The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Chill Factor (1999): Dir: Hugh Johnson / Cast: Skeet Ulrich, Cuba Gooding Jr., David Paymer, Peter Firth, Kevin J. O'Connor: Stupid action premise that winds down to clichés, stereotypes and total idiocy. Title represents a device that needs to be kept cold but it can also refer to the situation itself. An experiment goes wrong (much like the film) that costs the lives of soldiers. David Paymer plays the doctor in charge who regrets it. Peter Firth plays the commander who took the fall and plots revenge. The rest is a dumb road trip with Skeet Ulrich and ice cream truck driver Cuba Gooding Jr. Hugh Johnson directs as if this is a Looney Tunes cartoon. Ulrich plays a deli worker whom is the only one Paymer can trust on the verge of death, but the role has him either fleeing by vehicle or on foot. Gooding Jr. brings comic relief but the role is total cardboard. Paymer does well but his role requires him to regret, guilt and then die within fifteen minutes, which renders the role a prop. Firth cannot raise the commander above embarrassment. He murders the Paymer character then spends the remainder of the film trying to do the same to Ulrich and Gooding Jr. He also yells threats a lot but that may be the attitude coming from working on this film. Kevin J. O'Connor also makes an appearance in what will become standard for him and action films. Mindless action junk that should be buried in the Arctic. Score: 1 / 10

A similar idea to Speed, where the bus had to keep moving above 50 mph to avoid exploding, the difference here is a substance must be kept at a higher temperature than fifty degrees. Dr. Richard Long is a scientist who worked on a top secret weapons project for the military which resulted in an accidental explosion, killing eighteen people. Long moves to Montana and does smaller experiments and spends time fly fishing. His former boss, a Colonel Brynner, is released from prison after ten years and he assembles a group of terrorists to steal a substance called elvis, which is highly volatile and will detonate above 50 degrees. Cuba Gooding is Arlo, who drives an ice cream truck. He ends up with elvis and most of the movie is a typical chase scene with a second guy, Tim(Skeet Ulrich) fighting with Arlo as they try to avoid Brynner and his crew. Chill factor reminded me of the A Team, but where is Mr. T when you need him; pity the fool who watches this.

This film was complete trash, but in a good way. I've always looked upon Cuba Gooding Jnr as a semi decent actor but if this is the kind of film he is going to be starring in, then I can see him descending the same way as Charlie Sheen.You can see from the outset that the makers tried to make one of those high octane action thrillers, which are ten-a-penny these days. But when you've got a budget that would struggle to finance an episode of quantum leap, then maybe making a film of this kind wasn't such a good idea.They make use of computer graphics in a lot of the action scenes which, to be honest, doesn't look the worst I have ever seen, but still prompts you to snicker at how bad it is. The most ridiculous of which occurs at the end of the movie, when a chemical weapon which we have been told has the power to blow up basically a quarter of America, detonates in a tunnel.At this point we are subjected to rotten computer graphics which are so bad that I instantly had flashbacks of Dean Stockwell and the film-making atrocity that was the Langoliers.But the story is complete nonsense, so even with a budget the size of Lord of the Rings, there would be no way of making the whole thing believable anyway. So you can perhaps see where the producer was coming from i.e. lets make a cheap action thriller and we'll plaster Cuba Gooding's face over the front cover and we'll maybe make some money.It would've have been better if Eric Roberts had been given the leading role.

Every once in a while, there is a film that comes along and grabs you unexpectedly, without notice or warning. I must say that "Chill Factor" is one of those such films. At the time of it's release, I had no thought or opinion whatsoever about this film. I didn't even really pay attention to the commercials. A year and a half pass and what do you know, this same movie comes on Cinemax, ironically on my birthday. So I decided to check it out and man I was pleased with what I saw. Maybe this film might not have the greatest plot I know, but it sure as heck keeps you entertained throughout the whole movie. Not many action movies can keep you entertained for the entire duration of the movie but this film succeeds in keeping you engaged the entire time. The chemistry between Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Skeet Ulrich can be ultimately seen in every scene. This film had solid action and the characters are a little hokey, but who cares. Anyway if you're looking for a fun and exciting film, "Chill Factor" is sure to keep you entertained from start 'til finish.