eat anything,. As always its fun, fast & action packed with great jokes, characthers, violence, scene, stupid robbers, a tangled web of boxers, diamonds, russians, jew, ganagsters, dogs & great british humour make this another brilliant guy ritchie rollercoaster!!!!!!!!!!!
I Hate Gangster Films. - By: S. Thomson, 30 Sep 2007 I just dont know what motivates a writer to create a story framedin that environment.
No gangsters here though, just fantastic characters & an interesting tale which drags you along at a rare old pace. The'dag'(dog) had mein stitches & if you watch the special feaures, so were the crew.
Hugely enjoyable.
A FUNNY TALE ABOUT ENGLISH GANGSTERS - By: stuart, 21 Jul 2007 
The release of Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction"in 1994 prompted a schismin the staid gangster movie genre: the standard hallmarks - serious characters, gunfights, intrigue & damselsin distress - were enhanced with snappy dialogue, & gallows humour. The biggest change however was the introduction of the mobius strip-style plot line, where the concept of time is no longer linear, instead constantly foldingin upon itself, flitting between past, present & future that forces the viewer to pay close attention lest they miss some subtle detail. Inevitably, numerous copycat films emerged that tried to capitalize on Tarantino's success, but it wasn't until 1998 when Guy Ritchie, an unknown British director, took on the challenge that a successor was found. Now Ritchie is determined to prove that his first time out wasn't a fluke.
Turkish is a young man with an entrepreneurial bent, who, when he's not running his gambling operation, manages bareknuckle boxers. Through a business deal gone wrong, he becomes acquainted with one Mickey O'Neil, a mumbling manic motor-mouthed piker who also happens to be a one-punch marvel. Turkish persuades Mickey to join his stable of fighters, but soon discovers that Mickey has his own agenda, & gets Turkishin trouble with the gangsters who run the underground boxing circuit. Other characters that become involvedin the drama include a four-fingered degenerate gambler/jewel thief, a vicious boxing promoter, a gang of inept robbers, a polite hitman, a crazed Russian gun runner, a group of Irish gypsies, a crooked New York jeweler & a pugnacious pet. The common thread binding them all is a perfect diamond the size of a peach pit. If you aren't confused yet, you soon will be.
"Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels", Mr. Madonna's (Ritchie) first film, was shot on a small budget, with a no-name cast (except for football bad boy Vinnie Jones) & quickly became a rousing success at home & found receptive audiences abroad. While not a technically a sequel "Snatch" is stylistically very similar to "Lock, Stock...": Ritchie utilizes his trademark bombastic staccato sequences, & repeatedly bounces off on radical tangents to throw the viewer off balance. He did however opt for a decidedly darker satirical tonein this film, that may make some people uncomfortable (think "Very Bad Things"). What struck me as particularly daring was his decision to create a story with such a voluminous cast.
Ritchie faced a daunting task with this film: how, with roughly twenty principal characters, does one adequately flesh out each character, & not hopelessly confuse the audience? The feat was made doubly difficult, as several cast members are big name stars. Somehow Ritchie manages - each actor is full bodied, receives ample screen time, & no one character is the centerpiece. With so many talented actors, it is difficult to pick out one performance that stands out: Rade Serbedzija is hilarious as the mad Russian who blithely burns through each of his nine lives, as is Vinnie Jones' manic gentleman hitman. On the other end of the spectrum, is Alan Ford as Brick Top, the promoter with a penchant for pigs, who epitomizes cold-blooded viciousness. If forced to pick my favorite however, I would have to go with Brad Pitt
Pitt resurrects his trailer trash look from "Kalifornia" & adopts a nearly indecipherable brogue that sounds like my best friend's Uncle Wally on a bad day. As Mickey O'Neil, the hard drinking wily grifter & part-time pugilist, Pitt displays a wide range of emotions, demonstrating again that he is not only a star, but also a gifted character actor. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the dog that subtly stole every scene he appeared in.
While "Snatch" initially struggles to find its stride, & is very similar to Ritchie's earlier film, it is fresh & funny enough to make you forget any minor shortfalls & stand on its own.
A British Gangster Classic - By: Jay, 06 May 2007 Guy Richie's follow up to Lock Stock & Two Smoking barrels is every bit as astonishing as its predecessor. The humour is better & I have never seen peoplein a cinema laugh as loud & as frequently as they did here. Vinnie Jones plays a similar role as Big Chris, here as Bullet Tooth Tony. His appearance is limited but boy does he make an impact. Even when he is not on screen there is much to savour from Dennis Farina as Avi & a trio of pawnbrokers who are sent to rob a bookies. Brad Pitt sheds his movie start personna & preforms impressively as an Irish gypsy. Unlike Lock Stock.. the humour will appeal to all nationalities. However they mind some slang expressions such as Pikey & blag hard to understand. Good performances, fantastic characters, razor sharp dialogue, expert direction & camera work & brilliant humour, Snatch will make you laugh more than any other movie this year. Alos watch out for Statham's performance as Turkish (He was named that because he was born near a Turkish Restaurant;He's perfectly Anglo Saxon!) See it now.
