Detector

Interesting eco thriller made in Australia in 1979 that was pipped at the post by THE CHINA SYNDROME almost in release at the same time. Produced by versatile industry go getter David Elfick (NEWSFRONT, STARSTRUCK, UNDERCOVER and Exec Prod on RABBIT PROOF FENCE) The CHAIN REACTION went over very well as a drive in movie for the thinking Mad Max crowd. It even has several of MAX's stars. With great stunt and car chase work and a genuinely believable story set slightly in the future CR will be a fun DVD release if out-takes and interviews are included. It looked terrific on a cinema movie screen and I guess will become an intelligent action staple if you have a big plasma TV at home. Elfick never makes the same movie twice and a scan through his CV on this site will let you access an astonishing range of Ausralian feature films. One is even called AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 WAYS..about fooling blind Dad that he is on a holiday when really he never leaves the street...one The Farrelly Bros should update and remake.

A nuclear plant employee is accidentally showered in radioactive waste and his company wants to hush up the fact the water supply has been contaminated. He escapes and quickly falls under the care of race car driver Larry (Steve Bisley) and his wife Carmel (Arna-Maria Winchester) at their vacation home. Since they are corporate guys, the baddies will stop at nothing to silence the escapee and anyone who helps him. It is THE CHINA SYNDROME with car chases! This one is pretty decent but suffers from a sluggish pace at times and making a straight-forward plot convoluted. There are some nice character touches (the deaf hit-man; Hugh Keays-Byrne's eccentric anti-nuke guy). MAD MAX's George Miller was originally supposed to direct, but didn't. He did do the work on the car chases (uncredited), which are really good but the film could have used more of them. Ian Barry directed and has a good eye and stages some nice shocks. Wish it was more even though. Some guy named Mel Gibson has a two-second cameo.

Good to see Farkas in a lead role, but aside from the car chases and some nudity - mostly Farkas! - the film rarely ignites. Many scenes filmed in near darkness and much of the plot is incomprehensible. And where on earth is the violence?

After being contaminated when an earthquake causes a leak at a waste management plant, an engineer, Heinrich, realizes he has to warn the public. The company is more interested in protecting their interests, though, and thugs pursue Heinrich when he goes on the run.

Heinrich stumbles upon the home of Larry and Carmel, where he collapses. Carmel is a nurse and takes care of Heinrich, although Larry doesn't trust him. Larry is a mechanic and fast driver, and his skills are put to the test when their lives are endangered. In the process, Larry becomes the film's action hero.

Heinrich is suffering from temporary memory loss. He remembers he had to warn people of an impending disaster, but can't recall what it entails. To make matters worse, he doesn't have much time with the radiation consuming him. The film becomes an action-packed race against time to warn the public.

I must be honest, there were times when I had a difficult time trying to understand what was actually going on. In general, the movie was entertaining enough and I enjoyed the good car chase climax.

Steve Bisley stars as Larry, and the film uses every excuse to show off his lean, hairy body - and I'm certainly not complaining!

I saw this movie at the Roxy Cinema,Parramatta, Sydney Australia in 1980. I thought the action stunts and story were good. Steve Bisley who played Goose in "Mad Max" in one of his early lead roles. Watch out for Mel Gibson in an unbilled role as a mechanic at the beginning of the film.