The 51st State (2001) 7/10

Starring : Samuel L Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Sean Pertwee, Ricky Tomlinson, Rhys Ifans, Meat Loaf
Director : Ronny Yu
Running Time : 89 mins

Elmo McElroy (Jackson) travels to the UK in the hope of selling the new wonder drug he has created, but things don’t go according to plan when he gets involved with Felix DeSouza (Carlyle), who has been hired as his escort to meet crime boss Leopold Durant (Tomlinson). When Durant is accidentally killed, McElroy and DeSouza are forced to team up and look for a new buyer of the drug before they are both killed by another drug lord called The Lizard (Meatloaf) and his hired assassin Dakota (Mortimer).

Not a bad little action comedy, with some okay moments and a nice twist at the end, but some Americans may take offence at the films approach. Jackson plays the part with his tongue firmly in his cheek, and the supporting cast seem to be enjoying themselves throughout the movie.

You’ll like this if you liked : Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels