CHAIN REACTION
A film review by Mike Joyce
Copyright 1997 Mike Joyce
Chain Reaction attempts to combine the action, suspense, thriller and political intrigue genres. It tries too hard to combine all these aspects leading to a complex plot with too many twists to be believable. The story revolves around a Hydrogen Energy Project aimed at producing mass, clean, free energy by causing a chain reaction in Hydrogen. Eddie Kasalivich (Keanu Reeves), a machinist and physics student with the Project, discovers the right frequency in order to cause a stable chain reaction to take place. Following this success, the head physicist of the Project is assassinated, and the workshop blown-up. Eddie Kasalivich and Lily Sinclair (Rachel Weisz) the head physicist's assistant are framed for the assassination and explosion. This leads to a huge chase, in which the FBI attempt to track down and capture Eddie and Lily (who predictably become closer as they flee together). In this respect the film is reminiscent of The Fugitive, and this is little wonder given that the director (Andrew Davis) also directed The Fugitive.
Shannon (Morgan Freeman) is the head of the "Foundation", an underground operation which attempts to replicate the Hydrogen Energy Project. However, they need Eddie Kasalivich, as he is the only person who knows the correct frequency. It is here that the plot becomes twisted, and it is hard to follow. Shannon was involved in the original Hydrogen Energy Project, but we now find him involved in this underground operation which at first we are lead to believe is privately funded for power and money. Next we discover that the C.I.A. is somehow linked to the project, and that free energy cannot be released upon the world because it will cause a crash of world economies and lead to recessions, or something. The plot is too hard to believe, that is, if you can follow it. Performances are reasonably solid, and the actors do their best with the script. At times the action is thrilling, however, it has all been done and seen before.
2.5 out of 5
Review by Adam Joyce. Please visit Movie Mania at http://www.home.aone.net.au/joyce/adamframe.htm
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