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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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16
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66
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54
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79
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64
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69
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You, the Living
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Formula 51

Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 29 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 24 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Drama
Written by: Stel Pavlou
Directed by: Ronny Yu
Release Date:
Theatrical: October 18, 2002
DVD: February 4, 2003
Running Time: 92 minutes, Color
Origin: USA / Canada / UK
Summary
RATING: R for strong violence, language, drug content and some sexuality
Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Rhys Ifans, Emily Mortimer, Meat Loaf, Ricky Tomlinson, and Nigel Whitmey
Elmo McElroy (Jackson) is an American master chemist who heads to England to set up his last big deal, the introduction of a new designer drug to the European underworld. When he hooks up with a Liverpool local (Carlyle), his plans quickly go awry in this action-packed comedy.
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Fearless Freddy Vs. Jason
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Boston Globe Ty Burr
Bloody and bloody funny, and Jackson and Carlyle make the best salt-and-pepper team since Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte knocked heads in ''48 HRS., '' but ultimately the movie can't find a way out of its own dead end.
Read Full Review >ReelViews James Berardinelli
It is possible, however improbable, that a "bad" movie can still be highly enjoyable. Formula 51 is such a film.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Clint Morris
Sure it’s brainless fun, but Formula 51 is a trip well worth taking.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Ray Conlogue
A formula flick. And the formula is not 51 times more entertaining than usual. Maybe 1.5, at best.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold
Outrageously confident and wearing a kilt through the mayhem, Jackson proves once again that he has few equals in bringing off a broad, over-the-top lead.
Read Full Review >USA Today Mike Clark
Anything goes, though director Ronny Yu keeps the idiocy on a fast pace.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
The film should have been called ''Lock, Stock and Two Wilting Barrels.''
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington
It's a movie that puts Samuel Jackson in kilts, Robert Carlyle in a red Jaguar, and the audience -- if they have any sense at all -- out in the lobby, looking for another picture.
Read Full Review >Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman
Passed as slowly as if I'd been sitting naked on an igloo, Formula 51 sank from quirky to jerky to utter turkey.
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow
It has graceful layers and folds and a nice swing to it, and Jackson moves superbly in it. Unfortunately, I'm talking about the kilt, not the movie.
Read Full Review >Salon.com Jeff Stark
If explosive defecation is your idea of a laff riot, this picture -- and the Headrillaz soundtrack, by extension -- should be perfect fun.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias
Too often, Formula 51 fails to differentiate between gleeful excess and white noise.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Justine Elias
Emily Mortimer and Robert Carlyle generate heat as criminal lovers, but most of the cast just engages in embarrassing scenery-gnawing.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
A fourth-rate "Pulp Fiction" with accents you can't understand.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Jack Mathews
Only Emily Mortimer maintains a measure of dignity, playing the slinky assassin named Dakota. Whether her restraint was by her design or the filmmakers', she'll come to appreciate that she all but disappears amid the caterwauling and purging of a story that should have died in Liverpool.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Edward Guthmann
It isn't simple bad taste that Formula 51 deals in, but a total vacuum of feeling.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
Feels like it's been pasted together from 51 other movies -- none of them good.
Read Full Review >Variety Derek Elley
There's an appalling amount of talent at waste up on the screen, starting with Jackson and Carlyle whose tall/short, silent/motormouth double act never clicks.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
This tired action comedy is the usual weave of over-the-top violence and cross-cultural shtick.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly John Patterson
A waste of the filmmakers' time and ours, and offering further evidence that, outside the art house, much British cinema has its head jammed tightly up its own arse.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov
A muddled mess of bad-lad clichés, and Jackson's obvious talents only serve to point out how godawful everyone else seems to be.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Dana Stevens
A witless, gruesome barrage of jokey violence and lame trans-Atlantic humor, kept moving by the pointless, derivative kineticism of Mr. Yu's hyperactive cuts and splices.
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian Marc Mohan
As sometimes occurs in unsupervised experiments, the result proves foul-smelling and potentially toxic.
Washington Post Desson Thomson
Stars Samuel L. Jackson in the worst role of his career -- one hopes.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Manohla Dargis
An execrable mess that leaves no genre cliché unturned or human body or soul untrammeled.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Stephen Hunter
Not a second of it is believable; not a tenth of a second of it is refreshing; not a millionth of a second is worthwhile
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 7.7 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Josh gave it an8:
A surprise hit for me, with some good funny moments.
Dana S. gave it an8:
Funny and very clever.
Alex F. gave it a10:
Formula 51 is an amazing movie. I think the diorector was right to pick Samuel L. Jackson to cast as Elmo McElroy.He is the greatest actor of all time.
Nel gave it a10:
Very funny movie. Good soundtrack rave dance.
Michael B. gave it an8:
Meat Loaf was the only upset of this movie. He should stick to singing.
North Freedom Fighter gave it a7:
Critics looked too far into this flick. If they watched with no expectations and an open mind they'd see that the flick is meant to be a cheesy good time, which it is in full. I had a great time watching it and you likely will too if you enjoyed such flicks as Trainspotting or any other dope movie.
Matori B. gave it a 10:
Amazing movie. Funny movie. Amazing rave scene. Beautiful. 10/10
