Film ● Review: Chain Reaction
- Very Average Joe
- Nov 7
- 3 min read
Title: Chain Reaction
Director(s): Andrew Davis
Screenwriter(s): J.F. Lawton & Michael Bortman
Studio: Zanuck Company & Chicago Pacific Entertainment
Released: 1996
Runtime: 1h 47m
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Morgan Freeman, Rachel Weisz
My Verdict: Mildly sci-fi action-thriller. Has its problems but a straightforward and enjoyable action-thriller with good main characters.
● The planet is going down the drain due to excessive use of petroleum, blah blah blah. Of course, alternative energy, if it is actually better, should be used. Indeed, a research team from the University of Chicago is working on using hydrogen from water.
● Eddie Kasalivich (Keanu Reeves) is the student machinist and Dr Lily Sinclair (Rachel Weisz) is one of the physicists of the research team. The team succeeds but soon afterwards, a hit team kills research team leader Dr Alistair Barkley and blows up the lab and the surrounding areas. Returning to get his bike, Eddie comes across a murdered Barkley and narrowly escapes the explosion. Eddie and Lily are framed and the plot follows their escape and their attempt to unravel the mystery and clear their names…
● Whilst the initial environmentalism is cringe, the subject of alternative energy being suppressed is mildly and pleasantly surprising, even if it is merely in a straightforward action flick.
● The pacing is fast enough, without being gratuitous with the action. It’s a chase and, as students rather than as field agents, Eddie and Lily have to rely on their natural smarts rather than combat skills.
● There are a few elements that are not planned out well. I would not categorize them as plot holes but the writing is definitely lacking in their execution. Some are minor, others are more significant. Below are the most apparent issues.
● The title is Chain Reaction but the process is not fission. It could be something else that involves some sort of “chain reaction” but it is unclear. It is hinted to be fusion but then it also comes across as mere extraction of hydrogen from water. This is arguably a minor issue: the point is that it works and the bad guys want to suppress it.
● A more significant issue is that the FBI agents who are after Eddie and Lily are conveniently stupid enough to believe the setup and then later conveniently believe they may be innocent. Either way, they have to look for them but the mood feels forced at times.
● The individual who wants the technology (and to suppress it) and kill the research team is just an overreacting idiot. That is admittedly the point, this character is the type who makes a mess but is obviously the least qualified person to run these projects discreetly. In this regard, it is over the top.
● The ending is a little abrupt. It’s not that the final act is rushed, just that it arguably needs a denouement. There is a post-credit scene, or more like a shot. Either way, at least one gets to see parts of Chicago blow up (LOL).
● It is shot and edited well. It avoids the frenetic camerawork and quick cuts that became trendy a few years later. It at times uses longer shots to stay with the character, avoiding the boring “radio play on screen” approach. It mostly uses what the scene demands.
● The score by Jerry Goldsmith can be simplistically described as “grand” as expected. The compositions aren’t bad in themselves but are overdoing it for a simple action-thriller. It is not quite jarring but it is noticeably cheese.
● Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz do well with their roles. They come across as real people and they have good chemistry. Despite all the abovementioned problems, those who play the major roles generally manage to sell it.
● The standout character is project head Paul Shannon (Morgan Freeman). His motivations are not entirely clear and Freeman does a compelling job with this morally grey character. He comes across as reasonable and decent, but is also realistic, shrewd and has other motives.
● Ultimately, the pacing, performances and production mitigate the problems to some degree. If one can overlook these problems, then it’s mostly a straightforward and enjoyable action-thriller, especially if one wants to see a post-Speed but pre-Matrix Keanu Reeves and a 25-year-old Rachel Weisz in one of her first major roles.
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