Formula 51 (R, 2002)

In FORMULA 51, Elmo McElroy (Samuel L. Jackson) is a pharmacist by training who never got his license because of a drug conviction. So, he spent 30 years cooking up concoctions for a very mean drug dealer (rock star Meat Loaf) who not only speaks of himself in the third person but when doing so actually calls himself "The Lizard." McElroy has an idea for one last big deal to buy his freedom. All he has to do is blow up all of his current customers and sell his latest invention, a drug 51 times more powerful than any ever invented before while avoiding the beautiful assassin who is trying to kill him.

This Formula is missing some key ingredients – like plot, characters, and dialogue. What it does have is the undeniably cool Samuel L. Jackson (who co-produced) in a kilt, fending off attackers with golf clubs and one funny joke. Unfortunately, Jackson also fends off other attackers by inducing severe intestinal distress. And the joke is stolen from Pulp Fiction, in a much better scene. There's also lots and lots of violence and profanity, though none profane or otherwise that are particularly witty or memorable.

Director Ronny Yu brings out the tired old Hong Kong camera tricks. Every other scene is either sped up or slowed down. He wastes the talented Robert Carlyle and Emily Mortimer. They play characters with different motivations and even different personalities from scene to scene. They do whatever moves the story forward, which means whatever will cause the most destruction.

Studio: Columbia Tristar
Director: Ronny Yu
Cast: Emily Mortimer, Robert Carlyle, Samuel L. Jackson
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run time: 93 minutes
Theatrical release: October 18, 2002
DVD release: February 4, 2003
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: strong violence, language, drug content and some sexuality