Guy Ritchie has had one of the most interesting careers for a director in Hollywood. He burst on to the scene with his gritty and wild British crime films before experiencing a bit of a slump and then bouncing back to helm some of the biggest blockbusters around. His new film, The Gentlemen, looks to combine a bit of the two with a throwback to the crime genre, featuring some A-list Hollywood talent.
Ritchie’s films have never been huge hits with the critics, and some have even been torn apart quite brutally. But the majority of his movies have managed to win over a good number of the critical community. Here are Guy Ritchie’s ten best movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Revolver (15%)
When a list of top-ten best films starts with a movie that has 15%, that doesn’t bode well for the rest of the list. But rest assured, things get much better from here.
Revolver reteamed Ritchie with his frequent collaborator Jason Statham for a more cerebral crime film than we usually see from these two. Unfortunately, the story of a gambler seeking redemption made for an incoherent mess according to most critics. Ritchie’s attempt to combine his distinct style with philosophical musings just didn’t click.
King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword (31%)
There have been countless retellings of the story of King Arthur on film, and Guy Ritchie attempted to give the classic story a big-budget epic rendition while infusing his own streetwise dynamic to the tale. Charlie Hunnam stars as the once and future king, a peasant who learns he is destined for greater things.
The movie features a pretty stellar cast with Djimon Hounsou as Arthur’s right-hand man and Jude Law as the conniving villain. The film was a massive bomb at the box office and the poor reviews couldn’t have helped much. Perhaps it was one King Arthur movie too many.
Aladdin (57%)
Ritchie continued his climb into big-budget studio filmmaking by jumping on the trend of live-action Disney remakes. He took the difficult task of bringing the beloved story of Aladdin back to the big screen. Of course, Ritchie was helped by the considerable charisma of Will Smith taking over the role of the Genie.
Like most of the live-action Disney remakes, this one failed to live up to the original animated version. Though critics acknowledged that a lot of the magic was missing, many admitted Ritchie brought a fun energy to the film while Smith stole the show.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (60%)
Ritchie might not have seemed like the obvious choice to direct a film about world-famous detective Sherlock Holmes but the success of the first film meant he got the chance to delve into another mystery. This time Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Watson (Jude Law) faced off with the evil genius Moriarty (Jared Harris).
The second adventure was another box office hit for the famed detective, though a little less successful with critics. The energy and fun performances of the leads were praised, but many thought it lacked some of the spark of the first film.
RocknRolla (60%)
After a few misfires with critics and audiences, Ritchie decided to return to his roots with a tried and true British crime-comedy. This twisty tale followed a bunch of seedy criminal individuals who clash over heists gone wrong, a missing painting and an out-of-control rock star.
Many critics agreed that this was a welcome step in the right direction after some of Ritchie’s previous films. The fun cast provided a lot of the charm with Gerard Butler, Idris Elba and Tom Hardy having tons of fun. The film cemented Ritchie’s talents for these kinds of stories, even if it wasn’t on par with his earlier works.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (67%)
Ritchie decided to swap out the gritty street-level crime stories for a polished and sophisticated spy thriller with The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. Based on the spy show from the ’60s, the film stars Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer as an American agent and Russian agent who are forced to team up to stop the detonation of a nuclear device.
The movie failed to find as big an audience as was hoped for, but judging by some of the praise from critics, it could gain a cult following. Though films based on television shows don’t always work, Ritchie’s humor and the solid cast made this one an enjoyable ride.
Sherlock Holmes (69%)
Sherlock Holmes was Ritchie’s first foray into the big-budget filmmaking. He made the transition from small movies to blockbusters quite smoothly. This adventure film starred Robert Downey Jr. as the master sleuth and Jude Law as his trusty partner John Watson as they try to stop a plot by a madman who appears to have supernatural abilities.
Ritchie handled them film’s scale and action well while Downey Jr., fresh off the success of Iron Man, made for an entertaining hero. It all added up to a fun adventure that proved Ritchie was ready for Hollywood.
Snatch (73%)
Snatch was a film in which Ritchie doubled down on his unique voice and style of filmmaking. It was yet another British crime comedy about a bunch of shady characters colliding with one another and causing all kinds of chaos.
Ritchie managed to score some big Hollywood stars for his second film, including Benicio Del Toro and Brad Pitt. The movie was outrageously funny with a wild energy that Ritchie maintained throughout the story. It established him as one of the most exciting newcomers in the film world.
Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels (75%)
While Ritchie’s films haven’t always landed with critics, he won many of them over with his first feature. The crime-comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels focused on a group of friends who owe money to a gangster and decide to rip-off their drug dealer neighbors.
The movie introduced a lot of elements that Ritchie would use throughout his career. There are the streetwise protagonists, the intersecting storylines, and the high energy pace. Though his later films wouldn’t always get the same acclaim, this made for an impressive debut.
The Gentlemen (76%)
Though Ritchie has had success in the big-budget world, many fans are eager to see him return to his crime story roots with The Gentlemen. The film stars Matthew McConaughey as a big-time weed dealer living in London who finds himself and his laid-back operation in the midst of a gang war.
Critics seem to be welcoming of Ritchie returning to his roots as the film has already earned him some of the best reviews of his career. They call it a fun, funny caper with a very likable A-list cast.
