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The 51st State Movie Review

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Actors: Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Meat Loaf, Ricky Tomlinson
Review Summary and Plot Commentary about The 51st State
THE 51st STATE is a British movie directed by Ronny Yu in 2001.

Elmo McElroy is a brilliant chemist who has worked for years for the Lizard, a L.A. drug lord. After having synthesized the ultimate drug, Elmo dynamites his lab with the Lizard and his associates in it and leaves for Liverpool, England where he wants to sell the drug's formula to Durant, a local big shot.

Unfortunately for Elmo, the Lizard is still alive and asks Dakota Phillips, a hired killer, to locate the chemist and neutralize him until his arrival in England. But things won't be so simple for Dakota as everybody in England seems to be aware that Elmo holds the formula of the drug of the future in his head. Rival criminal organizations, skinheads and even the local police want a piece of the cake. By force, if necessary.

--Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar




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Analysis of The 51st State
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 70%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 10%



Time/Era of Movie: - present (2000-2010)
Technology/treasure/info search Yes
Crime & Police Story? Yes
Criminal enemy is... - drug dealers
If this is a criminal POV story... - criminals killing each other
Romance Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - scientist
Age: - 40's-50's
Hair color? - brunette (Black)
Hair style - longhair/girliemon (man)
Body type - muscular (man)
Unclothed? - Chest and Buttocks
Events of movie makes character more... - irritated
Ethnicity/Nationality - Black
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Secondary Main Character
Identity: - Male
Hair color - brunette (Brown)
Hair style - (man) short/standard straight
Body type - average build (man)
How much in movie? - 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality - British

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - criminal
Eccentric: Yes - mentally ill
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - 20%
Hair color - brunette (Brown)
Hair type - (man) short/standard straight
Body type - fat (man)
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant

Setting
Europe Yes
European country: - England/UK
City? Yes
City: - Los Angeles - Dirty, grimy (like New York) - rude people
Misc setting - resort/hotel - scientific labs - castle - church/synagogue

Style
Accounts of torture and death? - gory visuals of deaths
Movie makes you feel... - very happy
How many deaths in film? - 8 or more
Sex/nudity in movie? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only - kissing - seeing nude male butt
How much use of techno gadgets? - 2 ()
Kind of violence: - guns
Unusual forms of death - crushed - flamed - perforation--bullets - visually blown into pieces
Non-American film? Yes
What language? - English
Any profanity? - A lot of foul language
Lot of special effects? Yes
Kinds of F/X - exploding bombs
If Soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE... - Techno/disco
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