The 51st State

Elmo McElroy is an American chemistry who has developed a new drug that is 51 times stronger, more effective and better than everything else on the market. He kills the major drug dealers in LA and heads to England to get a better deal. He arrives in England and is collected by Felix DeSouza and escorted to meet criminal Leopold Durant. However Elmo's hit on The Lizard failed and he remains keen to get hold of the drug - however the formula only exists in Elmo's head. The Lizard charges hit-woman Dakota (coincidently Felix's ex) to keep Elmo alive until The Lizard can get to him and get the formula. Meanwhile Elmo and Felix combine to try and sell the drugs.

Yet another in the treadmill of British bandwagon filmmaking, this film is, surprise surprise, a comedy British gangster movie with, wait for it, larger than life characters, funny violence and hyper-kinetic directing and editing. How very Lock Stock - things look pretty bleak from this description, except that the cast at least offers the hope that sufficient money has been poured into it to make it more than just another cheap cash-in on the success of Guy Ritchie's films. From the start it is obvious that this film is going to be more about energy than anything else and, to prove this, it then quickly edits it's way into a plot that relies more on forward motion and coincidence than anything else. The story is nonsense throughout and at times I found it a little irritating that so little attention was paid to the plot - but in fairness, to make a big deal out of that is to miss the point.

This is because the film is all about style, humour and pace and not about character or plotting. In this regard it is an enjoyable ride, albeit a silly and energetic one. The hyper directing from Yu really suits this and he does well even if he is not really very original in regards his shots etc. The editing fits with the formula set by Ritchie and is pretty much what you expect. What makes the film stand out from the rest of the copies is that it actually is quite good fun to watch (as opposed to some copies that are just cheap and nasty) - never hilarious but it is energetic enough to pull you along with it no matter how silly it gets. Of course it has weak points - a few characters are too daft and, whenever the overall plot is the main focus then it struggles.

Despite this the cast do well to keep things moving and they play a massive part in making this work. Jackson may not be doing anything new or wonderful here but he is key to the film working and he is worth every penny they must have paid him. He has great presence and he brings a lot of fun and energy to the film in a way that his lesser co-stars cannot. Carlyle is a good actor but he pales in comparison to Jackson in this - he isn't helped by the awful accent he is lumbered with and the fact that he is a little irritating. Mortimer is annoying as her character is just daft in the context of the plot, but not as annoying as Meatloaf who is easily the worst thing in the film. The support cast includes reasonable turns from Pertwee, Ifans, Tomlinson and Barber but this is Jackson's film 100% and it is difficult to imagine it being as enjoyable without him.

Overall, we all know what to expect - this is yet another gangster film in the mould of Lock Stock. In that regard it isn't original and it is, frankly, a mess in regards character and plotting. However it moves fast, is slick, clearly had a bit of cash thrown at it and, apart from a handful of stupidly silly moments, is actually quite fun to watch - even if it is almost instantly forgettable. The cast includes quite a few well-known faces but it is the awesome presence of Jackson (who looks like he is enjoying himself in an undemanding role) that makes this worth seeing.

It's easy for any of us to resemble the 'comic book guy' from the Simpson's and rant for days about this belated release mimicking the action/comedies of the last decade. Don't. This is not 'Get Shorty' nor 'Who is Cletis Tout?'.

Plot: A unfortunate jinx leads a chemist to an underground drug world. With clever calculations at foot and in mind, he devises an intricate plan for early retirement. Then Liverpool happens.

Granted, the first time I watched it seemed like a product from a 'Quentin Tarantino' screen writing class. Upon watching a few more times it becomes clearer that there is no other fault. Had this movie arrived before such 'Res Dogs' type movies it may have been the golden boy of this new genre (not-likely). But it still stands as a light-weight contender. The situations are cleverly drawn, the acting is very comical and the casting is on the money. The fast drawn shots keep the pace, the thunderous soundtrack imports the ambiance, and the British ghetto lingo always reels you in to the lovely slums of Liverpool.

Bottom Line: Better Title 'An American Drug Dealer in Liverpool'

Yes it's Liverpool, yes it's a well used theme and yes, Sam wears a kilt!!! Those last words should have you booking your tickets, but if that's not enough then read on. We start our ride in the States with a freshly graduated Elmo McElroy driving along the coast, sparking up a joint as the sun sets in the background and life is looking good. That is all changed by the wail of a cop car, and the subsequent booking of the young Elmo. Life has just got an awful lot more complicated. Before you know it you're in the middle of a big drugs deal that blows up in everyone's face, and our Elmo is on his way to merry ol' England with the next wonder drug in a sweet packet, being followed by an assassin who is fascinated by whether or not there is underwear beneath that kilt. Now you need to hang on tight as we meet a yankie hating, football loving henchman (Robert Carlyle), an inflatable ring using boss (Ricky Tomlinson), a yoga enthusiast night club owner (Rhys Iffans), the most inept, bent police officer (Sean Pertwee) and everyone in between. Car chases the likes have not been seen since the Italian Job and The Blues Brothers, guns, drugs and a pounding sound track all conspire to detract from the core i.e the script. But they cannot as gags, one liners and even entire conversations, will have you doubled over with laughter. And not just in the cinema, as this will probably be one of the most quoted films down the pub or at work this year without a doubt. Yes there is swearing and yes it's not the most intellectually stimulating films made, but it never tried to be. What it tried to be was an all out action comedy Hollywood style with British wit and sarcasm driving it. The performances are second to none and the direction and editing will leave you blinking. The pace builds relentlessly and before you can fidget, the credits are rolling and you are on your way out the door!!

Don't believe the bad press, this is one hell of a film, with one hell of a cast and written by one hell of a British writer...GO AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!!

Elmo McElroy (Samuel L. Jackson), a streetwise American master chemist comes to England to introduce a new drug to the European rave scene. When he finds himself double crossed in the mob's underworld. The only support that MeElroy finds is a rabid local hood Felix DeSouza (Robert Carlyle), who hates all things American.

Directed by Ronny Yu (Bride of Chucky, Freddy Vs. Jason) made an enjoyable, trashy, indefensible guilty pleasure. Although there is nothing special about this film unless you love seeing Jackson in a Kilt. The film almost has a scene stealing performance by Emily Mortimer as a Hit-Woman. The movie has an good supporting cast like Sean Pertwee, Rhys Ifans and Meat Loaf. This film was a Box Office Flop but it worth a look for fans of the stars or you are in the mood for wild, tongue in cheek, Hong Kong style action/comedy. Samuel L. Jackson is also one of the executive producers. Original British Title:The 51St State. Super 35. (***/*****).

OK, so the `what' British film industry needs another gangster-flick about as much as Zsa-Zsa Gabor needs another facelift, but this film is worth a look just for the fact that it's not set in London (hurrah!), it's very funny and it features Samuel L. Jackson in a kilt. Coming from Liverpool myself, I loved the fact that someone has taken the effort to make a decent film about my city (the last film set in Liverpool was ‘Beneath the Skin' – shoe-gazing rubbish with Samantha Morton, who couldn't act her way out of a wet paper bag).

Energetically directed by Yu, with flamboyant performances by Carlyle, Ifans et al. 51st State is difficult not to enjoy. Okay, so it's not very deep and meaningful, and the plot may have been done a thousand times before, but that could just about describe almost every film that Hollywood has churned out this year. With film, as with any other entertainment medium, it ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it.

Moaning about the ‘dodgy' accents or the depiction of Liverpool as a haven for drug dealers and corrupt policemen is pointless nit-picking and should not detract from the fact that 51st State is a lively, refreshing and ultimately entertaining two hours worth of celluloid. It is also a damn sight better than all the British-films-not-made-by-Working-Title that have been released this year.