Watch The Formula For Free

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

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 15 minutes of the almost 2-hour runtime.The film is top-of-the-line as far as cast, location and cinematography 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 WWII and 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 tries to do this here with his portrayal of an oil executive, but with so-so results. I didn't buy it; the character comes off as more of a performance rather than a real person. Still, you've gotta give him credit for trying and Brando is always entertaining, even when he fumbles.The main problem here is the convoluted plot. There are so many names it's hard to keep up (I recommend using the subtitles as it helps you keep track). The conclusion is both thought-provoking and unsatisfactory; a strange mix.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 and globetrotting crime/thriller that's heavy on talk and light on thrills.This movie surprised me; after hearing all the criticisms I was ready for a dull experience, but this wasn't the case at all.GRADE: B-

Exciting story about a cop involved into an international intrigue referred to high-finance, it begins from the end WWII to the present. This thriller concerns about a veteran Inspector (George C Scott), Lt. Caine LAPD, he has to investigate two murders , it leads an insidious scheme to get a formula about a secret for synthetic fuel called Genesis and he will not stop at nothing . Caine is drawn into a criminal whirlpool. He becomes unwittingly involved to Nazi plots, along with a beautiful model (Marthe Keller). Hard-noised Caine is only helped by an agent, his oriental sidekick against a mysterious organization ruled by a mean billionaire (Marlon Brando). Meanwhile suspicious start to be killed one by one. Later on, Caine gets the formula that is hidden into a safety box and is aware which the nasties know whether or no it is safe to go to pick it up.This intriguing movie packs action, suspense ,thrills,a love story, treason, and is quite entertaining. This intense thriller holds your interest throughout, however it contains some flaws and confusion. Certainly is worth watch seeing for George C Scott's brilliant, credible performance as obstinate cop. Good secondary cast as John Gielgud , G.D. Spradlin,Marshall Thomson,Wolfgang Preiss,Richard Lynch , among others. Interesting movie but with some holes and gaps and ridiculous scenes . The film contains adequate and atmospheric cinematography by James Crabe. Suspesnseful and long-standing score by Bill Conti, director's usual . The picture is regularly directed by John G Avildsen. He is a nice director who has mixed more karate Kid and Rocky films with such feel-good message films as ¨Power of one, or ¨ Lean on me¨. Rating : passable and acceptable, 5,5.

This film may have even more relevance today than in 1980, when it was released. Most in this country would love to be left to their own devices by marketing/consuming fuel based on American coal derivatives like those delineated in the "Genesis" formula instead of depending upon foreign petroleum. The parallels outlined here are close to today's, especially the popular theories these days that big oil is suppressing valid fuel alternative projects that would undercut their energy dominance, hence, their financial status.Unlke some other reviewers, I thought the film moved along at a nicely orchestrated pace, making it, perhaps, a more analytical movie than a Hollywood flash-and-dash melodrama. The film follows a logical progression of events that lets the viewer absorb the contents in easy to swallow doses, that is, as long as he/she pays attention to the plot development.I was impressed by mostly all the actors, especially Marthe Keller, who acquitted herself very well in her portrayal by staying well within her character and by her impeccable timing and fluid delivery. Mr. Brando's rather short stint in the film was punctuated by terse, cynical and penetrating dialog, playing the enterprising villain who continually cuts to the chase with large doses of street-wise metaphors. George C., as usual, is a no-nonsense good cop who only wants to see justice prevail, regardless of who gets burnt. Yet inside him, demons from the past lurk and can't help but surface from time to time: you can see it in the non-verbal communication that Mr. Scott so characteristically exudes.Thanks to TCM for showing these kinds of films that are usually omitted on other movie channels.

I had not seen this film since its theater release some twenty-eight years ago. To my knowledge it has not been shown on TV in the L. A. area until the TCM presentation this month. I had forgotten every single detail of the film except for Marlon Brando's great line "Ah, Arthur, you are missing the point--We are the Arabs." The line says it all and is especially telling in light of current events and players. By some trick of the mind, I ascribed the line to a scene between Brando and Scott instead of Brando and Spradlin. Even in a walk-on I always relish seeing and hearing Wolfgang Preiss. Regardless of disagreements between writer and director, the film proceeded in a style I prefer, leaving me trying to hold on to the plot with my finger tips and trying to keep all the character involvement relevant. I will never understand the gaps in the story line--Scott surreptitiously slipping the secret formula to a total stranger? in some shop? , followed by some tenuously-connected dialog at some safety deposit boxes? Scott proved to be a better detective than I at discerning Keller's covert motives, given the facts presented on film. Perhaps all was made clear in the script. Berlin is a great place for intrigue on film, as we saw in "Company Business", and the plots, and cinematography nicely murky. Even with the story holes and without Travants and the Prater, I recommend viewing this film enough to begin to comprehend it.