CHAIN REACTION
US, 1996, 114 minutes, Colour.
Keanu Reeves, Morgan Freeman, Rachel Weisz, Fred Ward, Joanna Cassidy, Chelcie Ross, Bryan Cox.
Directed by Andrew Davis.
Morgan Freeman, in a dramatic confrontation with Keanu Reeves at the end of Chain Reaction, says in a world-weary tone, `The world is not as simple as you would like it to be'. This sentence seems to be a key to how many audiences respond to action films and conspiracy thrillers. On the one hand, most of us would like our world to be more simple than it is: that good was clear to see and was done by everyone and that evil be eliminated. On the other hand, there is so much evil in the world that it both repels and fascinates us - especially if we acknowledge our own evil.
Set in winter and in the snow, the themes are chill. Chain Reaction is a conventional film. Keanu Reeves (far more animated that usual) is the wrong man at the wrong place when there is a nuclear explosion in Chicago. He is pursued by the FBI and the CIA operatives and has to use his wits to survive and expose the conspiracy.
Director, Andrew Davis, made The Fugitive and this film is in many ways a remake: the scientific background, the betrayal by the experts, the pursuit and evasion in highly dramatic situations. Chain Reaction lacks the thoughtfulness of The Fugitive, but is an entertaining chase thriller. Conspiracies and chases.
1. Andrew Davis as a director of popular thrillers? The scientific background of the film? International intrigue? Disasters? A chase movie?
2. The title, the scientific basis of the film, the production of hydrogen, the experiments, their failure, success? The interest of the CIA? Chinese interests? International corporations and their using violence to get the secrets, ambition for big profits?
3. The focus on Alistair Berkley, his lecture, the explanation about hydrogen, cheap fuel? The explosion in the laboratory? His death? The disappearance of Lu Chen? Paul Shannon and his behaviour, taking control? Eddie and Lily and their working in the laboratory, their being framed, escaping?
4. Morgan Freeman as Paul Shannon, his respectability, his response to the FBI investigators, calm control? His reporting to senate committees? His contact with Eddie, guiding him as to what to do? The phone calls? The link with Lyman Collier? His intrigue, the decisions about framing the two, their deaths? Shannon and his trying to control Collier? The growing investigations of the FBI, discoveries about Shannon and his background? The final confrontation, Shannon and Lyman, Shannon killing him? Coming out of the building, phoning the CIA? His future?
5. Eddie, his background, the accident while a student, his studies, helping in the laboratory? Collaborating with Lily? Her coming from England? The celebration party, going home, his returning to the laboratory, his having to flee the explosion? Contacting Shannon, getting advice? With Lily, in the hotel, the FBI and their questions, the newscast, their getting the taxi, the train, Eddie and his being pursued in the street, the bridge opening, climbing, jamming it, escaping? Their going to Maggie, her support? Phoning Shannon, being discovered? The vehicle on the ice and their escape? Finding out information, the company, contacting the FBI, the assassins pursuing them, their escape? The laboratory, the fleeing the explosion, the new assassins, the lift, their coming to safety? The impact of the chases and pursuit? The film focusing on them as victims rather than as characters?
6. Lyman Collier, sinister, the revelation about his company, the Chinese connections, the working with Shannon, his taking matters into his own hand, the faxes, the information, the planted money? The unmasking, the FBI pursuing him, in the lift with Shannon, Shannon killing him?
7. Inspector Ford and his assistant, the FBI, the boss, the interrogations, the puzzles, suspicions? The pursuits? TV interviews? The information, the final confrontation, their saving Eddie and Lily?
8. Maggie, the scientist, her friendship, believing Eddie, helping him with the phone call?
9. Popular action adventure given seriousness by the impact of the destructive disaster as well as the issues of the environment, nuclear fission and chain reactions, global corporations and their intrigues?
