Of course any chance to see a film with George C. Scott and Marlon Brando is not to be missed, but I do so wish that they had done something better than The Formula.The Formula referred to in the title is in fact a formula that the Nazi scientists developed for getting oil fuel out of coal. The only source of it in all of Europe is in Ploesti in Romania. Which was why the Nazis made damn sure to occupy the place and also wanted to get to the Soviet Union oil fields as well.Anyway a former cop who in retirement found working on the other side of the law, a lucrative supplement for his pension is murdered in Los Angeles. George C. Scott is the LAPD detective put in charge of the case. The former cop's widow Beatrice Straight is also murdered along with just about everyone else who talks with Scott during the course of the investigation.Said investigation takes Scott from LA to Germany and back to LA and mysterious gazillionaire Marlon Brando. The story takes in old Nazis, new Nazis, Arab terrorists, and the oil establishment who wants The Formula on its terms.What I don't understand is that if the powerful conglomerate that Brando controlled wanted things shut down, why in heaven's name was Scott put in charge of the investigation? Doesn't make a lot of sense when you think about it.Brando and Scott together in their final confrontation scene are fabulous. Would that the rest of The Formula was done so well.

This is an excellent, thought provoking plot which could, with a little imagination, be closer to the truth today than when filmed 26 years ago. Delivered by two actors among other greats, Marlon Brando and George C.Scott weave a convoluted story line which centers around a formula to make oil an obsolete fuel. Jump to present day with Exxon/Mobile posting record profits of $8.4 billion the first quarter of 2006 against a back drop of record profits in 2005, Brando's comment about, "We Are The Arabs", becomes even more poignant as gas prices continue to climb over $3.00 per gallon. It makes one wonder, particularly since the known fact that our present leader and his father have been in bed with the Arabs the last 15 years or longer and the VP, an old oil man himself, "We are the Arabs", indeed! Another movie that broaches oil greed is "Local Hero" with Burt Lancaster playing the part of CEO Armand Hammer and his quest for acquisition of land on the northern edge of Scotland and his description of the Scottish people as "blue eyed Arabs". Since the days of John D Rockefeller, oil has, for all practical purposes, ruled the world. How ironic that we are now at war with a country with the world's 2nd largest oil reserves and our leader was the one pulling the trigger.

This movie is not for the weak of mind. The plot is complex. I remember reading reviews that used words like "murky." Since the movie was a bit more complex than cops chasing robbers around some city at high speed most critics lack the intellectual wherewithal to keep track of what is going on.Beginning with a friend's murder in Los Angeles Lt. Barney Caine, LAPD, (George C. Scott) follows a trail which takes him to Europe and leads to a formula for turning coal into gasoline. It takes Caine a while to uncover this and the plot takes a number of twists and turns. The ending can only reinforce one's cynicism about how the world works.The performances are strong and the movie is well worth the time taken to view it.

I saw this movie when it came out in 1980 and enjoyed it immensely with all of the twists and turns keeping me thinking the whole time. Yes, Marlon and George were perfect for their respective roles. Brando playing the aging corporate bad guy who knows the score, and Scott an over the hill cop who gets his teeth into something he just can't seem to let go of. Both, to me, fit their respective characters well. The nature of the plot, although kept vague was necessary for the internal intrigue to build. Still, many did not like this forced need to contemplate the many aspects of this film as it was being seen. Yet, I wonder if those who did not enjoy this movie as I did might not find it more interesting if viewed today with gas heading toward $4 and then maybe $5 a gallon? Does everyone need to have everything shown to them in a movie or am I just one of the few who's head doesn't hurt when I use it for what it was designed to do? Enjoy this movie for what it is, a commentary on human greed and power.