The 51st State - The 51st State

Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller

Samuel L. Jackson	Elmo McElroy
Nigel Whitmey	L.A. Highway Patrol
Robert Jezek	Priest
Emily Mortimer	Dakota Parker
Meat Loaf	The Lizard (as Meatloaf)
Jake Abraham	Konokko
Mac McDonald	Mr. Davidson
Aaron Swartz	Mr. Yuri
David Webber	Mr. Jones
Michael J. Reynolds	Mr. Escobar
Robert Carlyle

Director	Ronny Yu
Producer	Jonathan Debin; Andras Hamori
Writer	Stel Pavlou

Wildly entertaining but riddled with as many plot holes as bullets, Formula 51 (a.k.a. The 51st State) is a love-it-or-hate-it action comedy that plays like Tarantino on the Thames. It's a raucous hash, highlighted by the sheer pleasure of Samuel L. Jackson--in a kilt, no less--strutting his stuff among denizens of the British underworld. As freelance chemist Elmo McElroy (whose tartan attire remains glibly unexplained), Jackson is perfectly teamed with The Full Monty's Robert Carlyle in a scam involving Elmo's latest pharmaceutical concoction, which promises to yield a fortune on the rave scene. This attracts a loopy British kingpin (the outrageous Rhys Ifans), Elmo's vengeful ex-boss (Meat Loaf), a corrupt cop (Sean Pertwee), and a lovely assassin (Emily Mortimer) with a soft spot for Carlyle. They're all given generous helpings of Stel Pavlou's profanely zesty dialogue, and director Ronny Yu strikes a breezy balance between rampant hilarity and blood-splattering violence. If that's your cup of tea, Formula 51 guarantees a satisfying buzz. --Jeff Shannon