History Film / ChainReaction

''Chain Reaction'' is a 1996 ScienceFiction Thriller film directed by Andrew Davis, starring Craetor/KeanuReeves, Creator/RachelWeisz, Creator/MorganFreeman, Creator/BrianCox, Creator/FredWard, and Creator/KevinDunn.

* AntiVillain: [[spoiler:Paul is the only member of the secret cabal of industrialists that want the hydrogen reactor technology for themselves (that we see on screen, at least) that believes TheWorldIsNotReady (at least just ''yet'') for this technology and hates Lyman's brutal tactics. His reaction at seeing the explosion of the first reactor is pretty much "MyGodWhatHaveIDone" and he laments the professor's death. Once Eddie mentions that he has sent the information on the project to every news service in the country ''and'' the FBI, he shows himself a GracefulLoser and wants to let them go (even telling Lyman that trying to kill them now won't make any difference, and killing the latter when he insists he wants them dead anyway and opening the gates so they can try to OutrunTheFireball).]]

* StupidEvil: Lyman keeps stepping on Paul's toes to get to Eddie and Lily, even though they trusted Paul and would have come in so long as he guaranteed their protection. Lyman even has the nerve to blame Paul for this. [[spoiler:Paul eventually kills him, as their superiors had deemed him a liability.]]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: Lyman intends to kill Chen, Lily, and Eddie once he has the perfected technology. Idiotically, he makes it perfectly clear this will be the end result of their work once he's kidnapped them, giving them no incentive to play along.

* The stinger: What seems to be cut footage of an serial view of the C-Systems compound shaking from the underground explosion of the climax, followed by Keanu Reeves saying "whoah".

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Simply burning hydrogen extracted from water would result in a net loss of energy, since breaking those molecular bonds would require more energy than would be gained from the reaction. If it were some sort of fusion reaction, it would make more sense.

* AntiVillain: [[spoiler:Paul is the only member of the secret cabal of industrialists that want the hydrogen reactor technology for themselves (that we see on screen, at least) that believes TheWorldIsNotReady (at least just ''yet'') for this technology and hates Lyman's brutal tactics. His reaction at seeing the explosion of the first reactor is pretty much "MyGodWhatHaveIDone" and he laments the professor's death. Once Eddie mentions that he has sent the information on the project to every news service in the country ''and'' the FBI, he shows himself a GraciousLoser and wants to let them go (even telling Lyman that trying to kill them now won't make any difference, and killing the latter when he insists he wants them dead anyway and opening the gates so they can try to OutrunTheFireball).]]

* CantStopTheSignal: The good guy releases to the world the details of the machine allowing production of functionally unlimited energy by faxing it to news offices everywhere.

''Chain Reaction'' is a ScienceFiction Thriller film starring Craetor/KeanuReeves, Creator/RachelWeisz, Creator/MorganFreeman, Creator/BrianCox, Creator/FredWard, and Creator/KevinDunn. Eddie Kasalivich (Reeves) is a machinist working at a laboratory researching a new hydrogen power source [[{{Technobabble}} involving a laser beam and sound waves to induce sonoluminescence]]. When he returns to the lab after the first stable test, he finds his boss murdered and the place about to explode. He and his coworker Dr. Lily Sinclair (Weisz) are framed for the explosion and have to run from the authorities while trying to clear their names.

Not to be confused with the [[Series/ChainReaction game show]] that involved a chain of words.

* {{Frameup}}: Eddie, Lily, and Chen are framed as agents for China attempting to steal the hydrogen technology

* ArtisticLicencePhysics: Simply burning hydrogen extracted from water would result in a net loss of energy, since breaking those molecular bonds would require more energy than would be gained from the reaction. If it were some sort of fusion reaction, it would make more sense.

KeanuReeves wants to [[PhysicsGoof create a power plant that runs off hydrogen extracted from water]].[[note]] There is no valid Trivia page for this movie, but the error is that the writer evidently knew there was some way to get lots of energy from hydrogen (fusion), and that water has hydrogen in it, and that hydrogen burns. He jumped to the conclusion that the method of getting said power was simply to get the hydrogen out of water and burn it ... which would result in a net LOSS of energy, since it would take more energy to get the hydrogen out than would be produced by burning it.[[/note]] The process involves [[{{Technobabble}} using a laser beam and sound waves to induce sonoluminescence]]. Someone wants to stop this research and blows up his lab. He goes on the run and [[OutrunTheFireball runs away from a lot of explosions]].

* GasCylinderRocket: {{Invoked|Trope}}. During the climax, Eddie uses an axe to chop the valve off a tank of hydrogen gas to shove open a safety door so he and Dr. Sinclair can escape.
* InformationWantsToBeFree: The researchers wanted to make the technique available to the world for free. The BigBad didn't, justifying himself with the economic instability this would supposedly cause..
* OutrunTheFireball: The protagonist arrives at the laboratory to find his boss murdered and the equipment rigged to blow up. Unable to stop the chain reaction, he straddles his bike and speeds away from the lab. When the equipment finally overloads, it explodes in a very large fireball, almost akin to a small nuclear blast. Eddie manages to Outrun the Fireball just barely; the back of his bike is actually lifted by the shockwave (but the forward wheel somehow remains on the ground).

KeanuReeves wants to [[PhysicsGoof create a power plant that runs off hydrogen extracted from water]][[note]] There is no valid Trivia page for this movie, but the error is that the writer evidently knew there was some way to get lots of energy from water (Fusion) and that water has Hydrogen in it, and that Hydrogen burns. He jumped to the conclusion that the method of getting said power was simply to get the hydrogen out of water and burn it...which would result in a net LOSS of energy, since it would take more energy to get the hydrogen out than would be produced by burning it[[/note]]. The process involves [[{{Technobabble}} using a laser beam and sound waves to induce sonoluminescence]]. Someone wants to stop this research and blows up his lab. He goes on the run and [[OutrunTheFireball runs away from a lot of explosions]].

KeanuReeves wants to [[PhysicsGoof create a power plant that runs off hydrogen extracted from water]][[hottip:*: There is no valid Trivia page for this movie, but the error is that the writer evidently knew there was some way to get lots of energy from water (Fusion) and that water has Hydrogen in it, and that Hydrogen burns. He jumped to the conclusion that the method of getting said power was simply to get the hydrogen out of water and burn it...which would result in a net LOSS of energy, since it would take more energy to get the hydrogen out than would be produced by burning it]]. The process involves [[{{Technobabble}} using a laser beam and sound waves to induce sonoluminescence]]. Someone wants to stop this research and blows up his lab. He goes on the run and [[OutrunTheFireball runs away from a lot of explosions]].

KeanuReeves wants to [[PhysicsGoof create a power plant that runs off hydrogen extracted from water]]. The process involves [[{{Technobabble}} using a laser beam and sound waves to induce sonoluminescence]]. Someone wants to stop this research and blows up his lab. He goes on the run and [[OutrunTheFireball runs away from a lot of explosions]].

* JerryGoldsmith

KeanuReeves creates hydrogen from water [[{{Technobabble}} using a laser beam and sound waves to induce sonoluminescence]]. Someone wants to stop this research and blows up his lab. He goes on the run and [[OutrunTheFireball runs away from a lot of explosions]].

KeanuReeves [[YouFailPhysicsForever creates hydrogen from water]] [[{{Technobabble}} using a laser beam and sound waves to induce sonoluminescence]]. Someone wants to stop this research and blows up his lab. He goes on the run and [[OutrunTheFireball runs away from a lot of explosions]].

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This is the KeanuReeves film.