Chain Reaction (1996)

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

Director:

Andrew Davis

Writers:

Arne Schmidt (story) (as Arne L. Schmidt), Rick Seaman (story)

Stars:

Keanu Reeves, Morgan Freeman, Rachel Weisz

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 Pearl	...	Emily Pearl (as Julie R. Pearl)
Godfrey	...	Chidi Egbuna
Gene Barge	...	James Washington
Nathan Davis	...	Morris Grodsky

Storyline

Eddie Kasalivich, an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, works as a technician for a scientific team that discovers an alternative, low-cost, pollution-free fuel source. Eddie and Lilly were involved in the research that was done at this first lab. The first lab was sabotaged and it exploded. One of the chief scientists is murdered during the attack and the sabotage of the lab, Eddie and physicist Lily Sinclair are framed for it and have to flee for their lives, with the FBI, CIA and other involved parties in close pursuit. Paul Shannon, Eddies mentor, is the director of a secret CIA contractor which - unknown to Eddie - has commercial interests in the lab equipment. Eddie and Lily flee police, FBI and CIA secret contractors but Lily winds getting captured and is driven to the underground experimental lab. Eddie follows Lily to this not yet fully working lab and quickly gets it working since it needed two different frequencies for the energy to get produced and Eddie has kept ...

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Plot Keywords:

man wearing glasses | on the run | cold fusion | die hard scenario | outrunning explosion | 

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Taglines:

Reaction Time 8-4-96

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some intense action/violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 August 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dead Drop

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,546,000, 4 August 1996, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$20,550,712, 29 September 1996

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$38,200,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

3 Arts Entertainment, Chicago Pacific Entertainment, The Zanuck Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The motorcycle in the movie is a 1976 Kawasaki KZ1000, requested by Keanu Reeves himself. Fox bought five bikes for different scenes, all painted flat black to prevent the spotlights from being reflected.

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Goofs

Several changes of sunlight intensity, position, and cloud cover in the air boat chase scene on the lake.

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Quotes

Lily Sinclair: I'm being framed.

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Crazy Credits

As the end credits come to the end, the music fades out and a rumble gets louder and louder. This is the start of a shockwave resulting from the massive explosion at the end of the film. The viewpoint is of Keanu Reeves who by now is in a helicopter and comes straight on screen after the last of the credits has gone up. The ground implodes briefly and you hear Agent Ford say "Whoa!".

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Connections

References The Fugitive (1993)

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Soundtracks

One Love
Written by Bob Marley
Performed by Bob Marley & The Wailers (as Bob Marley and The Wailers)
Courtesy of Island Records, Inc.

User Reviews

enjoyable

After viewing this film on homevideo,i decided for myself that this fugitive style film was worth adding into my personal collection of fun films.All action nuts should get a kick out of chain reaction mainly because this is what the film was made for and not to be correct in all of what goes on.Keanu reaves is a student machinist at a chicago university who is working with a genius of a professor that is finding a way to extract energy from plain water thru process of hydrogen.Keanu finds the frequency that makes the process work by mistake one night at home.After having a small celebration back at the university,he escorts his tipsy assistant Rachel Weise back to her apartment,but like the gentleman he is,he dosent take advantage of her and puts her to bed.Once he returns back to the building where the experiments were conducted,he finds utter chaos with the professor dead(suffocated) and the hydrogen machine going haywire.He finds a explosive device ready to go off at any minute,so keanu bolts away and heads for his motocycle.After only getting a few miles away,the bomb is detonated and takes out five city blocks in the process.Naturally,since he was the last one at the scene,Keanu is the prime suspect in the sabotage case.His only allies are now Rachel Weise and the mysterious business man portrayed by Morgan Freeman who no one can figure out which side he is really on Purist and filmstudents could pick this film apart as they usually do by noting a few continuity glitches and questioning how keanu could survive the explosion that took out five city blocks,but if he were to perish then and there folks,there could be no further development and the film ends there.Keep in mind this was made for the action buff and you wont mind the few glitches that occur in this film which i deem quite enjoyable by all but the picky few who dont really watch films for enjoyment and escapism.