Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Not part of a collection.
The Formula
Big Oil. Big Money. Big Mystery. Everyone’s out to make a killing.
While investigating the death of a friend and fellow cop, Los Angeles police officer Barney Caine stumbles across evidence that Nazis created a synthetic alternative to gasoline during World War II. This revelation has the potential to end the established global oil industry, making the formula a very valuable and dangerous piece of information. Eventually, Caine must contend with oil tycoon Adam Steiffel, who clearly has his own agenda regarding the formula.
- Original title
- The Formula
- Language
- EN
- Country
- DE,US
- Budget
- $13,200,000
- Revenue
- $8,894,289
Wuchak
Jul 18, 2021 · via TMDB
_**Odd, talky, convoluted, but worthwhile**_ Released in 1980, "The Formula" is a star-studded crime/thriller about a Los Angeles detective (George C. Scott) who investigates the murder of his friend, a retired cop, which leads to Germany and a Nazi formula for synthetic fuel that big oil naturally wants to suppress at all costs. Marlon Brando plays a shady oil tycoon but only appears for roughly 17 minutes of the almost 2-hour runtime. The film is top-of-the-line as far as cast, location, cinematography and score go. It starts off like a Dirty Harry flick substituting Scott for Eastwood with his Asian sidekick, but the plot's complicated and there's not enough action for Dirty Harry fans. The rest of the film seems like an episode of Columbo mixed with Scott's "Hardcore" (1979) where he goes undercover in Southern California investigating his daughter's disappearance. The highlights include the WW2 & Nazi elements, acting giants Scott and Brando, the lovely Marthe Keller, the rest of the cast, the great locations (California, Germany and Switzerland) and the emphasis on dialogue above thrills, which may be a detriment to some. Regarding the Nazi elements, there's a brief strip club scene in Europe where Nazi imagery is used as a backdrop for the dancers, fittingly showing how yesterday's unspeakable horrors are forgotten by the next generation and utilized for entertainment or recreation. Brando has proved time and again that he has a knack for playing weird, quirky characters ("The Missouri Breaks", "Apocalypse Now", "The Godfather" and "The Island of Dr. Moreau") and he does this here with his portrayal of an oil executive based on Armand Hammer of Occidental Petroleum, but with so-so results. Still, you've gotta give him credit for trying and Brando is always entertaining. The main problem here is the convoluted plot. There are so many names it's hard to keep up. So I recommend using the subtitles as it helps you keep track. Another issue is how the fate of certain people is redundant and therefore becomes predictable (I'd say more, but I don't want to spoil anything). So "The Formula" is a mixed bag, but its strengths outweigh it's weaknesses. It's worthwhile if you're a fan of the stars and if you're in the mood for a thought-provoking, globetrotting crime/drama/thriller that's heavy on talk and light on thrills. GRADE: B-
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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George C. Scott
Barney Caine
Marlon Brando
Adam Steiffel
Marthe Keller
Lisa
John Gielgud
Dr. Abraham Esau
G.D. Spradlin
Arthur Clements
Beatrice Straight
Kay Neeley
Richard Lynch
General Helmut Kladen / Frank Tedesco
Robin Clarke
Major Tom Neeley
Ike Eisenmann
Tony
Marshall Thompson
Geologist #1
Dieter Schidor
Assassin
Werner Kreindl
Schellenberg
Jan Niklas
Gestapo Captain
Wolfgang Preiss
Franz Tauber
Calvin Jung
Sgt. Yosuta
Alan North
Nolan
David Byrd
Obermann
Ferdy Mayne
Siebold
Weston Gavin
U.S. Army Captain
Craig T. Nelson
Geologist #2
Herb Voland
Geologist #3
Reinhard Kolldehoff
Reimeck
Charlie Picerni
Stunts
John G. Avildsen
Director
Bill Conti
Original Music Composer
Lekce
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