The story follows four cheeky chappie types Eddy (Nick Moran), Bacon (Jason Statham), Tom - Fat Man (Jason Fleming) and Soap (Dexter Fletcher), who lose at cards against Hatchet Harry (PH Moriarty) and have to repay his debt, lest Eddy's father JD (Sting) loses his bar.

Meanwhile... Hatchet Harry has, through Barry the Baptist (Lenny McLean), hired a couple of small time crooks to steal two guns from a stately home but do not realize their worth. Mirth ensues as the crooks fight each other to get them.

This gets confused with a battle between our heroes and a group of hoodlums next door fighting each other over drugs.

"A triumph of London Town England entertainment."

"It has everything apart from Michael Caine, was he busy?"

"The sort of movie you would not like to meet down a dark alley."

"Public school boys vs State school hoodlums. Welcome to England guv'nor."

"That nice Mr Vinnie Jones, looking and acting, once again, ever so mean. Even when he smiles he looks like he's about to pull your nose off. Bravisimo!"

Oh me, oh my. A finely comic outing of the rough and tough underworldlian type. This is not an England of muffins and Earl Gray tea with a twist of lemon. This is far more gritty. It is muffins without any butter, and tea without water. Yes, a rough and toughness rarely seen on the big screen, and never in English Tourist Board advertisements.

A stylized production, calling at times upon Mr Ritchie's pop video making credits.

Definitely not a movie for all tastes, but of its type it is a gem.

The first feature movie from Guy Ritchie. A classic of its type (English crime caper).

August 7 , 2002