Working with a bigger budget and more Hollywood clout, Ritchie was able to rope in a star-studded cast that includes Benicio del Toro, Dennis Farina, and Brad Pitt as an eccentric Irish bare-knuckle boxer. Ritchie’s next film, ' Snatch', takes everything that’s great about ' Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' and doubles it. Everything we now love about Ritchie’s stylish filmmaking and Statham’s stoic yet charismatic movie star persona have their origins in this delightfully pulpy flick.

Indeed, Ritchie’s clever script tells a complicated, sprawling ensemble crime story that eventually folds in on itself in a brilliantly satisfying, darkly hilarious way. Right from the opening scene that sees his character hawking stolen goods, Statham emerges as the perfect avatar for Ritchie’s love of Cockney tough guys and two-timing wheeling and dealing.

It’s the dawn of a new era for Ritchie and “the Stath,” and that makes this the perfect time for action movie fans to revisit their dynamic partnership.Īdvertisement ' Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' (1998)Įven two decades later, this astonishingly confident debut still sizzles with style. And now the old friends are reuniting for the first time in 16 years for the new movie 'Wrath of Man', the story of a mysterious cash truck security guard looking for vengeance. The film became an international hit that launched Ritchie and Statham’s careers, both separately and together. Never mind that Statham had never acted before-or that Ritchie had never directed a feature-length film.ĭespite their inexperience, the two scrappy upstarts revolutionized British action cinema with their 1998 crime caper ' Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'.

Statham could rake in a couple of thousand dollars a week pulling off elaborate, con-like sales pitches with fun names like “Five-Pound Nailers” and “The Run Out.” So when up-and-coming British filmmaker Guy Ritchie heard about Statham’s unique set of skills, he knew he’d found the perfect actor for his dark comedy about small-time hustlers. Before Jason Statham was a household name, he made ends meet selling cheap jewelry on busy street corners.

Guy ritchie, jason statham movies