Chain Reaction (1996)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Andrew Davis

Writers (WGA):

Arne Schmidt (story) &
Rick Seaman (story) ...

Release Date:

2 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller | Drama

Tagline:

Reaction Time 8-4-96

Plot:

Two researchers in a green alternative energy project are put on the run when they are framed for murder and treason.

Plot Keywords:

Conspiracy | Box Office Flop | False Accusation | Hydrogen | Limousine

Awards:

1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Nov. 13	10:30 AM	HBO
Thur. Nov. 19	2:00 PM	HBO

Cast

Keanu Reeves	...	Eddie Kasalivich
Morgan Freeman	...	Paul Shannon
Rachel Weisz	...	Dr. Lily Sinclair
Fred Ward	...	FBI Agent Leon Ford
Kevin Dunn	...	FBI Agent Doyle
Brian Cox	...	Lyman Earl Collier
Joanna Cassidy	...	Maggie McDermott
Chelcie Ross	...	Ed Rafferty
Nicholas Rudall	...	Dr. Alistair Barkley
Tzi Ma	...	Lu Chen
Krzysztof Pieczynski	...	Lucasz Screbneski
Julie R. Pearl	...	Emily Pearl
Godfrey	...	Chidi Egbuna
Gene Barge	...	James Washington
Nathan Davis	...	Morris Grodsky

Also Known As:

Dead Drop (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some intense action/violence.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #34663) | Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | Belgium:KT | Canada:PG | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:12

Filming Locations:

53rd Street & Blackstone Avenue, Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Chicago Pacific Entertainment

Trivia:

The early scenes in the movie were filmed at the Inland Steel plant in East Chicago, Indiana.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: An actor filmed a scene saying the words "...a disturbance at the Smithsonian" but the words "science museum" were dubbed over Smithsonian instead.

Quotes:

Eddie Kasalivich: Doctor Sinclair and I ride together.

Movie Connections:

Edited into They Crawl (2001)

Soundtrack:

One Love

Action 8/10, Science 1/10

I don't expect my science fiction thrillers necessarily to have working real science in them. What I do prefer is that they either have a credible explanation for the science, or simply don't explain it at all.

Chain Reaction tries to explain the science, and in doing so provides the comedy aspect of the film - a lesson for writers everywhere - if you don't understand it, don't write about it.

If you can ignore the science, it is a decent action film, and a good way to spend a couple of hours. Reeves and Weisz are believable as the leads, and hint at an attraction between them without slowing the film down. Freeman plays a solid role, and the moral complications of his character made this film for me.