Chain Reaction (film)
Encyclopedia
Chain Reaction is a 1996 American film starring Keanu Reeves
, Morgan Freeman
, Rachel Weisz
, Brian Cox, Kevin Dunn
and Fred Ward
. It presents a fictional account of the invention of bubble fusion
using sonoluminescence
and the attempts by the United States Government
to prevent the spreading of this technology. Released on August 2, 1996, Chain Reaction was directed by Andrew Davis
with screenplay by J. F. Lawton
and Michael Bortman based on a story by Arne Schmidt, Rick Seaman and Josh Friedman.
machinist
working with a team from the University of Chicago
to create energy from bubble fusion
. They have been trying for quite some time without success but Eddie, while working at home, discovers the secret to successfully using sonoluminescence
to create stable bubble fusion
. The next day in the lab, the machine is perfected by Eddie and everything appears to be working and stable. To celebrate, a party is thrown in the lab. That night after the party, project physicist Dr. Lily Sinclair (Weisz) tries to leave the lab but her car battery is dead. Eddie offers to take her home as she is obviously intoxicated, so they walk off in search of a taxi. Back in the lab, Drs. Alistair Barkley and Lu Chen are on their computers while a van is seen driving towards the lab. Chen hears a noise and goes to investigate, but is kidnapped by unknown assailants as Alistair also comes under attack.
Meanwhile, Lily and Eddie arrive at her house and after making sure she is okay, Eddie heads back to the lab to get his bike. As he arrives at the lab, he sees a suspicious van driving away and detects alarms coming from the lab. He runs inside to find Alistair with a plastic bag over his head (Eddie is unable to revive him) and Chen nowhere to be found. The hydrogen reactor is on and dangerously unstable so Eddie goes over to the computers to try to stabilize the reaction, but is locked out of the system. Realizing the reactor is going to blow, Eddie runs out, jumps on his bike and speeds away as a concealed bomb detonates, triggering a massive explosion that destroys the lab and surrounding streets, eight blocks total. As rescue crews arrive, Eddie is questioned by the police and later the FBI about what happened the night of the blast. Upon returning with Lily to their homes, they soon come to suspect that they are being framed
as fake evidence is planted in both of their houses.
Both go on the run and head to an observatory belonging to Maggie McDermott, an old friend of Eddie's. After resting up they contact Paul Shannon (Freeman), the man funding the project, but are almost caught in the process and barely manage to escape. As Eddie and Lily are evading more police, Paul and Lyman Earl Collier (Cox) are meeting in the C-Systems Research complex to discuss the current events. It becomes apparent that the plot to destroy the lab and frame Eddie and Lily for it was orchestrated by the company, and that Lyman is the one who ordered the attack on the lab. Despite some disagreement, Paul and Lyman decide to continue the hunt for Eddie and Lily, a task made easier when Eddie sends a coded message to Paul requesting another place to meet. At this new rendezvous, Paul reveals he was the one who framed Eddie. The meeting ends in an ambush, and Lily is captured as Eddie barely escapes.
By tracing the license plate on the van used in the ambush, Eddie is able to track them to the C-Systems Research facility where Lily and Chen are being held. When C-Systems' test reactor fails again, Paul, the scientists and the prisoners all leave the room, so Eddie takes the opportunity to "fix" the system. The next morning, one of the other scientists discovers the working reactor and everyone celebrates. Paul is suspicious, and immediately obtains a download of the fusion data, and secretly provides a copy to his assistant, Anita, for safekeeping. He then finds Eddie at a computer in the company board room. There, Eddie demands to be let go in exchange for making the reactor work. Paul agrees but Lyman refuses, believing that the reactor already works, so Eddie sets the reactor to explode while sending proof of his innocence to the FBI and blueprints of the reactor to "hopefully a couple thousand" international scientists. Lyman responds by shooting Chen dead, then leaving both Eddie and Lily to die in the explosion as he, Paul, and their staff flee the site, setting lockdown
doors on the way. As the base self-destructs and Eddie and Lily manage to (in a feat of ingenuity) make their escape from the reactor room, Lyman is given a fake copy of the fusion data. Paul then shoots Lyman for overstepping the bounds of the program, leaving his body in an elevator to be incinerated in the ensuing inferno
. During his own escape, Paul deactivates the containment, letting Eddie and Lily escape. As he is doing this, Eddie and Lily struggle with security over an ascending construction lift, ending in Eddie and Lily climbing aboard it, moments before a blast wave
sweeps into the tunnel. Both Eddie and Lily survive the shockwave to be met by FBI now convinced of their innocence, who take them to safety. Paul departs the scene via chauffeured sedan. He is last seen dictating a memo to Anita. The memo informs the Director of CIA that C-System is "...no longer a viable entity. Will be in contact."
, Argonne National Laboratory
, the Museum of Science and Industry
, the Field Museum of Natural History
, Michigan Avenue
,and the James R. Thompson Center (Atrium Mall). Additional scenes were shot at Yerkes Observatory
in Williams Bay, Wisconsin
, on Geneva Lake
in southern Wisconsin, interiors of the U.S. Capitol were shot at the Wisconsin State Capitol
, in Madison, Wisconsin
and at Inland Steel (now known as MITTAL Steel) in East Chicago, Indiana
. Because of the cold Great Lakes
winter and filming taking place during record breaking winter weather besides, unique challenges were present for the cast and crew. Morgan Freeman noted that "It was difficult for everyone, particularly for me because I'm tropical," he said. "I don't do cold weather. This is Chicago...in the winter. I was actually ill and in bed four days at a crack. It was really rough."
. Roger Ebert
, who panned the film for its confusing narrative, noted its enjoyable action but said "By movie's end, I'd seen some swell photography and witnessed some thrilling chase scenes, but when it came to understanding the movie, I didn't have a clue." Meanwhile, Jeff Millar of the Houston Chronicle
states that "The narrative is very complex, but what's on the screen is little more than generic, non-narrative-specific, guy-being-chased stuff", criticizing the lack of originality in the movie's script. Edward Guthmann of the San Francisco Chronicle
, however, felt that it was one of the summer's best movies, stating "[Chain Reaction] has better acting, better writing, more spectacular chase sequences and more genuine drama than all of this summer's blockbusters." Chain Reaction and its cast were nominated for only one award, with Keanu Reeves being nominated for the Razzie for Worst Actor
, which he lost to both Tom Arnold
and Pauly Shore
.
Despite mostly being panned by most reviewers Chain Reaction was a minor financial success, making approximately USD$
60,000,000 worldwide.
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
, Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
, Rachel Weisz
Rachel Weisz
Rachel Hannah Weisz born 7 March 1970)is an English-American film and theatre actress and former fashion model. She started her acting career at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where she co-founded the theatrical group Cambridge Talking Tongues...
, Brian Cox, Kevin Dunn
Kevin Dunn
Kevin Dunn is an American actor who has appeared in supporting roles in a number of films since the 1980s. His roles include Colonel Hicks in the 1998 version of Godzilla, Sam Witwicky's father in Transformers, and Oscar Galvin, the primary antagonist in the 2010 action thriller...
and Fred Ward
Fred Ward
Freddie Joe "Fred" Ward is an American actor. He began his career in 1979 alongside Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz. He is best known for his starring roles in the motion pictures Remo Williams, Tremors, Henry & June, Short Cuts, The Right Stuff and Exit Speed...
. It presents a fictional account of the invention of bubble fusion
Bubble fusion
Bubble fusion, also known as sonofusion, is the non-technical name for a nuclear fusion reaction hypothesized to occur during a high-pressure version of sonoluminescence, an extreme form of acoustic cavitation...
using sonoluminescence
Sonoluminescence
Sonoluminescence is the emission of short bursts of light from imploding bubbles in a liquid when excited by sound.-History:The effect was first discovered at the University of Cologne in 1934 as a result of work on sonar. H. Frenzel and H. Schultes put an ultrasound transducer in a tank of...
and the attempts by the United States Government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
to prevent the spreading of this technology. Released on August 2, 1996, Chain Reaction was directed by Andrew Davis
Andrew Davis (film director)
Andrew Davis is an American film director, producer and cinematographer, noted for the action films Code of Silence, The Fugitive, Chain Reaction, Collateral Damage, Above the Law, The Guardian and Under Siege.-Biography:Born on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, Davis has directed several films...
with screenplay by J. F. Lawton
J. F. Lawton
Jonathan Frederick Lawton , born on August 11, 1960 in Riverside, California, is an American screenwriter, film producer and film director...
and Michael Bortman based on a story by Arne Schmidt, Rick Seaman and Josh Friedman.
Plot
Eddie Kasalivich (Reeves) is a studentStudent
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
machinist
Machinist
A machinist is a person who uses machine tools to make or modify parts, primarily metal parts, a process known as machining. This is accomplished by using machine tools to cut away excess material much as a woodcarver cuts away excess wood to produce his work. In addition to metal, the parts may...
working with a team from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
to create energy from bubble fusion
Bubble fusion
Bubble fusion, also known as sonofusion, is the non-technical name for a nuclear fusion reaction hypothesized to occur during a high-pressure version of sonoluminescence, an extreme form of acoustic cavitation...
. They have been trying for quite some time without success but Eddie, while working at home, discovers the secret to successfully using sonoluminescence
Sonoluminescence
Sonoluminescence is the emission of short bursts of light from imploding bubbles in a liquid when excited by sound.-History:The effect was first discovered at the University of Cologne in 1934 as a result of work on sonar. H. Frenzel and H. Schultes put an ultrasound transducer in a tank of...
to create stable bubble fusion
Bubble fusion
Bubble fusion, also known as sonofusion, is the non-technical name for a nuclear fusion reaction hypothesized to occur during a high-pressure version of sonoluminescence, an extreme form of acoustic cavitation...
. The next day in the lab, the machine is perfected by Eddie and everything appears to be working and stable. To celebrate, a party is thrown in the lab. That night after the party, project physicist Dr. Lily Sinclair (Weisz) tries to leave the lab but her car battery is dead. Eddie offers to take her home as she is obviously intoxicated, so they walk off in search of a taxi. Back in the lab, Drs. Alistair Barkley and Lu Chen are on their computers while a van is seen driving towards the lab. Chen hears a noise and goes to investigate, but is kidnapped by unknown assailants as Alistair also comes under attack.
Meanwhile, Lily and Eddie arrive at her house and after making sure she is okay, Eddie heads back to the lab to get his bike. As he arrives at the lab, he sees a suspicious van driving away and detects alarms coming from the lab. He runs inside to find Alistair with a plastic bag over his head (Eddie is unable to revive him) and Chen nowhere to be found. The hydrogen reactor is on and dangerously unstable so Eddie goes over to the computers to try to stabilize the reaction, but is locked out of the system. Realizing the reactor is going to blow, Eddie runs out, jumps on his bike and speeds away as a concealed bomb detonates, triggering a massive explosion that destroys the lab and surrounding streets, eight blocks total. As rescue crews arrive, Eddie is questioned by the police and later the FBI about what happened the night of the blast. Upon returning with Lily to their homes, they soon come to suspect that they are being framed
Frameup
A frame-up or setup is an American term referring to the act of framing someone, that is, providing false evidence or false testimony in order to falsely prove someone guilty of a crime....
as fake evidence is planted in both of their houses.
Both go on the run and head to an observatory belonging to Maggie McDermott, an old friend of Eddie's. After resting up they contact Paul Shannon (Freeman), the man funding the project, but are almost caught in the process and barely manage to escape. As Eddie and Lily are evading more police, Paul and Lyman Earl Collier (Cox) are meeting in the C-Systems Research complex to discuss the current events. It becomes apparent that the plot to destroy the lab and frame Eddie and Lily for it was orchestrated by the company, and that Lyman is the one who ordered the attack on the lab. Despite some disagreement, Paul and Lyman decide to continue the hunt for Eddie and Lily, a task made easier when Eddie sends a coded message to Paul requesting another place to meet. At this new rendezvous, Paul reveals he was the one who framed Eddie. The meeting ends in an ambush, and Lily is captured as Eddie barely escapes.
By tracing the license plate on the van used in the ambush, Eddie is able to track them to the C-Systems Research facility where Lily and Chen are being held. When C-Systems' test reactor fails again, Paul, the scientists and the prisoners all leave the room, so Eddie takes the opportunity to "fix" the system. The next morning, one of the other scientists discovers the working reactor and everyone celebrates. Paul is suspicious, and immediately obtains a download of the fusion data, and secretly provides a copy to his assistant, Anita, for safekeeping. He then finds Eddie at a computer in the company board room. There, Eddie demands to be let go in exchange for making the reactor work. Paul agrees but Lyman refuses, believing that the reactor already works, so Eddie sets the reactor to explode while sending proof of his innocence to the FBI and blueprints of the reactor to "hopefully a couple thousand" international scientists. Lyman responds by shooting Chen dead, then leaving both Eddie and Lily to die in the explosion as he, Paul, and their staff flee the site, setting lockdown
Lockdown
There are several definitions for the term lockdown, the most common of which pertains to a state of containment or a restriction of progression....
doors on the way. As the base self-destructs and Eddie and Lily manage to (in a feat of ingenuity) make their escape from the reactor room, Lyman is given a fake copy of the fusion data. Paul then shoots Lyman for overstepping the bounds of the program, leaving his body in an elevator to be incinerated in the ensuing inferno
Conflagration
A conflagration or a blaze is an uncontrolled burning that threatens human life, health, or property. A conflagration can be accidentally begun, naturally caused , or intentionally created . Arson can be accomplished for the purpose of sabotage or diversion, and also can be the consequence of...
. During his own escape, Paul deactivates the containment, letting Eddie and Lily escape. As he is doing this, Eddie and Lily struggle with security over an ascending construction lift, ending in Eddie and Lily climbing aboard it, moments before a blast wave
Blast wave
A blast wave in fluid dynamics is the pressure and flow resulting from the deposition of a large amount of energy in a small very localised volume. The flow field can be approximated as a lead shock wave, followed by a 'self-similar' subsonic flow field. In simpler terms, a blast wave is an area of...
sweeps into the tunnel. Both Eddie and Lily survive the shockwave to be met by FBI now convinced of their innocence, who take them to safety. Paul departs the scene via chauffeured sedan. He is last seen dictating a memo to Anita. The memo informs the Director of CIA that C-System is "...no longer a viable entity. Will be in contact."
Cast
- Keanu ReevesKeanu ReevesKeanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
as Eddie Kasalivich: A machinistMachinistA machinist is a person who uses machine tools to make or modify parts, primarily metal parts, a process known as machining. This is accomplished by using machine tools to cut away excess material much as a woodcarver cuts away excess wood to produce his work. In addition to metal, the parts may...
working on a team from the University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He is forced on the run with Dr. Lily Sinclair when someone framesFrameupA frame-up or setup is an American term referring to the act of framing someone, that is, providing false evidence or false testimony in order to falsely prove someone guilty of a crime....
him for the murder of his boss, Dr. Alistair Barkley, and the destruction of his laboratory. He must work to clear their names before they are captured or killed. - Morgan FreemanMorgan FreemanMorgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
as Dr. Paul Shannon: The enigmatic leader of the project at the University of Chicago. His motives are unclear throughout the movie, but he advises Eddie to turn himself into the authorities. It is later disclosed that he is actually the head of the entire program that includes Lyman, who tries to have the research team killed. The ending suggests Paul is CIA. - Rachel WeiszRachel WeiszRachel Hannah Weisz born 7 March 1970)is an English-American film and theatre actress and former fashion model. She started her acting career at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where she co-founded the theatrical group Cambridge Talking Tongues...
as Dr. Lily Sinclair: PhysicistPhysicistA physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
working with Dr. Alistair Barkley. She goes on the run with Eddie when they are framed for Alistair's murder and the destruction of his laboratory. - Fred WardFred WardFreddie Joe "Fred" Ward is an American actor. He began his career in 1979 alongside Clint Eastwood in Escape from Alcatraz. He is best known for his starring roles in the motion pictures Remo Williams, Tremors, Henry & June, Short Cuts, The Right Stuff and Exit Speed...
as FBI Agent Leon Ford: In charge of the investigation to discover the cause of the destruction of the laboratory. Initially focuses on Eddie and Lily, but soon suspects the involvement of larger government organizations. - Kevin DunnKevin DunnKevin Dunn is an American actor who has appeared in supporting roles in a number of films since the 1980s. His roles include Colonel Hicks in the 1998 version of Godzilla, Sam Witwicky's father in Transformers, and Oscar Galvin, the primary antagonist in the 2010 action thriller...
as FBI Agent Doyle: Leon Ford's assistant in the investigation. He helps Ford track down Eddie, Lily and later, C-Systems. - Brian Cox as Lyman Earl Collier: Chairman of C-Systems Research. The person behind the conspiracy to keep the Hydrogen power plant a secret.
- Joanna CassidyJoanna CassidyJoanna Cassidy is an American film and television actress. She is known for her role as the replicant Zhora in the Ridley Scott's film Blade Runner...
as Maggie McDermott: An old friend of Eddie's who lives in an observatoryObservatoryAn observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
in WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. Eddie and Lily head to her place after a warrant is issued for their arrest. - Nicholas RudallNicholas RudallD. Nicholas Rudall is Professor of Classical Languages and Literatures, a member of on General Studies in the Humanities and Ancient Mediterranean World, and the College at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1966. He specializes in Greek drama, and has translated numerous works...
as Dr. Alistair Barkley: Head of the project to develop energy from water. He is suffocated in an attempt to frame Eddie for the explosion. - Tzi MaTzi MaTzi Ma is a Chinese American actor who has made numerous appearances in American films and TV series.-Life and career:Ma was born in Hong Kong...
as Dr. Lu Chen: Project Manager on the Hydrogen Project and Dr. Barkley's right hand man. When Alistair is killed, Dr. Chen is kidnapped and forced to work at C-Systems under Lyman Collier. - Eddie Bo Smith Jr. as Yusef Reed: Right hand man for Collier at C-Systems Research. First seen as the getaway driver of the suspicious van, he overshadows both Eddie and Lily later on during their flight from the law.
Production
Large portions of the film were shot on location in and around Chicago, Illinois, including the University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory is the first science and engineering research national laboratory in the United States, receiving this designation on July 1, 1946. It is the largest national laboratory by size and scope in the Midwest...
, the Museum of Science and Industry
Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)
The Museum of Science and Industry is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA in Jackson Park, in the Hyde Park neighborhood adjacent to Lake Michigan. It is housed in the former Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
, the Field Museum of Natural History
Field Museum of Natural History
The Field Museum of Natural History is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It sits on Lake Shore Drive next to Lake Michigan, part of a scenic complex known as the Museum Campus Chicago...
, Michigan Avenue
Michigan Avenue (Chicago)
Michigan Avenue is a major north-south street in Chicago which runs at 100 east south of the Chicago River and at 132 East north of the river from 12628 south to 950 north in the Chicago street address system...
,and the James R. Thompson Center (Atrium Mall). Additional scenes were shot at Yerkes Observatory
Yerkes Observatory
Yerkes Observatory is an astronomical observatory operated by the University of Chicago in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The observatory, which calls itself "the birthplace of modern astrophysics," was founded in 1897 by George Ellery Hale and financed by Charles T. Yerkes...
in Williams Bay, Wisconsin
Williams Bay, Wisconsin
Williams Bay is a village in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,415 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Williams Bay is located at ....
, on Geneva Lake
Geneva Lake
Geneva Lake is a body of freshwater in southeastern Wisconsin in Walworth county. On its shores are the city of Lake Geneva, and the villages of Fontana-on-Geneva-Lake, and Williams Bay....
in southern Wisconsin, interiors of the U.S. Capitol were shot at the Wisconsin State Capitol
Wisconsin State Capitol
The Wisconsin State Capitol, in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor. Completed during 1917, the building is the fifth to serve as the Wisconsin capitol since the first territorial legislature...
, in Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
and at Inland Steel (now known as MITTAL Steel) in East Chicago, Indiana
East Chicago, Indiana
East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana. The population was 29,698 at the 2010 census.-Geography:East Chicago is located at ....
. Because of the cold Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
winter and filming taking place during record breaking winter weather besides, unique challenges were present for the cast and crew. Morgan Freeman noted that "It was difficult for everyone, particularly for me because I'm tropical," he said. "I don't do cold weather. This is Chicago...in the winter. I was actually ill and in bed four days at a crack. It was really rough."
Reception
Critics have given it almost universally negative reviews, as evidenced by its 13% rotten rating from 29 reviews on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, who panned the film for its confusing narrative, noted its enjoyable action but said "By movie's end, I'd seen some swell photography and witnessed some thrilling chase scenes, but when it came to understanding the movie, I didn't have a clue." Meanwhile, Jeff Millar of the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
states that "The narrative is very complex, but what's on the screen is little more than generic, non-narrative-specific, guy-being-chased stuff", criticizing the lack of originality in the movie's script. Edward Guthmann of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, however, felt that it was one of the summer's best movies, stating "[Chain Reaction] has better acting, better writing, more spectacular chase sequences and more genuine drama than all of this summer's blockbusters." Chain Reaction and its cast were nominated for only one award, with Keanu Reeves being nominated for the Razzie for Worst Actor
Razzie Award for Worst Actor
The Razzie Award for Worst Actor is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst actor of the previous year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of that award, along with the film for which they were nominated....
, which he lost to both Tom Arnold
Tom Arnold (actor)
Thomas Dwaine "Tom" Arnold is an American actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films, perhaps most notably True Lies . He was the host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period for four years.-Early life:...
and Pauly Shore
Pauly Shore
Paul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
.
Despite mostly being panned by most reviewers Chain Reaction was a minor financial success, making approximately USD$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
60,000,000 worldwide.