The 51st State

An American whiz master chemist Elmo McElroy (Samuel L. Jackson , also co-executive producer and he brought in HK's Ronny Yu to direct) plans to score big on a once in a lifetime drug deal . As he develops the ultimate and revolutionary pharmaceutical narcotic , then double-crosses his L.A. boss connection nicknamed Lizard (Meat Loaf) to sell it to a Scouse kingpin (Tomlinson) and later on , Lizard seeks vengeance . All does not go as planned and he is soon entangled in a web of deceit . The Californian pharmaceutist flees to Liverpool to make a more lucrative business there , dealing with a local mafioso called Felix (Robert Carlyle) and his hoodlum (Paul Barber ; this is the second film and 'Robert Carlyle' and 'Paul Barber' have done together , the first was Full Monty ,1997). Meanwhile , a gun-toting motorcycle-riding hit woman pursues to kill him and she happens to be Felix's ex .

This exciting as well as wild picture is loaded with noisy action , irony , slapdash , comedy with tongue-in-cheek , bad taste jokes , rapid flash thrilling choreography , funny situations and with a distinctly British sense of humor . "The 51 State", is a savage hybrid among the best " Quentin Tarantino", ¨Brothers Cohen : Joel and Ethan¨ and ¨Guy Ritchie¨ , topped with a little bit of original touches here and there ; including a due homage to Liverpool FC . It turns out to be pleasantly fun that offers no intellectual stimulus whatsoever ; an exercise in pure action cinema in which entertainment and bemusement are guaranteed . The scrip written by Stel Pavlou not reinvents nothing, it is a blending of previous films , writing an enjoyable Popurrí , though it is where lies his greatness . Writer Stel Pavlou was working as an assistant in a liquor store when he penned his screenplay ; it was sent on spec to Tim Roth as Pavlou knew that Roth insisted on reading all independent scripts sent his way.

The motion picture was compellingly directed by Ronny Yu , though Tim Roth originally planned for this to be his directorial debut and Uli Edel was originally set to direct . Yu began to direct The Servant , the film became the No.1 box office hit for the summer, and Yu's future seemed destined to be in film after all. Throughout the 1980s Yu directed and produced many other box office hits in Hong Kong . In 1986 , he directed Brandon Lee , Bruce Lee's son , in Legacy of Rage . In 1993, the successful as well as romantic swordplay epic The bride with the white hair (1993) . Bride was a huge summer hit in Hong Kong, and also became an art house theater favorite in the U.S. and Europe . In 1995 came the equally ravishing The Phantom Lover(1995), a love story inspired by the original novel of The Phantom of the Opera . Following these nice films, Yu launched his Hollywood career . As he went on to direct Warriors of virtue and The 51st State or Formula 51 . His best picture and the most acclaimed results to be Fearless with Jet Li . His flair for visually rich narration appealed immediately to broader Western audiences and has been associated mostly with the terror film genre, as he has revived three franchises with The bride of Chucky (1998), adding some hilarious touches ; then Freddy versus Jason (2003), of the Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th franchises, respectively, where its box office total is more than the two franchises'combined earnings .

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. (***/*****).

What do you get when you put Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Meatloaf, Rhys Ifans, and Emily Mortimer together in a movie? A rollicking good time! This movie is pure entertainment and has some very, very funny moments. The dialogue is mostly tongue-in-cheek and snappy. The soundtrack is excellent (this coming from someone who doesn't really like techno, club, rap, or hip-hop music), and I would definitely buy this movie to watch again. It may not be for everyone, but the cast is first-rate; the story line believable, and seeing Samuel L. Jackson in a kilt couldn't be beat! I give this movie a 9 out of 10. It's not Academy Award material, but who cares!

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.