CRITICAL ASSEMBLY

US, 2003, 100 minutes, Colour.
Katherine Heigl, Kerr Smith, Michael Beach, J. August Richards, Jeff Roop, Christopher Kennedy.
Directed by Eric Laneuville.

Critical Assembly may seem farfetched. However, it is a thriller designed as a nuclear bomb warning.

The film opens with a couple at the Canadian border, seemingly home from holidays, suddenly exposed as bringing plutonium into the United States for the building of a bomb. The film shifts to San Francisco where enthusiastic protesters (led by Kerr Smith) are also able to obtain plutonium and decide then to build a bomb, to show the American public how easy it was. They enlist the help of top physicist student, Katherine Heigl.

They succeed in building a bomb. However, a sinister right-wing group is also interested in the bomb, steal it and kill one of the makers. In the meantime, the FBI have been investigating.

The FBI take in the leader, the physicist comes forward herself and helps then in locating the bomb as well as dismantling it – with, of course, split-second timing.

The film is entertaining in its way, the youthful leads show some enthusiasm, Michael Beach is effective embodying the FBI. However, when one reflects on the plot and the ease with which they make the bomb, the whole film seems rather implausible. However...

1. An entertainment? A thriller? The focus on bombs? Terrorism? Nuclear issues?

2. The San Francisco setting? The views of the city? The maps? The audience realising the dangers from the bomb, destruction in the city?

3. The title? The getting the material for the bomb, putting it together? The stealing of the bomb? The plan for terrorism and revenge? The contrast with the bomb for protest?

4. The opening, the seemingly simple couple, at the border, jovial? The sudden arrival of the FBI? The attack on the car? The plutonium? The news that more plutonium came in with this episode as a distraction?

5. The work of the FBI? Agent Winston? In control? His assistant? The staff? Their knowledge of nuclear issues? The detection work? Getting clues? The information about Major Matt Crowl? Identifying him, getting the motivation? Working out that the bomb was made by students? Allan Marshall and his being killed? Getting Bobby at the airport? Aizy and her coming in? Her collaborating, the interrogations? The discussions with Bobby? The location of the bomb, the dismantling of it? Aizy going in, her solution? Beach and Aizy staying, her unscrewing the bolts, getting out the plutonium? The explosion? The successful work of the FBI?

6. Bobby, enthusiasm, young? Finance? His meeting Aizy, charm, going out with her, their night together? His persuading her to build the bomb? The thoroughness of their work, the collage of the detail? Allan and his computer knowledge? Roger and his connections, his resentment of Bobby? The stealing of the bomb, their reaction? The blow to their sense of achievement? Roger being the traitor?

7. Aizy, the praise of her professors, the possibility of jobs, interviews? Her skills? Her being challenged by making the bomb? Her agreeing? Charmed by Bobby? The shock, the death, going to the FBI? Interrogations? Her collaboration? Her final expertise?

8. Allan, the computer work? His death? Roger, his being in league with Major Crowl? The deal, ideology, the murder? His being killed?

9. The FBI, getting the details of the location of the bomb? The snipers? The shootings? The bomb and its timing? Roger and his being shot even though unarmed?

10. The suspense at the end? Success?

11. This film as a thriller? Credible or implausible? A warning about nuclear bombs?