Plot: What’s it about?
Elmo McElroy (Samuel L. Jackson) is a master chemist and he has created a wonder drug that is certain to make an immense splash. No, he didn’t use his skills to cure a disease, instead he focused on the potential cash value and conjured up a new illegal narcotic. But this is no normal street drug, as it has the juice to make acid, cocaine, and even heroine worthless, as it packs a much more intense punch than all those combined. You see, McElroy has created POS Formula 51, which has fifty-one times the power of the strongest street drugs out there, meaning it will be in constant demand and of course, that means serious profits. He seeks to take in a quick twenty-million dollars in a direct sale, then take his stash and retire, though whoever buys Formula 51 is promised riches far and beyond that initial investment. He clears out his former employers and their lab in Los Angeles, to make sure his drug remains unknown and by turn, his sole property to sell as he sees fit. So now he simply has to venture to England and make his quick transaction, but of course, things don’t unfold as planned. As he tries to track down a potential new buyer, McElroy finds himself hunted by not only local authorities, but also an assassin and his former boss’ wrath. Even with the help of a local gangster (Robert Carlyle), can Elmo manage to sell his formula and cash out, or will he wind up cut out of the deal, not to mention out of his life?
Also known as The 51st State, this movie plays like a blend of Trainspotting and Snatch, with an American edge to balance things out. And while Formula 51 never gets as good as those two movies, it has some humorous moments and solid action sequences. But in the end, it runs out of steam too often and too much of the material falls flat, leaving me to mark this one as merely passable. As I mentioned, it has some memorable dialogue and even some nice action scenes, but there isn’t enough of either to balance out the slow stretches. I actually liked the dialogue a lot more than most people I know, but I still found patches of poor writing and of course, the almost constant use of the word fuck is going to offend some folks. And yes, its obvious the profane dialects are used to cover up a lack of creativity at times, but these are the kind of characters who should curse all the time, so it never seems forced. The action is well crafted, but too infrequent, though director Ronny Yu (The Bride With White Hair, Bride of Chucky) makes it all work when he is able to put some stunts on screen. All in all, Formula 51 is not that bad of a movie if you just want some simple entertainment, but don’t expect much else from this production. So if you’re in the mood to switch your brain off and tune in, then Formula 51 is worth a rental.
Although he has shown that he has some formidable acting skills, in more recent times, Samuel L. Jackson seems content on just going through the motions. Of course, Jackson hit mainstream stardom after his work in Pulp Fiction, but instead of using that as a springboard to use his talents, he hasn’t done much aside from expand his resume. Yes, he has been in a ton of movies since that picture and is often solid in his roles, but he has been in too many movies of this kind, where he just curses and spouts off sharp dialogue. We know he can do that and be entertaining in the process, but I’d like to see him return to smaller, better crafted projects instead, as he is much more enjoyable in those type of productions. In Formula 51, he gives a performance we’ve seen several times, with the only real change being his character’s name. Other films with Jackson include Unbreakable, The Red Violin, Eve’s Bayou, Fresh, True Romance, and Jackie Brown. The cast also includes Robert Carlyle (The World is Not Enough, The Full Monty), Rhys Ifans (Human Nature, Notting Hill), Emily Mortimer (Lovely & Amazing, Scream 3), Sean Pertwee (Dog Soldiers, Event Horizon), and Meat Loaf (Fight Club, Leap of Faith).
Video: How does it look?
Formula 51 is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, with a pan & scan option also available on this dual layered disc. Another great day & date transfer from Columbia, who have given us a high grade visual effort with this disc. As this one moved from theaters to home video in a brisk timeframe, its no surprise that the print is almost flawless, but I did notice some shimmering at times and that’s not good. But outside of that, this is a dynamic treatment and all the film’s vivid colors, dark shadows, and wild visuals come across in tip top fashion. The colors look bold and vibrant when needed, then more drab when that’s called for, while black levels appear accurate and refined throughout. Like I said, there’s some slight woes in this transfer, but on the whole, this is a terrific looking visual presentation.
Audio: How does it sound?
If your surround system needs some action, the included Dolby Digital 5.1 option is the perfect prescription for an intense workout. The channels are bombarded throughout by almost constant surround presence, as this movie seeks to grab you by the ears and never let go, making this an active, highly immersive experience. So if you have a high end setup and your neighbors are close, you might have to rent them a motel room or just hope they’re deaf, as this is a loud and aggressive mix from start to finish. But it isn’t just loud for the sake of being brash either, the creativity shown here is top notch and you can tell a lot of effort went into this soundtrack. The music is well presented here also, while dialogue never gets lost in all the commotion. This disc also includes subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a brief behind the scenes featurette, as well as the film’s theatrical trailer.
