The Chain Reaction ★★½

AUSTRALIAN sci-fi thriller The Chain Reaction is worth considering for a remake.

The original film, released in 1980, has a good premise that could easily be made more topical and even expanded to a limited television series.

An earthquake in rural Australia causes a dangerous leak at a nuclear waste storage facility. Engineer Heinrich Schmidt is contaminated in the accident and is determined to warn the public about the danger to the nearby environment.

But the ruthless owners of the facility are determined to downplay the situation, to the point where they are prepared to silence anyone who tries to speak out.

Schmidt escapes into the nearby countryside but is dying from the contamination. He is found by a young couple having a weekend away at their country property. She is a nurse and he is a car mechanic but also a Vietnam war veteran prepared to mix it with the villains, especially when his wife is threatened,

Also involved is an activist against nuclear power who is contacted by Schmidt and arrives in the nearby country town determined to uncover the conspiracy.

Throw into this intrigue some car chases, shootouts, fist fights and a little bit of sex and you should have something pretty entertaining.

Unfortunately, the original film didn’t work, largely due to a limited budget, some poor continuity in the script, odd music choices and pretty average acting across the board.

Ross Thompson is good as Schmidt but Steve Bisley, fresh off his success as motorbike cop Goose in 1978’s Mad Max, at that point still didn’t have the acting range or charisma to be a leading man.

Likewise, Arna-Maria Winchester and, surprisingly, Hugh Keays-Byrne who never seems comfortable in his role as the activist.

But the film does feature some good car chase sequences and stunt work, courtesy of Mad Max director George Miller.

Watched on Prime.