Chaos (2005) – a Movie Review

Chaos is a thriller starring Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe, and Wesley Snipes. Jason Statham stars as Detective Quentin Conners. Ryan Phillippe is his rookie partner Shane Dekker. Conner and Dekker are hot on the trail of Lorenz, a criminal mastermind played by Wesley Snipes. The duo quickly realizes nothing is as it seems as they are surrounded by chaos. The movie is a fast paced “who done it” with a very intriguing plot. Chaos is a great find and is now top on my list favorite movies starring Jason Statham. Warning: My review contains plot spoilers and if you have any desire to watch Chaos, please don’t read further because I reveal a major twist that is best first seen on screen.

Chaos starts with an open sequence that reveals two months before, Conners was suspended for an accidental shooting of a hostage and the shooting of a suspect at the ending of a police chase. The clips imply that the public pushed for a trial but Conners and his partner were just suspended from the police force. Back to present day, Lorenz and four criminals attempt to rob a bank during broad daylight. They quickly round up hostages and seal themselves in the bank. Someone triggers the alarm and the place is quickly surrounded by cops. Lorenz demand is to only deal with Conners. Some police bigwig brings Conner out of suspension and puts him on the case with Dekker as his new partner. After a two hour standoff, the robbers blow up the front doors of the bank when the swat team moves in. This allows the hostages to escape, plus the robbers as they blend in with the hostages.

Dekker is a very smart rookie and quickly puts together that Lorenz was trying to tell them about the Chaos theory, that a whole bunch of seemly random events are an actual pattern. Conner and Dekker are quickly on the case trying to discover the identity of the robbers. As they track each one down, they are always too late with Lorenz killing off his old partners and only witnesses one by one. The duo also discovers that Lorenz is the brother of the suspect that Conner killed from the beginning of the movie. They discover where the last three robbers are going to meet and when they move in, the police fall into a trap and Conner gets killed by a bomb. Dekker is extremely upset but then discovers the failed heist from the beginning of the movie was actually a cover for a billion dollar wire transfer theft.

Dekker just doesn’t give up especially after a flaunting call from Lorenz and discovers Lorenz had inside help with a cop who guards the confiscated goods. Apparently a lot of cops thought Connor and his partner got the raw end of the deal with the suspension because in their opinion the shootout from the beginning of the movie was a fair shooting and in the line of duty. Connor’s partner is never shown in the beginning of the movie and I just thought it was an insignificant part but Lorenz turns out to be Connor’s partner, Jason York. Dekker somehow manages to track York down and kills him in a fight.

Just when you think the movie is over, it isn’t. Dekker gets another brilliant thought and realizes Conner isn’t dead and was behind the whole thing. He almost tracks him down to an airport and after an intriguing phone conversation, Conner fly’s away with the money. Yeah!!!! Yep, I cheered for the bad guy. I really felt like Conner got a raw deal from the police force and basically the whole plot was a way of getting back at them for letting him down. And technically, Connor only killed bad guys so yeah he got a way.

I really enjoyed the movie. Connor orchestrating the whole thing was a great twist and I definitely didn’t see that one coming. Ryan Phillipe was excellent as the rookie cop. He plays innocent yet thoughtful so well. Stratham was hot as usual. Wesley Snipes played the same baddie he always does but oh well what can you do when that is the only part he is ever given. I give the movie 5 out of 5 stars. The only downside is Jason never takes his shirt off. But that is ok because I have the oil scene from The Transporter ingrained into my memory.