October 2002 Formula 51

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Reviewed by Niija Kuykendall Formula 51 Distributor: Screen Gems & Alliance Atlantis Director: Ronny Yu Producers: Samuel L. Jackson, Julie Yorn, Eli Selden, Stephanie Davis, David Pupkewitz, Malcolm Kohll Screenwriter: Stel Pavlou Director of Photography: Poon Hang Sang Music: Headrillaz Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Meat Loaf, Sean Pertwee, Ricky Tomlinson, Rhys Ifans In Formula 51 Sam Jackson wears a skirt, a quilt of the McElroy clan to be exact. This fashion idiosyncrasy is just one of the many quirks that makes Elmo McElroy a fun character to experience. The skirt, the always present golf clubs that Sam wields as martial arts-type weaponry and, of course, the fact that Sam Jackson seems to be larger than life and friggin’ fly in any part he plays is what makes the movie. This time around he is a drug dealing chemical genius who was forced into the underworld after being caught with the good ole yerba buena the day of college graduation. Desiring to leave his criminal life behind as well as his subservience to the drug lord played by rock star Meat Loaf, McElroy embarks on a mission to Liverpool, Britain to sell a special new drug that he assures will get global party people poppin’. He must do this with a sidekick gangster/Liverpool tour guide, Felix, played by Robert Carlyle of The Full Monty fame, and a woman assassin hunting him down. Although Sam is always a pleasure to watch and Carlyle is funny at times, I couldn’t help but wonder what the point of the film was besides seeing Jackson in a skirt the whole movie. Reminiscent of Guy Ritchie’s Snatch with its attempted British wit and fast-paced editing, the film fell short of Snatch’s ability to engage the audience with each member of the motley crew/ensemble, good and bad. This film contained elements of fun sarcasm and wit but seemed to have trouble breaking through the corny fog to actually gel everything together. Director Ronny Yu did a good job of using the art of frenetic editing to make the film a bit more fun but my opinion remains that the plot was just useless or over my head at least. The only climatic moment is seeing Jackson bare-assed, which some folks would be willing to pay for.