Umbrella Entertainment
All Regions DVD
Adventure / Action Thriller
Reviewer: Bob Estreich
The Chain reaction is classic Ozploitation
cinema directed and written by Ian Barry and Produced by David Elfick with
George Miller and Ross Matthews.
A massive radioactive water spill at WALDO, a nuclear waste disposal
facility, contaminates a young scientist. The company running the facility
tries to cover up the spill, but the scientist escapes and takes refuge with a
young couple enjoying a dirty weekend in their mountain valley retreat. As
WALDO gradually closes in ruthlessly on the dying scientist, the couple become
more deeply involved to the point that their lives are now also at risk. With
only one way in and out of the valley, staying ahead of WALDO is difficult but
necessary until they can get the word out of the impending ecological disaster.
This film is one of the ”Ozploitation” series covered in Not Quite
Hollywood. It was possibly intended
as an alternative antinuclear protest film to The China Syndrome from
the previous year, but with the addition of crowd-pleasing car chases and
beautiful scenery. In the process it turned into more of a thriller than a
protest movie.
The film nearly didn’t make it. Ian Barry was way over budget, and George
Miller, director of Mad Max from the year before, was called in to do
the car chases and stunts. For this reason the film has more in common with Mad
Max, including many of the actors. Even Mel Gibson makes a brief appearance as
a mechanic. This is not, however, to put down Barry’s work in any way. Russell
Boyd’s beautiful cinematography of the quiet rural valley and community is a
stark contrast to the fierce action sequences, and the contrast heightens the
drama of the story.
The film was definitely low-budget ($450,000) and sometimes the film
shows this. Footage of the waste facility is poorly integrated, the plot is
sometimes thin, and Steve Bisley’s acting as the hero is often a bit rough.
This is not so much due to his acting ability as to a plot that simply doesn’t
give him much room to develop. The same can be said for the female lead,
Arna-Maria Winchester. Even a couple of nude scenes can’t make up for minimal
character development. I guess this is just a symptom of a crippling budget.
Possibly the best acting comes from Ross Thompson as Heinrich, the dying
scientist.
Still, what the film lacks in polish is made up for by scenery, stunts
and enthusiasm. In spite of its age, the film still works. Critically, even though he film is nearly thirty years old, the problems it raises are still
with us. The film has been out of print for many years, so it’s good to see it
cleaned up and re-released by Umbrella. It may not be Australia’s greatest
film, but it’s still a good watch.
The Chain Reaction is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen.
This review will appear in Volume 2 No.2
(2009) of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.
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