Director Ronny Yu avoided the obvious "mockney" Lock, Stock and Snatch approach when he was making this noisy, rude, Anglo-American gangster caper.

Samuel L Jackson, who also nursed this pet project for several years, is Elmo McElroy, a chemist turned dope scientist who has created POS-51 - a new party drug that promises the user "a personal visit from God".

But instead of delivering it as agreed to drug syndicate boss The Lizard (Meatloaf), he hot-foots it to Liverpool with hired gun Dakota (Emily Mortimer) in even hotter pursuit.

Cue lots of plot-twisting, double-crossing, swearing, car chases, hotel room trashing and running around on rain-soaked rooftops.

In fact, writer Stel Pavlou has conscripted just about every element of classic comic book action and shoe-horned it into just 92 minutes.

Yu handles the action sequences with panache and it's good to see Liverpool used impressively as a background to the mayhem (for a change).

Carlyle is once again a loveable psycho (Begby's simple Scouse cousin). All he wants is a ticket for the game.

Rhys Ifans is funnier than he has been for a while.

And Jackson is... well, Jackson is MR JACKSON in what must be his most suitable role since Pulp Fiction.

The script is by first-timer Stel Pavlou who, along with co-producer Mark Aldridge (his best mate from college), made a pact six years ago that they'd make a movie.

What they didn't expect was to make a $28m movie with some of the finest actors around.

Are there flaws? A couple. Are there holes? Maybe. Should you take your mum? Probably not.

But will you love it? Undoubtedly yes.

Mike Taylor