The pre-story is a bit weak and either poorly lighted and/or shot in a studio, but from the moment the film moves to the present day, it shifts into top gear and stays there. Jackson, Carlyle and later, Mortimer have a great synergy from the off, Ricky Tomlinson is average and Rhys Ifan is, well, Rhys Ifan! Sean Pertwee devours every second of the time he's on screen and none of the supporting cast let the side down

The film moves along at a cracking pace, the obligatory car chase well filmed mixing tension with humour (the explanation of 'bollocks' vs. 'dogs bollocks' is worth a mention).

Well worth a watch, even after all this (2019) time.

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 .

From the outset it's immediately clear that THE 51ST STATE is attempting to be the same kind of film as the ones which made Guy Ritchie's name (i.e. LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS): a profane gangster story packed with amusing stereotypes, dim-witted henchmen and various gangs and individuals all attempting to double-cross each other at every opportunity. Unfortunately, it has nothing like the same level of class as those Ritchie movies, and the result is a film that drags out and bores in equal measure.

It's a supposed comedy, putting a couple of unlikely-paired characters into various unusual situations (at one point, they drive a car through the air into a scrapyard),but I didn't laugh once. The script is the main thing at fault, failing to convince in terms of narrative throughout, and rehashing tired old jokes and clichés along the way.

It even makes the cast look bad, aside from Samuel L. Jackson, who always seems at ease whatever part he's given. Robert Carlyle, repeating his old loud-mouthed-braggart personality from THE FULL MONTY, is an irritant, and Emily Mortimer makes for a particularly unconvincing assassin. Whoever told Meat Loaf he could act is mistaken, and Rhys Ifans is also extraordinarily poor – whenever I need to remember why I dislike this guy I remember his performance here. Chinese director Ronny Yu couldn't be more disinterested in his film and I feel the same.