Samuel L. Jackson, one of the coolest customers, smoothest operators and hardest-working men in Hollywood, is back to reassert his badness in "Formula 51."
Unfortunately, as has been the case with a number of his movies, the film's potential fails to meet that of its star.
Jackson plays Elmo McElroy, a chemist who double-crosses his vicious, drug-dealing employer, the Lizard (Meat Loaf). Catching the next available flight to Liverpool, Elmo seeks a tidy sum for his new wonder drug -- a concoction that is 51 times as potent as the most highly publicized banned substances.
Meanwhile, the Lizard has survived Elmo's plot and sends Dakota (Emily Mortimer), a beautiful but brutal British sharpshooter, after the man and his formula.
In England, Elmo bumps into local miscreant Felix DeSouza (Robert Carlyle). All Felix wants to do is see the upcoming soccer match between Manchester United and his beloved Liverpool -- think Yankees-Red Sox -- and possibly patch things up with Dakota, who just so happens to be his former flame.
Despite their initial dislike for each other, the Yank and the Limey must team up to deal with a corrupt cop, a gang of hyperactive skinheads, a variety of drug pushers and spotty English cuisine. Mayhem ensues. Director Ronny Yu maintains a crackling pace and liberally cycles through different camera angles in making his style as manic as the characters and plot.
Like most recent high-energy flicks involving colorful criminals, "Formula 51" has a two-faced script. It's edgy at times, but too often it resorts to using barrages of profanity to make up for a general lack of inspiration. As a result, Jackson isn't nearly as eloquent or electric as he can be, but he still is capable of bringing some of his trademark swagger to the role.
