Chaos (2008) - Film Review
Statham, Snipes, & Phillippe Rev Up the Suspense in this Crime Caper
Sep 26, 2009
Millions know Jason Statham from the over-the-top Transporter 1-3 and the over-the-over-the-top Crank and Crank: High Voltage action kill-fests. Others know him as the sarcastic Brit in Guy Ritchie's Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. Still others know Statham from roles in countless action films like The Italian Job, The One, War, Death Race, Cellular and maybe even Ghosts of Mars. A few may even remember his brief cameo appearance in the opening scene of Collateral. And everyone who saw Statham in In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale wants to forget they did.
But who remembers Jason Statham in Chaos, released on DVD by Lionsgate on February 19, 2008? This underrated film sees Statham in his usual tough-guy form, this time as a hard-nosed detective. It is a role fit to Statham's dry grit, and unless Ritchie plans on making a Snatch 2 (which he should), it is where Statham belongs.
As a Nearly Straight-to-DVD Film, Chaos Offers Solid Suspense and New Twists on an Old Plot Scheme
Chaos tells a story of shady cops, greedy crooks, ambitious detectives, and high-risk, big-payout schemes. In essence, it's all been done before. But Chaos re-does it in a way that manages to keep it fresh and enjoyable, if not actually exciting.
The plot of Chaos adheres to its theme, the chaos theory. Oversimplified, a series of seemingly random acts come together to equal an end result. The film's plot starts with two detectives who have chased a criminal and his hostage to a bridge. Attempting to shoot the criminal, one detective shoots and kills the hostage. The second detective shoots the criminal. The first detective is fired, while the second is suspended.
Flash forward a few months, and a hostage situation involving robbers at a large Seattle bank occurs. Lorenz, the lead villain played by Wesley Snipes (New Jack City, Demolition Man, Blade), wishes to negotiate only with Detective Quentin Conners, the suspended detective from the bridge shooting. Connors is reassigned to the Seattle Police Department but is given a partner and babysitter, smart but naive newbie, Detective Shane Dekker (Ryan Phillippe).
Conners takes charge of the case, but the villains escape. A cat-and-mouse game ensues. Seemingly everyone has ulterior motives, and no event is unconnected. In the end, the plot comes together nicely, and all is revealed.
The Acting in Chaos Won't Awe Audiences, but Hey, It's an Action Thriller, Not a Tear-Jerker
The entire cast keeps the suspense heightened and the plot moving admirably. Although viewers probably figure out the conclusion before the protagonists do, Statham, Snipes, and Phillippe (Cruel Intentions, Crash, Breach) insure audiences will experience a fun ride. They engage audiences with their performances almost immediately and make for rarely a dull moment
Overall, Chaos offers more of the same as far as crime capers go, and it even offers more of the same as far as Statham's, Snipe's, and Phillippe's performances go. The film's pace, never slow but also far from heart-pounding, is perfectly tailored to the plot. Dialogue and character dynamics are also pluses. Sure, the film is completely void of depth, but that's probably not what Chaos' intended audiences are watching for. Chaos' appeal is that it is smart but not too smart, intriguing but easy enough to follow so that one can sit back and mindlessly enjoy the action, as well. One who rents Chaos not expecting too much from it will likely be pleasantly surprised. So . . . rent it.
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