(Photo by Sony Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection)
Who had a more explosive directorial debut in the rollicking, post-Pulp Fiction ’90s than Guy Ritchie and his Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels? The stylish, gritty descent into the criminal underworld rocked both sides of the Atlantic, which then gave Ritchie the opportunity to give his style an even slicker, international sheen with Snatch.
So synonymous is Ritchie with this style and subject matter that no matter where his career takes him, whenever he returns to this topic it’s always celebrated as a back-to-basics comeback. RocknRolla, for example, helped sweep away the sour tastes of Swept Away and Revolver.
And now The Gentlemen, opening Friday, is here as a counterpoint to the blockbuster bombast of Aladdin and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. (Though certainly Sherlock Holmes and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. found a happy, kinetic medium between these two extremes.) As the gangster flick opens – starring Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, and Hugh Grant – we’re ranking the best Guy Ritchie movies (and the worst) by Tomatometer!
#10
Adjusted Score: 6.626%
Critics Consensus: Muddled and lacking the political context of the original, Swept Away offers further proof that Madonna can’t act.
#9
Adjusted Score: 16.538%
Critics Consensus: In attempting to meld his successful previous formulas with philosophical musings, Guy Ritchie has produced an incoherent misfire.
#8
Adjusted Score: 42%
Critics Consensus: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword piles mounds of modern action flash on an age-old tale — and wipes out much of what made it a classic story in the first place.
#7
Adjusted Score: 73.756%
Critics Consensus: Aladdin retells its classic source material’s story with sufficient spectacle and skill, even if it never approaches the dazzling splendor of the animated original.
#6
Adjusted Score: 65.179%
Critics Consensus: Mixed reviews for Guy Ritchie’s return to his London-based cockney wideboy gangster movie roots, but most agree, it’s a step in the right direction following two major turkeys.
#5
Adjusted Score: 66.725%
Critics Consensus: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a good yarn thanks to its well-matched leading men but overall stumbles duplicating the well-oiled thrills of the original.
#4
Adjusted Score: 77.767%
Critics Consensus: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. tries to distract from an unremarkable story with charismatic stars and fizzy set pieces, adding up to an uneven action thriller with just enough style to overcome its lack of substance.
#3
Adjusted Score: 76.753%
Critics Consensus: Guy Ritchie’s directorial style might not be quite the best fit for an update on the legendary detective, but Sherlock Holmes benefits from the elementary appeal of a strong performance by Robert Downey, Jr.
#2
Adjusted Score: 77.418%
Critics Consensus: Though perhaps a case of style over substance, Guy Ritchie’s second crime caper is full of snappy dialogue, dark comedy, and interesting characters.
#1
Adjusted Score: 77.344%
Critics Consensus: Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels is a grimy, twisted, and funny twist on the Tarantino hip gangster formula.
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