Review of film(s) : Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (CERT 18)
Review of film(s) : Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (CERT 18)
Marching forward with a shotgun over each confident shoulder, Vinnie Jones striding fearlessly towards the camera is an image which, like many phrases from this much-hyped event movie, will be remembered for sheer action packed, gangster genius. This isn't your average British movie.
Fans of previous gangster works of art such as Goodfellas (1990) or the older style of Scarface (1930) (referred to at one point in Lock, Stock...), won't be used to the newly approached and freshly created appeal brought to the genre by the man who managed to tame Madonna, Guy Ritchie. Ritchie is tackling his first event movie and is bringing in many new unknown actors onto the scene; actors that he is set to promote to household names.
Of course one name that is familiar to many a household and has been for years for reasons completely foreign to film, is Vinnie Jones. The Welsh former hard-man of the football world was seen by Ritchie as the ideal man for the key role in 'Lock, Stock...' of 'Big Chris'. The role is his first in the movie industry, yet director and writer Ritchie knew that he would be just right for the character. Big Chris is an unusual first character for Jones to tackle. His tough, rough, no-messing, yet in terms of his son 'Little Chris', caring image is brought across by Jones like an experienced professional. If any of his future performances are to be as gripping and inspiring, then his potential bankability for films are going to be something that directors hunt for in every actor.
Guy Ritchie's input is a huge and under-estimated factor in Lock, Stock.... He adds enough London banter and cockney wit to get a balance with the amounts of violence that go with the inevitability of a dodgy cannabis deal. Witty expressions such as "Hand-made in Italy, hand stolen in Stepney" and Left leg, right leg, your body'll follow, they call it walking" along with memorable quotes such as "It's been emotional" from Jones after he has just scoped half a million pounds and seen his employer shot dead. This compares with James Cameron's Terminator 2 in 1991 where just a simple "Hasta la vista baby" has been associated with every Schwarzeneggar film since, Jones' 'emotional' line could have the same effect.
Ritchie's welcoming fresh approach fused together with the gangster genre in principle may seem like a potential spoof of any film that has guns and drugs connected, but this is certainly not a cheap rip-off. There are four main groups to be concerned with in Lock, Stock.... The protagonist group of four is the group that the film follows in general, Ed (Nick Moran), Bacon (Jason Statham), Tom (Jason Flemyng) and 'Soap' (Dexter Fletcher). The four all chip in with 25 grand each so that Ed can take part in a 100 grand minimum card game with the ...
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Ritchie's welcoming fresh approach fused together with the gangster genre in principle may seem like a potential spoof of any film that has guns and drugs connected, but this is certainly not a cheap rip-off. There are four main groups to be concerned with in Lock, Stock.... The protagonist group of four is the group that the film follows in general, Ed (Nick Moran), Bacon (Jason Statham), Tom (Jason Flemyng) and 'Soap' (Dexter Fletcher). The four all chip in with 25 grand each so that Ed can take part in a 100 grand minimum card game with the town's bad boy antagonist Harry Lonsdale or "as some including himself like to call him, 'Atchet 'Arry".
The dastardly 'Arry cheats Ed out of all his money and more so the four are left with half a million pounds to find in a week. Ed and the boys coincidentally overhear another group about how to get the money before the fingers are 'half-inched' off their hands. This group are sinister and threatening yet too money hungry to be feared like Harry. Their leader is a tank-like, rough character called 'Dog' who treats his gang members like slaves yet still has them following him ironically like dogs. The main four hear their plan to bust another group, steal their money and home-grown weed and scarper. They all know this shouldn't be a problem as the group are "just a bunch of public schoolboys".
The four plan to let Dog's gang go ahead with the job but then intercept them, tie them up and take the money and the extra bonus of the weed, planning to give the money to 'Arry and flog the weed. However the fourth group comes into play as it was their cannabis that the schoolboys were looking after for. Unfortunately for Ed and the lads, this leader, Rory Breaker, is not a public schoolboy and comes across as a very menacing, dark villain just from visual observation, though the afro and strange voice could be misleading to his true character. The story ends with Dog's and Breaker's gangs meeting in a fatal, bloody gun battle and 'Arry getting killed meanwhile for an ongoing sideline story with two shotguns. So it appears that the four will get the money and weed and get off 'scot-free' yet Big Chris who worked for 'Arry gets both. The two stories come together in the final scene where the four realise that the two shotguns they have suddenly get hold of, are worth a fortune, yet Tom has just thrown them off a bridge.
So at last a long awaited British director and an all British cast have finally buried the doubts that the term 'British gangster event movie' is an oxymoron.
FINAL VERDICT
A British gangster action packed that uses wit, style and British knowledge with violence and drugs. Jones may once again be associated with the hard-man image, except this time with flair and respect. Worth seeing for the opening scene alone...
****
TOY STORY (CERT PG)
This is a fantastic film that can be watched over and over again. The toys coming to life right in front of our faces are like your favourite meal being brought to you every day that you choose. It makes you smile at the spell it puts you into and no words need to be spoken. This kind of entertainment is what they used to call 'movie magic' and there is loads of it in this irresistible computer animation feature. Just a picture of these bright toys on the cover of Toy Story looks inviting as it reawakens the kid in everyone. Filmmaker John Lasseter's work from before Toy Story (for example Knickknack and Tin Toy) draw a picture of not only a wonderful mind at work but also a great sense of humour; one in which the joke is always intended. Lasseter thinks of himself as a storyteller first and an animator second, much like another film magician, Walt Disney.
Disney was of course the daddy of kids' films through many, many years and was probably a hero for parents in their early days too. Lasseter plays with an idea completely new to film, making the entire film animated and in the eyes of many awestruck youngsters, bringing the film into their own small imaginative world with its lifelike features. Lasseter puts you the viewer in the shoes of a toy. Staying still and being played with by the giant humans when they are in the room, then coming to life and playing with the other toys when left alone.
The story goes around the main character, the Sheriff of the bed, Woody. Woody is a cowboy/sheriff doll that is loved by his owner, Andy. Andy is like any other 9 year old boy, he has heaps of toys and plays with them all daily yet has one special favourite, Woody. Woody knows he is Andy's favourite toy as he has Andy's written name on the bottom of his right shoe, a famous sign to any toy in Andy's bedroom that they are precious. Woody has it all, friends, fun, he gets to sleep in bed with Andy while the other toys are sent to the basket and he even has a love interest from the Bo-Peep doll!
The twist in the story happens when Andy's tenth birthday arrives, Andy has a party and so his friends all bring a present for him. The toys are all very worried that one of the toys will be better than them. The next few minutes would have to be one of the funniest parts of the film. The toys have a job to do on Andy's birthday; struggle downstairs and then get a spot where they can see Andy opening his gifts while still hiding and then when they see what each present is, they radio the news to the other toys upstairs with the good or bad news. Until the tenth birthday, the toys have never had bad news except on this day Andy gets the newest toy in the shop, a Buzz Lightyear! Every child has been hunting after a Buzz Lightyear but of course the toys do not know this. The toys know something is wrong when Andy bursts into his room even happier than he normally is and pushes Woody off the bed to make room for his new treasure.
Buzz is convinced he is actually a real space ranger and can fly, as a couple of the other toys funnily notice "mmm, impressive wingspan". However Woody knows that he is the only toy that is actually going to lose out from Buzz' arrival, so he is the one that speaks up and shouts "YOU ARE A TOOOYYYY!!". Yet nothing will convince Buzz taht he isn't a space ranger. After a few nights spent in the basket with the other toys, Woody has had enough. He gets Andy's remote control toy car and knocks Buzz out of the bedroom widow. All of the toys are horrified, even Woody who only meant to knock Buzz behind the desk.
Later on Woody also gets misplaced by Andy as he is obviously missing Buzz, who in the meantime is happily not damaged. The two then go on a big 'space' adventure! They visit a space airport, meet aliens and even manage to get as close to Andy as next-door. But Woody knows all about Andy's next-door neighbour and how horrible he is. After a time, Buzz realises he actually is a toy like Woody when he sees an advert on TV for Buzz Lightyears. Yet Woody shows his true feelings and helps Buzz to understand that being a toy and especially someone's favourite toy, is a very good thing.
If I were to go on about all of the good bits from Toy Story, you would be reading for a long time, so I'll just say this. If funny, loveable, can't-get-your-bums-off-seats kinds of films are what you like, then Toy Story is yours and every other child's dream.
30.11.01
