Review of Snatch (2 disc set)

Introduction

Snatch is the second big screen outing for director Guy Ritchie, who shot to fame following the success of his first film "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", and who has been in the media spotlight for other reasons (marrying Madonna no less). This time around there was a bit more money available to make the film itself, and there are one or two bigger names on board as a result.

Whilst it`s not a sequel to "Lock Stock", there are plenty of familiar elements in Snatch - guns, villains from the east end of London and a plot that eventually brings all of its central characters together. There are inevitable similarities, but there are some new ideas here too.

Video

An excellent 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer here, which makes the perfect showcase for the director`s own style of film-making. There are quick cuts, pans and zooms and lots of clever little shots. All of this has transferred very well and the film looks very good indeed.

The slightly odd palette is intentional and adds to the feel of the film. Plenty of different techniques have been used to create some of the scenes, including high speed cameras and special effects. All of these come together seamlessly to make a very enjoyable visual spectacle.

Audio

An excellent DD5.1 soundtrack to accompany the excellent picture. As you would expect there`s a very good range of music on offer during the film, from The Stranglers to Oasis. This is all used to good effect and adds to the atmosphere during key scenes.

There are plenty of surround effects in use (gunfire and crowds are two obvious examples), and lots of bass to shake your walls down. Dialogue is clear and understandable, apart from Brad Pitt, who is supposed to be difficult to understand. You can probably work out most of what he is saying but there is a "hidden pikey subtitle track" if you`re really stuck.

Features

This is a 2-disc set, so it`s pretty obvious that there will be plenty of extras. On the first disc, as well as the film itself, you get a commentary track featuring the director and producer. This is another interesting commentary track and both participants have plenty of things to say, although like some of the other extras it does appear to have a slight bias towards the US market.

Staying with the first disc there`s the "Stealing Stones" feature. Whilst watching the film, a diamond appears now and again. If you click on it then you jump to a deleted scene, and then back to the main feature. This is a nice idea but the scenes themselves aren`t of the highest quality, have timecode information splashed on them and are displayed in 4:3.

Moving on to disc two we have lots more extras. There are the deleted scenes from the first disc, plus some additional deleted scenes. All of them have optional commentary tracks. There`s also some "b-roll" footage, which is just some behind the scenes stuff and a storyboard comparison, which allows you to see several scenes side by side with the original storyboards.

You`ll also find a "making of" documentary, which is excellent, and very well put together. Filmed entirely in 1.85:1 anamorphic, it contains plenty of insight into the film and is an example of how these types of features should be done. Allied to this is another feature called "Soundbites", which contains about half an hour of interview clips, with questions presented as text screens and then the answers given by the relevant person.

There`s also the trailer, the "International" trailer and several TV spots. There are lots of stills in the "Photo Library" too. You can read more about the film in the "Production Notes" section, which is well put together. There are cast and crew biographies (which interestingly describe Vinnie Jones as a "world class footballer") and you can also listen to some of the songs used from the song selection menu.

There are a couple of Easter Eggs on the first disc, and lots more on the second disc. These lead you to brief features, such as mobile phone rings and short film clips. They`re easy to find, just move up with the cursor in various places and you`ll spot them.

Conclusion

Snatch is a very entertaining film which will keep you interested and amused for the duration. It`s all very stylised, the picture and sound are top-notch, and it all looks and sounds very good on DVD. The two discs are packed with quality extras, and there`s probably enough stuff to keep you going for 5 or 6 hours.

If you enjoyed "Lock Stock" (the film or the spin-off TV series) then you will definitely enjoy "Snatch". If you enjoy films about robberies, cockney villains and the seedy underworld then you`ll enjoy "Snatch" too.

An excellent package - excellent value if you rent it, and equally good value if you want to buy it.