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According to one reference source, 'The name "chaos
theory" comes from the fact that the systems that the theory
describes are apparently disordered, but chaos theory is
really about finding the underlying order in apparently
random data.', and to enjoy the ride in this action film,
understanding the chaos theory is helpful if not essential.
In writing and directing CHAOS, Tony Giglio (as he explains
in one of the featurettes on the DVD) worked to make an
action movie that was more than just pyrotechnics and killing
(though those are in abundance in this film!), and instead
return to the atmosphere of older 'French Connection' type
crime dramas. To accomplish this he uses the chaos theory
to create just enough twists to keep the audience surprised.
If the film doesn't open new doors for the genre, it certainly
supplies enough entertainment to make it worth watching.***
The film opens on a bridge in Seattle where an incident
involving detective Quentin Connors (Jason Statham) and
another unidentified detective results in Connors being
dismissed from the police force. A sophisticated bank heist
ensues and the head of the heist is one Lorenz (Wesley Snipes)
who, when surrounded by the police after an explosion jolts
the neighborhood, demands to negotiate the hostages situation
with Connors: Captain Jenkins (Henry Czerny) and a new police
recruit Detective Shane Dekker (Ryan Phillippe) recruit
the reluctant, fired Connors to return to Seattle to take
charge - with Dekker as his partner. From this point on
the story is a mélange of mind-bending assaults on the back
using the chaos theory to trace the elements of discovery.
Just when the audience is comfortable with knowing the good
guys from the bad guys, the chessboard turns and surprises
occur that leave the story with a sense of incomplete thought
on the part of the script, but also an appreciation for
the degree of suspense the story has presented.***
The strong character in the film is Ryan Phillippe
who is able to hold his own with the practiced action hero
antics of Statham and Snipes. There are some standout cameos,
such as Keegan Connor Tracy who has one of the more sensually
seductive roles on film, Henry Czerny as the forceful super
chief, and Justine Waddell and Nicholas Lea as the detectives
who shoulder the only truth in the tale.
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