Chain Reaction (1996)

I’m an absolute sucker for eighties and nineties thrillers, but Chain Reaction is a step too far in its ludicrousness. Keanu Reeves’ Eddie, an undergraduate, and Rachel Weisz’s Lily, a physicist, are framed for murder and accused of stealing a groundbreaking fuel formula. So far, so silly. The initial scenes end with Eddie being unable to prevent a massive hydrogen explosion that wipes out the lab in which he was working and the surrounding streets. Naturally, none of the film makes any sense, Morgan Freeman offers another character to be baffled by when he explains the plot (or what qualifies as a plot), and the best way to enjoy the film is to ignore all the nonsense and concentrate on Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz running from the authorities, and some bad guys. Some of the chase sequences are very good, most notably one where Eddie ends up hanging from an opening bridge, offering shades of A View To A Kill (1985). But for the most part the film can’t come close to justifying its ridiculousness in the way that something like The 6th Day (2000) just about manages. 4.4/10