The 51st State

Ronny Yu ist nicht in der Lage, mit Leichtigkeit und Zynismus zu arbeiten. Dieser Film hätte es aber gebraucht. Die Szene, in der Samuel L. Jackson den tanzenden Disco-Besuchern die Tabletten zuwirft, hat den Film völlig kaputtgemacht. Die Figuren sind Schufte und Nichtstuer, sie sind überhaupt nicht cool. Und der Regisseur will, dass wir sie sympathisch finden. In dem Film gibt es viele Witze, die meisten von ihnen haben aber eine schwache Pointe. Es reicht nicht, wenn sie die Schauspieler*innen aussprechen. Der Film ist dynamisch, ohne Humor und Sympathien zu den Figuren wird er aber nur zu einer Beschleunigung des Langeweile-Stroms. (12.10.2003)

Take Pulp Fiction and Snatch, shake, not stir, and pour into a Liverpool glass and this is the outcome. It’s nothing special, but, as entertainment, it’s enough. SLJ is super, and RC no less than divine. The trouble with the fucking Yanks is, they have no fucking sense. (23.10.2010)

I was greatly entertained. Robert Carlyle's performance was excellent and his great English accent kicked the film up a notch. I’m not saying that the film didn’t have its flaws, but I could see past them. (07.05.2020)

The inevitable conflict that arises from the mutual confrontation of an American and a Brit is a perfect basis for the film's main theme. The script, as in similar films, is not the most important thing. All responsibility is placed on the shoulders of the director and the actors. Unlike the cumbersome crossover Freddy vs. Jason, director Ronny Yu took a much more relaxed approach to the film. Jokes on the theme mentioned at the beginning abound. Only a few of those moments, which Yu crowned with a punchline, were many times more entertaining than the entire previous content. Unfortunately, this brings the film down to an average level, despite the likable plot and great performances from the actors (Samuel L. Jackson, along with his naked backside, is defeated by Robert Carlyle's non-stop barrage of insults). However, the mental emptiness and the waste of the potential of the story will rather frustrate than sadden. (10.06.2005)