The Formula

1980

1h 57m

IMDb RATING

5.5/10

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2 Videos

23 Images

Thriller

Mystery

Crime

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.

Directors

John G. Avildsen

Writers

Steve Shagan(screenplay by)

Steve Shagan(novel by)

Stars

George C. Scott

Marlon Brando

Marthe Keller

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Videos2

Trailer
Watch The Formula - Trailer
Trailer
Watch The Formula 1980 TV trailer

Photos23

Top cast

Barney Caine

Adam Steiffel

Lisa

Dr. Abraham Esau

Arthur Clements

Kay Neeley

General Helmut Kladen …

Hans Lehman

Major Tom Neeley

Tony

Geologist #1

Assassin

Schellenberg

Gestapo Captain

Franz Tauber

Sgt. Yosuta

Nolan

Obermann

Directors

John G. Avildsen

Writers

Steve Shagan(screenplay by)

Steve Shagan(novel by)

All cast & crew

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User reviews1

Review

Featured review

6/10

_**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-

Wuchak18 Jul, 2021