The film's title refers to the name of the chemical weapon, which is codenamed "Elvis" and explodes when exposed to temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The film's tagline is "This Fall, Action is served on the rocks, with a twist."
Plot
A decade after a failed test of a biological weapon kills 18 soldiers on an island, Colonel Andrew Brynner, who was the commander of the operation and was scapegoated for the incident, is released from prison and seeks revenge on Dr. Richard Long, the scientist who developed the weapon. Brynner leads a group of mercenaries to steal the weapon from a military base in Montana, where Long is conducting research.
Long manages to escape with the weapon and runs into a convenience store, where he meets Tim Mason, a clerk who is about to quit his job and move to Atlanta with his girlfriend. Long gives Tim the weapon and tells him to keep it below 50 degrees and deliver it to Fort Magruder, a nearby military fort. Long then dies from a gunshot wound inflicted by Brynner.
Tim reluctantly agrees to take the weapon and hijacks an ice cream truck driven by Arlo, a disgruntled driver who is also quitting his job. Arlo initially resists but decides to help Tim after learning that the weapon is worth millions of dollars. The two men embark on a dangerous road trip across Montana, pursued by Brynner and his men, who have access to military vehicles and equipment.
Along the way, Tim and Arlo encounter various obstacles and challenges, such as a biker gang, a corrupt sheriff, a helicopter chase, and a train derailment. They also bond over their personal problems and aspirations. Tim reveals that he wants to be a chef and open his own restaurant, while Arlo confesses that he has a son whom he has never met.
Eventually, Tim and Arlo reach Fort Magruder and deliver the weapon to Colonel Leo Vitelli, who turns out to be working with Brynner. Vitelli betrays Tim and Arlo and hands them over to Brynner, who plans to kill them and sell the weapon to an international terrorist. However, Tim and Arlo manage to escape and sabotage Brynner's helicopter, causing it to crash into Vitelli's truck.
Tim and Arlo then retrieve the weapon and drive away in another ice cream truck. They are hailed as heroes by the media and receive a reward of $200,000 from the government. Tim decides to use the money to open his restaurant in Atlanta and invites Arlo to join him as his partner. Arlo agrees and also decides to reunite with his son.
Cast
Cuba Gooding Jr. as Arlo
Skeet Ulrich as Tim Mason
Peter Firth as Colonel Andrew Brynner
David Paymer as Dr. Richard Long
Hudson Leick as Vaughn
Daniel Hugh Kelly as Colonel Leo Vitelli
Kevin J. O'Connor as Telstar
Judson Mills as Dennis
Jordan Mott as Carl
Darcas Macopson as Burke
Jim Grimshaw as Deputy Pappas
Richard Todd Aguayo Gomez as Gomez
K. Addison Young as Ranger at Dam
James Van Harper as Ranger in Chopper
Tommy Smeltzer as Deputy Art Lewis
Geoff Palmer as Vitelli's Helicopter Pilot
Rhoda Griffis as Pregnant Woman
Johnny Cenicola as Little Boy
Reception
Chill Factor received mostly negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 9% based on 78 reviews, with an average rating of 3.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Claiming it fails on every level, critics had almost nothing good to say about this movie." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 33 out of 100 based on 23 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.
Critics criticized the film for its lack of originality, humor, logic, and suspense. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2 out of 4 stars and wrote, "Nobody questions this logic, but then there are a lot of logical gaps in this movie." Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club called the film "an unintentional send-up of the predictability and wretchedness of modern action-comedies" and said that "no one involved seems to realize the silliness and transgressive stupidity of its sub-direct-to-video-thriller script." Susan Stark of The Detroit News gave the film 2 out of 4 stars and said that "the stunt work is pretty good, the brain work close to nonexistent."
The film was also a box office flop, grossing only $11.2 million in North America against a budget of $70 million.
References
Chill Factor (1999) - IMDb
Chill Factor - Rotten Tomatoes
Chill Factor (film) - Wikipedia
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