Chaos Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Chaos Blu-ray Movie Review

“Things are not as they appear to be, nor are they otherwise.”

Reviewed by Dustin Somner August 20, 2009

I can just imagine a group of producers sitting around a table dreaming up the perfect combination of actors to maximize profits and fill their coffers. They probably started with Wesley Snipes (who’s acting services aren’t nearly as costly now that he’s starring in straight to video productions), then moved on to Jason Statham (after all, he’s developed a loyal following of fans that don’t mind his continued acceptance of type-cast roles), and eventually settled in on Ryan Phillipe (who’s continued absence from Hollywood likely resulted in countless sleepless nights for his young, female fanbase). After crunching the numbers, they eventually realized they didn’t even need to pick from their three options, since the cost of casting the trio of big name actors would be far less than just one A-list actor. After all, how could a consumer possibly pass up an opportunity to see an ensemble cast of leading men in a heist film? Unfortunately, the concept that once seemed so promising resulted in a lackluster final product and the studio chose to release the film straight-to-video rather than wasting marketing time and money on a film that appeared destined to flop.

I think Ryan Phillippe ate some bad shrimp...

As the film opens, Detective Quentin Connor (Jason Statham) responds to a hostage situation that no amount of training could prepare him for. Facing an armed suspect with a gun pointed to the head of a female human shield, Connor and his partner are in a three-way standoff when shots are fired, leading to the death of the suspect and the hostage. While serving a suspension for his actions that night, Connor is summoned to the scene of a new hostage situation during a presumed bank heist. Arriving on the scene, he’s partnered up with a young detective named Shane Dekker (Ryan Phillippe), the intelligent son of a renowned member of the Seattle Police Department. Connor reluctantly agrees to speak with the perpetrators of the heist (who asked for him by name), but soon realizes the group of thieves are much more sophisticated than your typical bank robbers. Led by a philosophical mastermind (Wesley Snipes), the bank robbers appear able to foresee Connor’s every action as they follow through on a well-executed escape plan. With desperately few clues at their disposal, Connor and Dekker begin an exhaustive investigation into the purpose of the bank robbery (since nothing is stolen), and attempt to track down the elusive leader that taunts them with riddles.

The storytelling and structure of Chaos contains fleeting moments of entertainment value, but the stale, copycat elements of the plot coupled with holes you could drive a car through prevent this from ever achieving greatness. It’s difficult to point out the missteps without giving away the twists in the plot, but I’ll do my best to touch on the shortcomings without giving anything away. First and foremost, I’m quite frustrated by the lack of character motivation in the film. If you choose to watch it, be careful not to make yourself dizzy with all of the inevitable headshaking that will take place at each turn in the plot, since there’s really no rhyme or reason why the characters would go to such extremes. Second, I began to feel like I was watching National Treasure 2 as Ryan Phillipe conveniently makes sense out of information that seems almost laughable. Everyone around him does the trademark slow-turn as he’s thinking out loud, indicating we’re about to witness some huge revelation that never transpires. The last major blunder worth mentioning is the telegraphing of the plot twists. As a long-time fan of The Usual Suspects, I’m always looking for the same feeling I had the first time I witnessed the end of that intelligent classic. My wife has sworn for years she saw the twist coming a mile away, but I remain among the camp that was admittedly floored at the big reveal in the final minutes of the film. In Chaos, it’s as if you’re looking down a desert road that disappears into a valley before reappearing far off in the distance as it meets the horizon. We know how it’s going to end, so it’s simply a matter of waiting for the film to spell out the path we’ll take on the way.

From an acting standpoint, the three lead actors all turn in precisely the performances we’d expect. You may find yourself wondering when Jason Statham is going to refer to himself as Chev Chelios, since this is simply one more tough guy role in a growing list of repetative performances. I keep waiting for Statham to show some range in his acting, and thought his turn in Revolver might mark a step in the right direction, but his follow-up roles in Transporter 3 and Crank 2 seem to indicate the days of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels or Snatch are over. The other minor problem in this role is his heavy British accent, which seems out of place in Seattle, Washington. It isn’t overly distracting, but seemed like an odd casting choice on the part of the filmmakers. Moving along, Wesley Snipes does a decent job in his role as the maniacle bank robber, though he’s surprisingly absent from a lengthy portion of the film. He’s a little over the top in the portrayal of his character (adding to the ambiguity of his character’s motivations), but that seems to be consistent with the intentions of the script and not the fault of Snipes. Lastly, Ryan Phillippe does his best to demonstrate he’s growing up as an actor, displaying a bit more range than he has in past films. I’ve never been overly impressed with Phillippe, since he’s usually overshadowed by superior actors (such as Benicio del Toro in Way of the Gun), but he’s finally given the chance here to be the beacon of acting talent.

Chaos Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 22Mbps), Chaos is a fantastic high-definition experience from start to finish. Fine object detail is stunningly clear and concise, demonstrating a level of proficiency that rivals some of the best offerings on the format. Simply noticing creases or blemishes on the faces of actors, or the intricate pieces of shattered glass raining down during the bank heist scene, it's abundantly clear that not a single detail is obscured or hazy so long as the camera remains focused on it. Unfortunately, matters don't improve with the color spectrum, which exhibits fleeting moments of positive integrity, but generally appears drab and lifeless. This appears to be a byproduct of decisions in the source material, with heavy filtering or color boosting utilized to enhance yellows in some scenes, or wash the picture in a bluish tint at other times. On a positive note, black levels demonstrated excellent depth and contrast remained well-defined throughout the film (adding to the visual pop of the production). For a film that lacks the slick Hollywood polish of most other high-definition releases, Chaos looks substantially better than expected.

Chaos Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

In a surprisingly bold move, Lionsgate pulled out the stops to deliver a rousing DTS-HD MA 7.1 mix that aggressively pounds your home theater into submission. Spacial separation is excellent, dividing the sound effects between all eight speakers with timing that perfectly replicates the onscreen action. Bullets zing from from front to back, flying shrapnel moves from side to side, and even the subtle clap of footsteps can be heard approaching from behind your chair. The volume balance between various elements in the mix is largely effective, but I did notice several scenes where the dialogue sounded a bit too soft, making it difficult to discern whether something valuable was just revealed in the plot. I also detected several instances where the dialogue exhibited a metallic quality as if the actor in question was speaking in a tunnel. I wouldn't say it was overly distracting, but still something most viewers will likely notice without specifically listening for it. Regarding the LFE track, there are two substantial explosions that allow your subwoofer sufficient opportunity to gloat, but otherwise there isn't the presence of a prominent low end through the remaining runtime. To summarize, I can't say the audio track deserves a spot next to the best action films Blu-ray has to offer, but I would say it bests the lower-budget releases with ease.

Chaos Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only supplement found on the disc that wasn't included on the intial DVD release of Chaos, is a high-definition trailer for Crank 2 (imagine that). Otherwise, we're given a commentary track with writer/director Tony Giglio and a twelve minute superficial featurette (480p) that contains interviews with some of the actors as well as behind the scenes footage from the set.

Chaos Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I don't mean to be overly harsh in my assessment of Chaos, since it's still an entertaining way to pass an evening. Perhaps I went into the film with my expectations set a bit too high, but the film simply doesn't meet the quality of other productions in the heist genre. Had the writing been a little more precise in removing multiple plot holes, and character motivations explained in a sensible manner, I'd probably be giving this film an easy recommendation. As it stands, I'd suggest a rental to anyone who's on the fence about the replayability of the title, and only encourage a purchase to those who already know they're a fan. On a positive note, this Blu-ray edition is an excellent value for a newly released catalog title, making the rental/purchase decision a bit more difficult.