Distributor:
Paramount Home Entertainment Certificate: MA15+ |
Rental | Released 15 July
Director: Ronny
Yu
Cast:Samuel L. Jackson,
Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Meatloaf, Rhys Ifans Extras: No
This
black action comedy stars Samuel
L. Jackson as the kilt wearing
Elmo McElroy, a drugs specialist
chemist who has the perfect
formula for a hot new drug
called the 51st State
(also the title of the movie in
many countries). After double
crossing major US
drugs dealer The Lizard (an over
acting Meatloaf) McElroy hot
foots it to England
to sell to a dealer there,
however the Lizard has a hit
woman on his trail, Dakota
Phillips (the beautiful Emily
Mortimer).
Despite
having a good premise and some high octane action sequences Formula 51
contains as many misses as hits. Robert Carlyle plays the local contact
of McElroy and although he does have a good scene involving his
Liverpool FC shirt and a pub full of Manchester Utd supporters, seems a
little off key, similarly Rhys Ifans the local drugs bigwig, always
prone to over acting Ifans is completely off the radar here.
Formula
51 also contains the largest amount of swearing we’ve heard in a movie
for a long time, a goodly proportion of it spilling from the mouth of
Carlyle. Formula 51 will remain something of a missed opportunity on the
cast’s CV’s – watchable but nothing special.
