Review of Chaos

Introduction

Tony Giglio, with nothing more interesting than `Soccer Dog: The Movie` under his directorial credits, has put together this action/crime drama which sees Wesley Snipes and Ryan Phillipe play second fiddle to Jason Statham, who seems to have been catapulted to the big leagues in Hollyweird after turns in `The Transporter`, its sequel, and `Crank`.

Statham plays disgraced cop Conners, kicked off the force after he and his partner are involved in a hostage situation gone awry. But he`s brought back on board when a stand-off at a city bank results in the mysterious bank robber Lorenz (Snipes) calling him out. When the dust is settled and the enigmatic Lorenz and his gang flee, Conners and his rookie partner Dekker (Phillipe) are lured into a game of... yawn... cat and mouse where nothing is as... yawn... simple as it seems.

Video

Despite being shot in a 2.35:1 format, what we have on offer from Lionsgate for the R2 release is most definitely not. Closer to 1.85:1, it`s clear from the opening scene there`s been some chop and zoom work done with the transfer. The framing is off - everything is bunched up and overpowering the frame, pieces have clearly been cut off and it`s obvious that what you`re seeing is a butchered version of the director`s intended composition. As a result, the resolution has also taken a punch in the gut, resulting in an overly soft look, with more attention drawn than necessary to the odd flecks and sparkles and the, at times, horrendous level of noise carried over.

Audio

A fairly average surround track in Dolby Digital 5.1, accompanied by its lesser sibling, the 2.0. While the 5.1 has some overt use of directional implementation, the forgettable score is often overpowering, smothering any neat flourishes of steering during the first and third acts. Dialogue is clear though, and the mix seems to have everything bar the score - dialogue, effects, etc - at a perfectly decent level.

Features

Just a youthful and enthusiastic yak-track from director Giglio, who gives the clear impression that this is his first. Perfectly listenable, should you be so inclined, or so very, very time-affluent that you`ve already listened to all the commentaries for all the good films.

Conclusion

Despite being conceived and filmed a year prior, the main problem with `Chaos` is that it was beaten to release by Spike Lee`s `Inside Man`, which put an new spin on a similarly old idea. That, and the fact that it`s rubbish. Some may say that is the main problem. Terrible script, horrible, clichéd dialogue, obvious `twists`, and an overdose of recycled, contrived and formulaic events and developments that by the end, all become too hard to swallow without gagging like a Linda Lovelace outtake.

Statham`s accent, which sounds like an American doing a cockney doing a bad American accent, is, almost literally, painful to listen to, and it`s nigh-on impossible not be completely horrified by the whole thing by the time Wesley Snipes makes his first swaggering, bluster-filled entrance in what was supposed to be, according to some circles, his comeback movie. Yikes. While I`m the first to make an argument for the entertainment value of direct-to-video nonsense, `Chaos` has none of the qualities you look for in brainless action vehicles, meanwhile clutching feverously to its bosom that which deprives it of worth as a theatrical release. While `The Transporter` films and `Crank` got by with some ridiculous, exciting set-pieces and a thick-set vein of humour, `Chaos` takes itself piously serious, to its detriment being far too banal to fulfil the lofty ambitions of being a sober crime thriller, and it`s not nearly enough fun to chuck on as 90-minutes of simple diversion.