The Fight Is On For Formula 51 (The 51st State (DVD))

Member Name: rleigh

Product:	The 51st State (DVD)
Date:	08/03/08 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An excellent action packed thriller complete with the master of the genre; Samuel L. Jackson.

Disadvantages: Not one I'd want to watch on a regular basis.

'The 51st State' is the 2001 film from the director Ronny Yu. I'd been meaning to watch this film for a while, and having caught it on E4 am definitely glad that I finally managed to give it a go. Having previously directed the 'Bride of Chucky' film and more recently having directed 'Freddy vs. Jason', much of Ronny Yu's directorial experience is in Hong Kong cinema and to date it is only these three English language films that he has directed. I've yet to see any of his films in the Cantonese language, but perhaps I should do. I'm a huge fan of his work in the English language and 'The 51st State' is no exception to this rule.

Starring Samuel L. Jackson as master chemist Elmo McElroy, 'The 51st State' tells the tale of Elmo and his quest to part with his 'Formula 51' in a multi million dollar deal. Elmo muses that his drug formula is '51 times stronger than cocaine, 51 times more hallucinogenic than acid, and 51 times more explosive than ecstasy'; quite a big boast that understandably gets the drugs barons interested. As the film unfolds Elmo gets paired up with escort Felix (Robert Carlyle) and the plot takes many twists and turns as the film progresses.

It is an interesting concept to make a film about a wonder drug such as this, it's an interesting thought that a drug of this sort could actually be made and as the film progresses has you deep in thought as you begin to wonder about what the world would be like today if a drug of this power and potency genuinely did exist. It doesn't bear thinking about really, it would surely be the most destructive substance known to man and many a life would most certainly be ruined by the wonder that is 'Formula 51'. Thankfully this is only a film and no such chemical marvel is genuinely in existence (or at least to my knowledge), it definitely makes you think though and it is perhaps this factor which makes the film so intriguing right from the word go.

Samuel L. Jackson is the perfect man for a film of this sort, he is the absolute master of the action thriller and many an F-word can be heard uttered from his mouth throughout the duration of 'The 51st State'. I seem to see a lot of films with Samuel L. Jackson in, and whilst I don't go searching out films that feature him, he certainly always provides for an impressive performance. I'm a great admirer of his performance style and love his laid back approach to acting. His presence is always powerful, he takes full command of his role here and makes the character of Elmo McElroy fully his own in an effective and above all excellent manner.

Performing alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlysle is brilliant as ever in the role of Felix. He's a die hard Liverpool fan, and with the big game against Manchester United fast approaching, this is all that seems to occupy his mind. Rarely will you see him without his Liverpool shirt on, football certainly seems to be a massive part of his life and something that is seemingly greatly important to him. As a football fan, I always enjoy watching films that feature football obsessed characters and Felix is certainly an entertaining follower of football.

'The 51st State' is a loud and proud film, it's complete with the screeching of cars and the blasting of guns; not at all a film that you can watch inconspicuously. It is this that makes the film so viewable for me, never is there a dull moment and always the film has your full undivided attention. I'm not always a fan of films of this sort however 'The 51st State' I feel is a brilliant film from its genre, it had me hooked right from the offset and not once did it disappoint in the slightest during its 92 minute duration.

As well as featuring Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Carlyle, also making an appearance here is none other than Meat Loaf. I can't help but smile when I see him in a film, his appearance in the film adaptation of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' is without my favourite of his. He certainly does not disappoint here and as ever his presence in 'The 51st State' brought many a smile to my face. He doesn't feature much here, but when he does he certainly provides his best efforts to make himself noticed. It is not hard to spot Meat Loaf and with him having now appeared in more than forty films; seeing him on the screen is just something you'll have to learn to live with if you're not a fan of his.

'The 51st State' is a film that I would without doubt recommend to all, it is an action packed thriller that certainly provides for more than just the odd laugh or two. It's not the best film I've ever seen, but certainly provided me with a good hour and a half of entertainment which I was of course greatly grateful for. All those cast in the film perform well and no one lets the side down here, the cast was well chosen and picking Samuel L. Jackson in the role of lead in an action thriller of this sort you can in my opinion never go far wrong. I probably shan't be watching the film again in a hurry, but it's one that can definitely be picked up every so often for an exciting 92 minutes of action. I'm never one to watch a film more than once in quick succession and 'The 51st State' certainly isn't a film that will force me to buck this trend, I will however probably be looking to purchase the film on DVD at a later date if the opportunity presents itself. Check this film out if you can, I'm sure you'll not be at all disappointed with the way in which the narrative progresses and the story unfolds.


Director: Ronny Yu
Year of release: 2001
Genre: Action/Comedy/Thriller
Language: English
Runtime: 92 mins
BBFC Rating: 18

Summary: 'The 51st State' is a fun and exciting thrill ride of a film, it's certainly well worth watching.