Review of Chaos

Chaos (II) (2005)
7/10
Jason Statham and a decent mystery plot line
25 September 2006
All the signs were pointing to this being a bad movie. First of all, it's been in limbo for two years; and that is especially bad when you consider that the film has enough stars to secure itself a release. Therefore, that fact must mean that the reason for the film not getting a release is due to it being difficult to market, and therefore there's a good chance that it's not really worth seeing. However, that's actually not the case as while this film doesn't break any new ground and offers only a way to waste an hour and a half of your life; you could certainly do a lot worse than see this film. Comparisons to Spike Lee's recent thriller 'Inside Man' are going to happen, but since this film was made first; you have to wonder who was taking influence from whom. The plot focuses on a bizarre bank robbery in which nothing was taken from the bank, and the bank robber disappeared. Disgraced copper Quentin Conners (Jason Statham) is brought in to deal with the situation, and he hooks up with the son of a 'great cop', Shane Dekker; and we follow the pair as they try to get the bottom of all the chaos...

Sometimes films try to be a bit too clever, and that's what this one has done. Writer-director Tony Giglio has obviously put a lot of thought into his film, but his script isn't broad enough to compensate for the demands of the plot, and it often feels flat and unfinished. That being said, it is fun to watch and the film does present and intriguing mystery with a few surprising twists along the way. We are never given enough information to get the bottom of the plot ourselves, but sometimes we're given barely anything at all; and it is at these moments where Chaos is at its worst as it fails to be intriguing. The central cast is good, however, with Jason Statham delivering the sort of 'hard' performance he has become famous for, while Ryan Phillippe is the pick of the performers for his slightly naive, yet focused role. Wesley Snipes' star profile has dwindled recently, and this film (along with all the other films he's made recently), isn't going to change that. He lacks screen presence and doesn't do much with his small amount of screen time. Overall, as I said; this is far from perfect, but if all you want is a decent flick to watch and forget, this isn't too bad a choice.
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