Formula 51 Movie Review 2001

Good cast is wasted in this ridiculous plot revolving around drugs and crime lords. Elmo (Jackson) is a pharmacology grad student who loses his ability to work in the field due to a marijuana bust. He ends up toiling for drug kingpin Lizard (Meat Loaf) and invents a drug that is allegedly more powerful than crack, heroin or ecstasy. After he arranges an unpleasant surprise for Lizard, he flees to Liverpool in an attempt to sell his formula to English criminal Durant (Tomlinson). Aside from the asinine and convoluted storyline, Jackson is inexplicably forced to parade around in a kilt for most of the film. Just say no.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 92 minutes.
Originally from British, Canadian.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Smuggler's Blues, Great Britain, Hit Men/Women, Police Detectives

Screenplay

Stel Pavlou

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Meat Loaf Aday, Sean Pertwee, Ricky Tomlinson, Rhys Ifans

Cinematography

Poon Hang-Seng

Director

Ronny Yu, David Wu

Other

Bruce Carwardine, Abi Leland, Dan Rose, Philip Robinson, Kate Carin, Alan Macdonald

Producer

Andras Hamori, Seaton McLean, David Pupkewitz, Jonathan Debin, Malcolm Kohll, Alliance Atlantis Communications, Focus Film, Screen Gems