Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Meat Loaf
Directed by: Ronny Yu

I did a bit of research on this British/US/Canadian co-production and I found out that it opened in December 2001 in the UK (with the title The 51st State) to some degree of success. The same, however, cannot be said about this side of the Atlantic, where Formula 51 didn't even crack the top 10 in its opening weekend. It's a shame, too, because it's a fun little movie. But, alas, critics and most movie-goers alike seem to hate it. Why? For the same reasons I enjoyed it.

Jackson plays Elmo McElroy, a brilliant, kilt-wearing chemist whose career is so messed up that he has to create recreational drugs for a living. He double-crosses The Lizard (Meat Loaf) and escapes to England, anticipating a huge paycheck for his latest wonderdrug, PoS-51. While there, he hooks up with an enforcer/soccer houligan named Felix DeSousa (Carlyle) and the two are running for their lives after a hitwoman comes after them and etc etc etc, it gets sorta complicated.

I find Jackson is at his best when he's violent and vulgar. Hence, I enjoyed this movie. It's pretty much an excuse to get Jackson whacking people with golf clubs and generally messing up stuff. Jackson and Carlyle make a great and very watchable team. And Meat Loaf is suitably crazy. However, most people would be shocked by some of the violence in here, as well as the fact that the movie's hero is essentially a drug dealer, but not us desensitized folks. No siree. My only complaints are that the plot is sorta weak and the movie is too short. I enjoyed it but beware, it's not for everyone, as indicated by the speed with which everyone vacated the theatre as soon as the credits came up. So beware. While Ebert and Roeper called it a 4^th rate Pulp Fiction knock-off that's one of the worst movies ever made, it does have it's good points. But if the notion of Jackson cussin' and beatin' on people (while wearing a kilt, no less) is not appealing to you, then stay home.

DroopyMcC
Nine