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Formula 51

Formula 51

List Price: $14.95
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Pretty Good!
Review: For those who like straight up action with a bit of sarcastic humor and a fast edge then this movie is for you. This actually reminded me of a poor mans "Snatch" with more action. Some of the camera angles and camera scenes brought "Snatch" to mind with a harder edge. Loved it. The only downfall, is Meatloaf as the Lizard. I think John Malkovich would have played a much, much better villain (See Con Air, In the Line of Fire, Knockaround Guys) who was actually believable. However, action is what keeps my attention and keeps me awake. Besides, there were no real dull moments throughout the movie and it moved at a fast pace.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "You Aint Seen Nothin Yet"
Review: Formula 51 was a good movie. I for one expected it to be a lot better, especially the ending, and a little more action packed, but i still enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone. Sam Jackson, Robert Carlyle and Everyone Else give hilarious performances, and the scene where Sam Jackson is takin people out with a golf club is AWESOME! I expected more action out of this movie, because almost all of the action was in that one 15 minute scene. I still enjoyed the comedy though. I recommend this movie. This movie is gonna have people all around the United States wearing kilts.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: This is flaky humor!
Review: I didn't really laugh a whole lot through this film. I thought Samuel jackson could have been more raw in his performance. This is far from a return of "Odell or Jewels!" In my (opinion) this was more like a British comedy with Sam stuck in the middle. Basically he has a drug called "Formula 51". Which is like the new drug for Ravers and club goer's. Basically it is like extacsy but 51 times stronger supposidly. And he wants 20 million to sell the ingredents or formula. So you have all these (Quirky) drug Lords trying to catch & negotiate with him. And basically it isn't anything but a bunch of over the counter drugs mixed together. In the beginning he was arrested and that is why he is so bitter and trying to make up for the charade. Like I said this is just O.K nothing to run home and tell momma about! The best feature in this is the "Hit Woman" she was really attractive. Sam's part in "Attack of the Clones" was far more impressive than this. It had some funny moments but it wasn't Uproarious!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: This is flaky humor!
Review: I didn't really laugh a whole lot through this film. I thought Samuel jackson could have been more raw in his performance. This is far from a return of "Odell or Jewels!" In my open this was more like a British comedy with Sam stuck in the middle. Basically he has a drug called "Formula 51". Which is like the new drug for Ravers and club goer's. Basically it is like extascy but 51 time stronger supposidly. And he wants 20 million to give this formula to others. So you have all these (Quirky) drug Lords trying to negotiate with him. And basically it isn't anything but a bunch of over the counter drugs mixed together. In the beginning he was arrested and that is why he is so bitter and trying to make up for the charade. Like I said this is just O.K nothing to run home and tell momma about! The best feature in this is the "Hit Woman" she was really attractive. I wish the film was based on her.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Garbage
Review: I don't understand the good reviews. This movie was terrible. Half way through I didn't know what was going on. The characters were weak and the plot was weaker.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: heh
Review: I doubt many people will agree with me, but if you don't expect anything glorious and cathartic from this movie, it is really great. I loved the unbelievably random humor, where things would be going smoothly and suddenly "what the hell?" Rhys Ifans stole every scene in his immediate vicinity, and Robert Carlyle (sp) was awesome as well. Meatloaf was quite effectively gross.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: An instantly forgettable film
Review: I hadn't seen this movie for ages, when I got given it for Christmas, for some unknown reason. The only reason I can think of as to why I got it is that Robert Carlyle gets his kit off. Or is the giver hinting at what we should get up to in the bath? I'm at a loss here. I originally thought I couldn't review it on Amazon, as for the life of me I couldn't find a film called 51st State. It didn't occur to me at the time that Formula 51, and 51st State were the same movies. Damn!!! I can't say I particularly enjoyed the film the first time round, never mind remember anything from it. After watching the trailer to try and jog my memory, my dad was already laughing. So I thought there must be something in it that I would like.

Apart from Robert Carlyle and the amount of press attention that Samuel L Jackson got for wearing a kilt, turning up at premieres in it, there is nothing else really that appeals to me about the movie. (Also, in an extra scene that appears to have nothing to do with the rest of the movie, Samuel appears naked. With an afro.) There's a lot of swearing, and I mean a lot of which anyone outside the UK probably won't have a hope in hell of understanding! If there's one thing we Brits do best, it's probably swearing! Most of the characters are pretty much stereotypical too. You've got the shaven-headed thugs, the pretty skinny girl who's been poured into those leather/PVC pants and is pretty handy with a gun, the thick as a brick cop and the few stupid people scattered amongst the rest. Including Horse from Full Monty :) I didn't mind Emily Mortimer's character much, although if she turned sideways she disappeared. And she's so lucky that she can look that good in a pair of leather/PVC pants.

There are a few funny laugh-out-loud moments in this movie, but I found them few & far between. It's quite a fast paced movie, with enough oddball characters to keep you from glancing at the clock.

I can't say I'm that impressed with having this in my DVD collection. It's enjoyable enough, but don't expect to be able to remember much afterwards. And if you've got someone who memorise every single line after just one viewing of a movie, then you don't want to let them watch this. Believe me, I'm talking from experience here. I've had lines from this movie said me hundreds of times over, and unfortunately they're not lines I can repeat here! And he even got the facial expression of Robert Carlyle down pat when he did (for me anyway) his most memorable line.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The King of Cool Returns! (In A Kilt!)
Review: I have a few hard-and-fast movie viewing rules, and one that's NEVER let me down is this: Any movie with Samuel L. Jackson is worth seeing. Formula 51 is no exception.

Mr. Jackson (The coolest cat in movies today) plays Elmo McElroy, a Pharmacological genius who has been trapped in a state of indentured servitude for 30 years, toiling away making designer drugs for sleazebag drug-kingpin The Lizard (Played by the extra-crispy Meat Loaf). He's created a perfectly legal drug, (Made from ordinary household objects) which he calls POS-51, supposedly 51 times more potent than Heroin and Cocaine. After breaking loose from The Lizard, Elmo makes his way to Liverpool to sell the formula on his own, and finally start living the good life. Unfortunately, The Lizard has sent assassin Dawn/Dakota (The adorable Emily Mortimer) after him; First to kill him, later to keep him safe until he can coerce him into giving up the formula. THEN kill him....

The film plays like a hybrid of Quentin Tarentino, Monty Python, and Hong Kong action flicks, with a distinctly British flavor injected into it by actors Ricky Tomlinson, Robert Carlysle, and Rhys Ifans, all of whom are excellent. Director Ronny Yu is comfortable mixing genres, as shown by the fast-paced action scenes and the laugh-out-loud comedy. I'll never forget the scene in the lab with the skinheads.....Jackson, is, of course, excellent. I haven't had this much fun at the movies in a LONG time; Can't wait for the DVD!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "Formula 51" is fast, fresh, funny, and action-packed!!
Review: I have finally checked out "Formula 51" at the theater a couple of days ago, and while watching the film, I instantly found out that it had a very silly side to the whole thing, but the plot was very entertaining nonetheless, and I loved the rest of the film automatically! In fact, "Formula 51" was so hilarious that I would have to see it again in a heartbeat! The direction of Ronny Yu ("Warriors of Virtue", "Bride of Chucky") was outstanding! And as far as the performances go, most of the credit goes to Academy Award winner Samuel L. Jackson ("Changing Lanes", "Shaft"), Robert Carlyle (007: "The World is Not Enough", "The Full Monty"), and the lovely Emily Mortimer ("Disney's The Kid", "Scream 3") for their hilarious performances! "Formula 51" first takes place back in 1971, and Elmo McElroy (Jackson), who's wearing late 60's clothes at the time, is just like any other college graduate, until he is pulled over by a California state trooper for having marijuana inside his car. Now, fast forward to the present day, the year 2002. Elmo is now an illegal drug chemist who has just made a breakthrough with a new recreational drug that he created in which he calls it "P.O.S. 51". And during the film, Elmo travels to Liverpool, England in hopes of finding a market for his new product. Along the way, Elmo crosses paths with a beautiful and elusive hired gun named Dakota Parker (Mortimer), in which she is hired by a manipulative fence called "The Lizard" (Meat Loaf) to follow Elmo to England in order to retrieve the formula from Elmo, etc. While in England, Elmo meets up with a soccer-loving, Yank-hating hitman named Felix DeSousa (Carlyle). And action and mayhem begins as Elmo and Felix are being chased down by the bad guys and Dakota, who just so happens to be Felix's ex-girlfriend. From then on, Dakota also reluctantly teams up with Elmo and Felix in order to help Elmo reach his ultimate goal: to bring his new drug to the British rave scene...and also to get paid as well! To me, the ironic thing about this film is that to everyone's surprise, Sam Jackson's character wears a Scottish kilt throughout the entire film! In conclusion, I just have to say that "Formula 51" is among one of the absolute funniest action-comedies that I've seen since the "Rush Hour" films, or any other action-comedy for that matter. "Formula 51" also has three great performances from a talented and top-notch cast, a great supporting cast (Meat Loaf, Sean Pertwee, Rhys Ifans), and a great soundtrack as well! A great film for any action-comedy fan or any Samuel L. Jackson fan. I can't wait for the DVD of "Formula 51" to be released!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brit version must be better, then... I loved it!
Review: I have this as "The 51st State." It would seem that the US release as Formula 51 was editted to give a different movie as the Euro version is brilliant. Then again, being English I probably understand it better than most Americans. The kilt issue is explained at the end when Elmo claims his birthrite as the descending heir of a bloodline resulting from the couplings of a Scottish plantation owner and his negro slave (back when that sort of thing was done). Altogether a riotous gangster flick - Lock, Stock, & Two Smoking Barrels with more humour set in a city other than London. The irony here is that Carlyle, a Scot, plays a Scouser (Liverpudlian - a person from Liverpool, England) whilst Jackson, an African-American, plays a Scot (albeit with the usual SLJ vocal delivery instead of a more Celtic expressionism). For a Hollywood movie this captures the more offbeat aspects of British culture brilliantly (namely football - or soccer, if you prefer - and slang and our humour, among other things) and does it as well as British-made movies of a similar ilk, such as Lock, Stock..., Snatch, and Ganster No. 1.

If you don't get it first time, watch it again. And again. And again. Then visit England. Then watch it again. It's worth the effort (visiting England, not the movie!).


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