THE CHASE (1994) A Film Review Copyright Dragan Antulov 2000
When I first saw THE CHASE, 1994 comedy written and directed by Adam Rifkin, I was convinced that it was definitely inspired by the chase on Los Angeles street - most spectacular episode in the O.J. Simpson case. However, some time ago I found, to my great surprise, that THE CHASE had been released in March 1994, some three months before those events. Thus, this rather insignificant film has the honour of being one of the most sinister examples of life imitating art.
Protagonist of this film is Jack Hammond (played by Charlie Sheen), young man who was sentenced to twenty years of prison for the crime he didn't commit. He escapes from prison but he needs quick getaway car in order to cross Mexican border. So he kidnaps Natalie Voss (played by Kristy Swanson), steals her car and begins drive to the border, followed by police. Since Natalie happens to be the daughter of rich Dalton Voss (played by Ray Wise), media joins the chase with TV crews boarding cars and helicopters and all other suitable means of transportation. In the meantime, Jack and Natalie, oblivious to the media circus around them, are becoming friends and more than that.
Perhaps Adam Rifkin envisioned this film as bitter satire on modern media, but in reality THE CHASE turned into typical one-joke movie which went downhill as soon as protagonists began their drive. From that point on, film is full of bad and uninspired jokes (some involving bodily fluids or frozen corpses), and capable actors like Ray Wise, Kristy Swanson and Charlie Sheen must fight with lame dialogue (especially in scenes featuring Henry Rollins in the role of policeman) and their characters being one- dimensional caricatures. Before the end credits (which, according to many, feature the most hillarious scene of the film) the audience must endure usually predictable plot and some obligatory, but in the context of this film laughably implausible romantic scenes. When the end comes after 94 minutes, THE CHASE nevertheless looks like a complete waste of time.
RATING: 2/10 (-)
Review written on October 3rd 2000
Dragan Antulov a.k.a. Drax Fido: 2:381/100 E-mail: dragan.antulov@st.tel.hr E-mail: drax@purger.com E-mail: dragan.antulov@altbbs.fido.hr
Filmske recenzije na hrvatskom/Movie Reviews in Croatian http://film.purger.com
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