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Chain Reaction

4.6

9,268

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Original title

Chain Reaction

Year

1996

Running time

106 min.

Country

United States

Director

Andrew Davis

Screenwriter

J.F. Lawton, Michael Bortman. Story: Arne L. Schmidt, Rick Seaman, Josh Friedman

Cast

Music

Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography

Frank Tidy

Producer

20th Century Fox, Zanuck Company, Chicago Pacific Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment

Genre

Action. Thriller

Synopsis

Just as the university research team is about to prove that their new technique will permit water to be used as a fuel, their laboratory is sabotaged and the lab manager is killed. Eddie Kasalivich (Keanu Reeves) stumbles onto the scene and manages not only to witness the sabotage, but to escape from it. When he tries to talk about it to authorities, he discovers that they think he and the other project survivors committed the crime. In reality, a group of energy companies have conspired with interested parties in the government to completely erase all notion of the existence of a way to use water as fuel. The project sponsor (Morgan Freeman) wants Eddie to turn himself in, but before he can do that, he must find enough evidence to clear himself and his friends. But in order to succeed, Eddie must avoid assassination attempts by the real perpetrators. (Clarke Fountain: All Movie Guide)

Awards: 1996: Nominated for Razzie Awards: Worst actor (Reeves)

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Critics' reviews

"[Chain Reaction] has better acting, better writing, more spectacular chase sequences and more genuine drama than all of this summer's blockbusters"

Edward Guthmann: SFGATE
"It's not a bad film in individual moments and in the energy of itsperformances, but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of four)"

Roger Ebert: Chicago Sun-Times
"Plodding and predictable"

The Washington Post
"Unlike 'The Fugitive,' which had tremendous dramatic urgency, this film isn't clear enough to build suspense that escalates from scene to scene"

Janet Maslin: The New York Times
"The movie is so uninvolving that it inspires renewed respect for 'Broken Arrow', which was equally stupid but excitingly filmed."

Mike Clark: USA Today
"Director Andrew Davis punches out the action sequences with frightening efficiency"

TV Guide
"'Chain Reaction' is doomed by a premise so simple and so absurd, it's easier to sympathize with star Keanu Reeves than with his character"

Jack Mathews: Los Angeles Times
"The action sequences are thinly conceived and too spread out by dramatic filler to create much momentum"

Dave Kehr: New York Daily News

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User history

Chain Reaction

1996

Andrew Davis

4.6

(9,268)