6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Matt Brennan knows how to open eyes to the potential of the experimental jet, the JA-3. He'll pilot it from Nome over the North Pole to Washington, DC and land it on the Pentagon's lap. The distance is beyond the JA-3's tested range. Nor can the craft provide the pressurization needed for flight at 80,000 feet. But Brennan has some modifications in mind. And the courage to put them to the test. Humphrey Bogart plays Brennan in Chain Lightning's lofty mix of adventure and romance. Eleanor Parker, as a World War II flame who reenters Brennan's life, fuels the romance. And the adventure takes wing with a story that, like Breaking the Sound Barrier, The McConnell Story and other postwar films, taps into the era's fascination with jet aviation. Cleared for takeoff.
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Eleanor Parker, Raymond Massey (I), Richard Whorf, James Brown (II)Adventure | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Stuart Heisler's Chain Lightning (1950) channeled that era's love of cool jets and Humphrey Bogart into a lukewarm romantic drama about one man's quest to marry the girl of his dreams, eventually. Bogie plays Lt. Col. Matt Brennan, recently discharged from the Air Force, who reluctantly ends a relationship with nurse Joanne Holloway (Eleanor Parker) upon his departure from England. After a failed attempt at opening his own flight school, Brennan scores a high-paying job at Willis Aircraft Company through his connection to old military pals Major Hinkle (James Brown, but not that one) and experimental jet designer Carl Troxell (Richard Whorf)... who's now dating nurse Holloway. Whoops.
My main gripe with Chain Lightning is just that: the central story of two star-crossed lovers just doesn't get enough shine, and shared scenes between them -- especially with third wheel Carl -- aren't very well defined. (That, and an unnecessary in media res opening with corny voice-over narration.) All told, it barely crosses the 90-minute mark and openly struggles to do so, ending that historic flight early for a second climactic scene that's much less suspenseful and interesting. Had Matt's Alaska-to-DC trip been given even more room to breathe, Chain Lightning would feel more like a substantial thriller rather than a watery romantic drama that changes gears a couple times. It's still more than decently compelling during most stretches, though, thanks to the stalwart, authoritative presence of Bogart -- in one of his last films for Warner Bros. -- and a solid supporting cast, not to mention impressive visual effects including great miniature work for the JA-3. Sharp-eared animation enthusiasts should also be able to pick out at least one use of the studio's "inertia starter" stock sound effect that would later be used for the Tasmanian Devil's destructive spin.
While the end result of all this flying and fluff is a lightweight endeavor, Chain Lightning plays pretty damn well on Warner Archive's
unsurprisingly great Blu-ray. Featuring their usual attention to detail with a top-tier restoration, solid lossless audio, and even a few
era-specific extras, it's an easy buy for those with fond memories of its charms.
I have no real qualms with Warner Archive's outstanding 1080p transfer for Chain Lightning; although this disc was released during a period when the boutique label did not provide specific restoration details, it shows all the hallmarks of a high-resolution scan sourced from first-generation nitrate elements. Simply put, the outdoor footage here looks gorgeous and even office interiors aren't far behind, showing off period-specific clothes, furniture, and backgrounds with outstanding fine detail, texture, and depth. As usual, the image is extremely clean and stable with almost no signs of dirt and debris, yet the film grain present in its nitrate source is almost perfectly preserved here from start to finish. Aside from a few likely source-related issues like patchy black dissolves and at least one rough-looking establishing shot outside a nightclub, the only mild issues here are very light compression artifacts and banding spotted on tricky gradients like the JA-3's aluminum fuselage. These are so few and far between that they're almost entirely forgivable, especially given the pristine condition of everything else... but either way, this Blu-ray presentation is easily the best that Chain Lightning has ever looked on home video and likewise eclipses most theatrical showings.
Likewise, the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio presentation adds a surprising amount of sonic weight to the proceedings, opening up the throttle during high-altitude flights while pulling back during those tender romantic moments. It's a very well-balanced soundstage, all things considered, and features a solid dynamic range that extends all the way to the original score by prolific composer David Buttolph. No pervasive hiss, pops, or distortion were heard along the way, nor were any sync issues detected. Overall, a top-notch effort that gets the job done and then some.
Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, but not the extras. This is pretty annoying since the DVD edition that most of them were sourced from did in fact have optional subtitles available. It's perhaps my only ongoing hang-up regarding Warner Archive releases, and one that I hope is addressed at some point.
This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with poster-themed cover art and no inserts of any kind. A few vintage bonus features are included, but they're more pre-show entertainment than film-specific.
The supposedly star-crossed romance at the heart of Chain Lightning is severely undercooked, but the flying is pretty fun. Although this uneven balance doesn't make for bulletproof entertainment -- even at just 94 minutes, which are admittedly stretched pretty thin -- the cast and visual effects save this one, even elevating it to modest heights during its best moments. Warner Archive's Blu-ray offers ample support, including another top-tier 1080p transfer, lossless audio, and a few era-specific extras. Recommended for fans, but newcomers may want to try before they buy.
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