Rating: 
Summary: Takes itself more seriously than it can
Review: It's hard to believe that this flick predated the Three Mile Island "accident". Otherwise, "China Syndrome" isn't as much topical as slightly cautionary. The film has Jane Fonda, who looks a tad too old to play Kimberly Wells - the vapid tele-journalist who covers soft news, but still looking great (which is the problem, she looks too formidable to be anything less than a serious reporter. But the flick starts off with her covering birthday-grams.) Michael Douglas seems too serious for her as her cameraman Richard Adams, though not so serious that he can't say nu-cue-lar with a straight face. Their latest assignment takes her to Ventana, a fictitious So-Cal nuclear reactor - it's supposed to be a puff-piece until the seemingly foolproof reactor nearly experiences a meltdown. Presiding over the mammoth reactor is the heroic but doomed Jack Godell (Jack Lemmon), a navy vet who knows his neutrons. When instruments suggests that the reactor may be flooded with coolant, Godell and crew try to release some water. The joke's on them: the gauge is faulty and there's actually too little water in the reactor, and dumping what they've got nearly causes the reactor to burn out of control (meltdown), almost creating the "China Syndrome". (Once the rector goes super-critical, there's theoretically nothing to keep it from melting its way to China, though it would most likely hit subterranean aquifers first, creating a radioactive cloud big enough to contaminate the entire west coast).Godell's crew pulls it together in the end, saving the plant and their corner of North America - but not before Richard and Kimberly catch their abject terror on camera. Unfortunately for everybody (and the continent) nuclear plants are covered by the same national security laws that apply to Area-51 - and the government impounds the tape. While Richard goes "underground" with his tape - stealing it and taking it to anti-nuclear physicists (they're the guys who explain the title) - Kimberly tries to pick up the story by going after Godell himself. Lemmon's Godell is the perfect vet - polite, but not quite ready to help Kimberly bury the plant he loves. Unfortunately for Ventana's builders and owners, Godell loves the plant more than they do. Snooping for info he hopes will clear any doubts about the plant, Godell only finds the shoddy safeguards and oversight that plague it. Tipping off the plant's owners that he's found serious irregularities, Godell is waylaid by sinister guys in dark cars before he can present his proof at a public commission about nuclear power in California. Blocked by "the company", unable to connect with the media and ostracized by his peers (led by Wilford Brimley), Godell takes one final and desperate stab at the plant. "China" wasn't really topical when it was filming - we know that nuclear power has risks, but so does anything else connected with large-scale power generation. The story actually raises some interesting questions: though nuclear advocates can raise the fact that Ventana's safeguards and the professionalism of those who run it avert disaster as advertised, it's not clear whether we should have to rely on US Navy-trained engineers to a) keep our TV's and blenders running while b) keep California from becoming unlivable for 600,000 years. Instead, not only does the script remind you what side it tilts too, but manages to do so repeatedly without giving you anything to follow their lead. (The covert army that protects Ventana is a tad implausible; also, while Ventana's secrecy is supposed to be maintained by the government, the feds seem nonexistent in this story. The script never explains the government's total apathy about the future of southern California, relying on an almost instinctive distrust of anything big and corporate that was old decades before Enron.) On the other hand, the middle of the flick leans in a direction away from being a simple "cautionary tale", with Kimberly developing some surprising powers to win Godell to her side. The story hints that Godell is a bit of a rouser himself (when they first part ways, he reminds her to think of him next time she blows her hair) before returning us to story about snooping reporters vs. evil corporate minions. Normally, romance spoils serious stories, but "Syndrome" is too serious for its own good. Instead, like Godell, it gets desperate in the end. Suffice it to say that this flick has Jack Lemmon's first on-screen death, and boy do they make up for the delay. Less believable is the relationship between Adams and Kimberly. Sure, you can't choose who you work with, but how did Adams (all long hair and beard) get stuck with Kimberly, who's lucky to report off-course hot-air balloons? I don't think time has been kind to this flick. Even though recession, Enron and the rise-and-fall of another era of cheap gas make it nuclear power look attractive as it did in the late 1970's, this movie just doesn't radiate.
Rating:
Summary: Takes itself more seriously than it can
Review: It's hard to believe that this flick predated the Three Mile Island "accident". Otherwise, "China Syndrome" isn't as much topical as slightly cautionary. The film has Jane Fonda, who looks a tad too old to play Kimberly Wells - the vapid tele-journalist who covers soft news, but still looking great (which is the problem, she looks too formidable to be anything less than a serious reporter. But the flick starts off with her covering birthday-grams.) Michael Douglas seems too serious for her as her cameraman Richard Adams, though not so serious that he can't say nu-cue-lar with a straight face. Their latest assignment takes her to Ventana, a fictitious So-Cal nuclear reactor - it's supposed to be a puff-piece until the seemingly foolproof reactor nearly experiences a meltdown. Presiding over the mammoth reactor is the heroic but doomed Jack Godell (Jack Lemmon), a navy vet who knows his neutrons. When instruments suggests that the reactor may be flooded with coolant, Godell and crew try to release some water. The joke's on them: the gauge is faulty and there's actually too little water in the reactor, and dumping what they've got nearly causes the reactor to burn out of control (meltdown), almost creating the "China Syndrome". (Once the rector goes super-critical, there's theoretically nothing to keep it from melting its way to China, though it would most likely hit subterranean aquifers first, creating a radioactive cloud big enough to contaminate the entire west coast). Godell's crew pulls it together in the end, saving the plant and their corner of North America - but not before Richard and Kimberly catch their abject terror on camera. Unfortunately for everybody (and the continent) nuclear plants are covered by the same national security laws that apply to Area-51 - and the government impounds the tape. While Richard goes "underground" with his tape - stealing it and taking it to anti-nuclear physicists (they're the guys who explain the title) - Kimberly tries to pick up the story by going after Godell himself. Lemmon's Godell is the perfect vet - polite, but not quite ready to help Kimberly bury the plant he loves. Unfortunately for Ventana's builders and owners, Godell loves the plant more than they do. Snooping for info he hopes will clear any doubts about the plant, Godell only finds the shoddy safeguards and oversight that plague it. Tipping off the plant's owners that he's found serious irregularities, Godell is waylaid by sinister guys in dark cars before he can present his proof at a public commission about nuclear power in California. Blocked by "the company", unable to connect with the media and ostracized by his peers (led by Wilford Brimley), Godell takes one final and desperate stab at the plant. "China" wasn't really topical when it was filming - we know that nuclear power has risks, but so does anything else connected with large-scale power generation. The story actually raises some interesting questions: though nuclear advocates can raise the fact that Ventana's safeguards and the professionalism of those who run it avert disaster as advertised, it's not clear whether we should have to rely on US Navy-trained engineers to a) keep our TV's and blenders running while b) keep California from becoming unlivable for 600,000 years. Instead, not only does the script remind you what side it tilts too, but manages to do so repeatedly without giving you anything to follow their lead. (The covert army that protects Ventana is a tad implausible; also, while Ventana's secrecy is supposed to be maintained by the government, the feds seem nonexistent in this story. The script never explains the government's total apathy about the future of southern California, relying on an almost instinctive distrust of anything big and corporate that was old decades before Enron.) On the other hand, the middle of the flick leans in a direction away from being a simple "cautionary tale", with Kimberly developing some surprising powers to win Godell to her side. The story hints that Godell is a bit of a rouser himself (when they first part ways, he reminds her to think of him next time she blows her hair) before returning us to story about snooping reporters vs. evil corporate minions. Normally, romance spoils serious stories, but "Syndrome" is too serious for its own good. Instead, like Godell, it gets desperate in the end. Suffice it to say that this flick has Jack Lemmon's first on-screen death, and boy do they make up for the delay. Less believable is the relationship between Adams and Kimberly. Sure, you can't choose who you work with, but how did Adams (all long hair and beard) get stuck with Kimberly, who's lucky to report off-course hot-air balloons? I don't think time has been kind to this flick. Even though recession, Enron and the rise-and-fall of another era of cheap gas make it nuclear power look attractive as it did in the late 1970's, this movie just doesn't radiate.
Rating: 
Summary: There is one reason for you to see this...
Review: Jack Lemmon, action hero. Never before has Jack (god of acting) been given such an action-packed role. Here he drives fast, wields firearms, gets in confrontations galore. So, firstly, if you like Jack Lemmon, you will go gooey over this movie. It is also very good outside of that. Douglas and Fonda are as good as they once were and the movie itself is fairly tense and extremely involving. Wilford Brimley is always a joy to watch and listen to and while its portrayals of good and evil are fairly black and white, they sucker you in and you don't feel bad about it... Plus, it's in widescreen. And we as a society should support letterboxing everything that our eyes can see.
Rating:
Summary: Intense
Review: Jane Fonda & Michael Douglas are a reporter & photographer determined to expose a coverup at a nuclear power plant after witnessing an accident. Jack Lemmon is a shift supervisor at the plant, who begins having doubts of his own about the facility's safety. Fonda & Douglas must contend with their station's reluctance to air the story, while Lemmon must deal with an industry who's only concern is money. Together, they team up to try to reveal the truth. Outstanding performances by Fonda & Lemmon, building to an intense climax.
Rating: 
Summary: A MOVIE THAT'S MORE INTELLIGENT THAN TWO OF ITS REVIEWERS
Review: Mine is less a review of the movie and more of a reponse to the pinheads below who each gave this movie one star, Mr. Aycock (fitting name) from Georgia and the viewer in Michigan (like any of us care what anyone from Georgia or Michigan think. Please!) Sorry, guys, I guess I was supposed to hate this movie because I didn't take that Nuclear Physics 101 course at NYU and should have known there are different types of blah, blah, blah! When you review a movie, geeks, you review the story line, the context, the feasibility of action and reaction, and of course the acting. This movie is suspenseful, tense, well-written, well-directed and terrifically acted. The fact that the scientific reality may be stretched (and who would know except pencil-heads) doesn't dilute the impact this movie makes, with or without the Three Mile Island incident. That was just icing on the box office cake. My advice to you guys is to skip the movie reviews and just watch the learning channel. Maybe one day you'll learn how much it takes to make a movie.
Rating:
Summary: "There WAS A Vibration!!"
Review: Review of "The China Syndrome: Special Edition" DVD .............................
"The China Syndrome" first appeared in theaters around the USA on March 16, 1979. In an almost unbelievable coincidence, just twelve days later, on March 28th, the worst nuclear accident in United States history occurred at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The real-life incident at Three Mile Island was, in many ways, identical to the plot of the movie. An incorrect reading of equipment at Three Mile Island made the plant's operators THINK, in error, that there was more water covering the core of the power plant than there actually was -- just exactly what we see unfold on the screen in "The China Syndrome".
Another extremely eerie "coincidence" between the real event and the motion picture is a line of dialogue that was written for the film, and is one of the most chilling lines in the picture, where a nuclear expert is explaining that, if an explosion had occurred at the fictional "Ventana" nuclear facility, it could have "rendered an area the size of the state of Pennsylvania permanently uninhabitable". Rather remarkable that the filmmakers chose the state of "Pennsylvania" for their catastrophic "example" here, huh? When just days after debuting it would, indeed, be that exact state facing potential disaster.
"The China Syndrome", which grossed over 35.7 million dollars in U.S. theaters, is an outstanding drama starring Jack Lemmon, Jane Fonda, and Michael Douglas. The tense script keeps you on tenterhooks throughout the film, despite the lack of any musical score or background music of any kind. The only music in the whole film resides at the beginning (as the credits roll). The ending credits roll silently -- with only dead silence accompanying them (which is, quite possibly, even MORE powerful and effective here, given what we've just seen in the movie, than if a rousing musical theme were to have been utilized at the end of the film).
"The China Syndrome" was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Lemmon) and Best Actress (Fonda). Neither of them won. Lemmon was bested by "Kramer vs. Kramer's" Dustin Hoffman; while Fonda was beaten by Sally Field ("Norma Rae").
I've always thought that this film should have not only been nominated for Best Picture of 1979, but it should have won that honor as well. But it was "Kramer vs. Kramer" that took the prize that year. A shame, too -- because I feel "The China Syndrome" was/is a far better film than "Kramer". But, hey, that's just my own view on the subject.
A fine companion video to this DVD is "Meltdown At Three Mile Island" (a 1999 documentary from PBS Home Video). After watching both the movie and that PBS documentary program, you'll notice even more correlation between the real-life Pennsylvania accident and the fictional film -- such as the amazing similarity in the look of the control room. The REAL Three Mile Island control room looks just exactly like the control room we see in the movie. The filmmakers obviously did a very good job when it came to replicating the details of a real nuclear power plant.
This single-disc DVD "Special Edition" was released by Columbia Tri-Star Home Entertainment on October 26, 2004, and comes complete with a great-looking Anamorphic Widescreen transfer, 5.1 Dolby Digital audio, plus some nice special features to boot.
Here's a rundown of the Bonus Features on this disc ...............................
>> Two excellent Laurent Bouzereau-produced documentaries on the making of the movie (lasting nearly one hour combined) -- "The China Syndrome: A Fusion Of Talent" (run time of 27:33) and "The China Syndrome: Creating A Controversy" (29:31).
New interviews with Michael Douglas and Jane Fonda (and some others) fill up these informative documentary supplements, with some really interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits being revealed during these two bonus programs. Plus some discussion of the relationship between the film and the Three Mile Island accident that closely followed, which made the film's popularity skyrocket.
One interesting hunk of trivia concerning star Jack Lemmon that came out in the "Fusion" featurette that I'd never realized is that Jack had apparently put some other movie roles "on hold" for well over a year in order to finally begin work on "The China Syndrome" (which started filming on January 16, 1978).
Another fun part of the "Controversy" documentary is a humorous outtake showing Jane Fonda trying to run while wearing those shoes with the seemingly mile-high heels (which we see her wearing in several scenes during the film). She had trouble running from one place to another in this outtake, and ultimately trips over her own feet while declaring "I'm like a cripple!" (LOL!)
An additional piece of info gleaned is regarding the music (or lack of) for the movie. There *was* originally a musical score written for the film. But Producer Michael Douglas, and others, quickly learned that the movie would be much better served by completely eliminating any music score -- and simply have the "real sounds" of the power-plant control room serve as the film's "music" (in a way). We hear the clicking of dials, the beeping of alarms, horns blaring their warnings, and the sounds of the computer's printer as it prints out the info the power-plant workers need. All of these "real" sounds took a back seat to the music, and it was soon discovered that the music "ruins the reality of the film" (a quote from one of this DVD's supplemental programs). Therefore, the filmmakers decided to take a chance and scrap the idea of any music in the picture. A wise move, too, IMHO.
These Making-Of features also could serve as a "Photo Gallery" of still images. Many behind-the-camera pics are shown throughout these well-put-together bonus programs.
The two mini-documentaries are shown in the Full-Frame aspect ratio (1.33:1), and feature English-only Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound and subtitles in Japanese only. (Why they chose only Japanese subtitling here, I have no idea.)
>> 3 "Deleted Scenes" (total time = 3:52). .... None of these short scenes adds much of anything to the story at hand. It's understandable why they were cut out. A "Play All" option is included here.
>> 3 Theatrical Trailers ("Previews"), but not one of them is for "The China Syndrome". This seems especially odd (and disappointing), because the previously-released DVD of this flick *does* include the film's trailer. But, instead, this "SE" disc offers up three trailers for other films: "The Fog Of War", "Fail-Safe", and "Secret Window". However, a portion of one of the original 1979 trailers for "The China Syndrome" is included in the "Creating A Controversy" documentary on this disc. But not the full trailer.
>> Text-only Filmographies for Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas, and Jane Fonda --- and Director James Bridges.
Additional DVD data concerning "The China Syndrome: Special Edition":
Video -- Widescreen only (1.85:1 aspect ratio); enhanced for 16x9 televisions.
Available Audio Tracks -- Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (English), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (English), and Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (French).
Audio Commentary Tracks? -- No. .... Too bad too. Because a multi-person Commentary Track (with Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas, and writer Mike Gray) would have been quite interesting I have a feeling.
Subtitles -- English, French, Chinese, Japanese, and Thai.
Main Feature Running Time -- 122 minutes.
Number of Chapter Breaks -- 28.
Paper Enclosure? -- Yes, a one-sheet (two-sided) insert. But it does not contain a Chapter List. If you happen to have the older DVD edition of "The China Syndrome" (released in May of 1999), you can use that disc's 4-page booklet as a Chapter Guide for this newer "SE" version. Both DVDs have the scenes divided up in the same places throughout the movie (and the descriptive titles/blurbs for each chapter are identical on each disc). In addition to including a Chapter Listing, the older disc's mini-booklet insert also contains some informative Production Notes and backstory concerning the film.
-----------------------------------------
Parting Thoughts ........
"The China Syndrome" is one of my all-time favorite movies, and in my view one of the best thrillers/dramas in all of movie-making history. It has a mesmerizing storyline, great acting, a very good cast of starring and supporting characters, and a first-class, heart-pounding ending. I'd suggest reserving a slot on the shelf for this Special Edition DVD. Even if you already have the previous DVD edition of this movie, it's worth upgrading to the "SE" for the one-hour's worth of excellent bonus documentaries located on this newer version.
Rating:
Summary: A lesson in corporate greed.
Review: The 70's were known for a string of disaster movies, like Earthquake, Airport and The Towering Inferno. The script for The China Syndrome could have easily followed that theme and laid waste to a large part of California (an event some of you reviewers were hoping for!) but it manages to avert disaster while teaching all of us several important lessons. Primarily, it shows us how corporate greed and meddling can not only side-step government regulations in the interest of profit, but also put a substantial percentage of our population at great risk. As the plot goes, PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) has been running the Ventana Nuclear Power Plant for a short time, and is looking to add additional plants in their operating area. They are about to break ground on a second nuclear plant and wish to put the public at ease with the idea of nuclear power as a viable source of energy by allowing a T.V. news crew (played by Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas and another fellow) to tour the Ventana plant. While in the visitors booth, in full view of the plant's control room, the news crew witness an emergency that causes the reactor to "scram", subsequently shutting down the plant. Without authorization, Douglas captures the entire event on film. When the drama subsides, PG&E's media suit gives the news crew a watered-down explanation for what just happened. Fonda, with her first piece of "hard news", hopes to air the story immediately, but is stone-walled by the news station's management. It soon becomes clear that PG&E has gotten word of the film's existence and successfully stops it's airing on television. Shortly thereafter, Douglas steals the film from the station's film vault and secretly shows it to a couple of renouned physicists. What he finds out is very chilling, indeed. Jack Lemmon plays the Shift Supervisor at Ventana, coming off excellently as a loyal, dedicated company man, who must balance his feelings for his beloved plant, with his growing concern that the plant may not be safe to operate. Digging deeper, he discovers significant evidence that PG&E and its sub-contractors have by-passed safety regulations in the construction of the plant. When he presents this evidence before his superiors, he is amazed to find out that they only care about getting the plant up-and-running again to make money. The rest of the movie you will have to see for yourself. It exposes the reality of corporate greed and fraud. It gives you a sense of what a whistle-blower in today's world might go through to get their story out. Some companies are killing us and we don't even know it. For example, PG&E (a real company, for those of you who didn't know) recently settled a class-action law suit for contaminating ground water, it's employees and nearby residents with carcinogins. It made many people sick and some died. Many more will die from the long-term effects of expose. You may remember the movie that was inspired by the story: Erin Brokovich. I was about 12yrs old when The China Syndrome came out. It's just as scary to me now as it was then. I also understand why some of today's youth don't see it that way. Most movies today require extreme graphics and violence to get their message out to an audience. The China Syndrome will seem a little dry to some. If another event, like Three-mile Island or Chernobyl occurs, and it will, then this movie will make more sense to them. It's not the nuclear energy I fear; It's the people who profit from it who scare me.
Rating:
Summary: A lesson in corporate greed.
Review: The 70's were known for a string of disaster movies, like Earthquake, Airport and The Towering Inferno. The script for The China Syndrome could have easily followed that theme and laid waste to a large part of California (an event some of you reviewers were hoping for!) but it manages to avert disaster while teaching all of us several important lessons. Primarily, it shows us how corporate greed and meddling can not only side-step government regulations in the interest of profit, but also put a substantial percentage of our population at great risk. As the plot goes, PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric) has been running the Ventana Nuclear Power Plant for a short time, and is looking to add additional plants in their operating area. They are about to break ground on a second nuclear plant and wish to put the public at ease with the idea of nuclear power as a viable source of energy by allowing a T.V. news crew (played by Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas and another fellow) to tour the Ventana plant. While in the visitors booth, in full view of the plant's control room, the news crew witness an emergency that causes the reactor to "scram", subsequently shutting down the plant. Without authorization, Douglas captures the entire event on film. When the drama subsides, PG&E's media suit gives the news crew a watered-down explanation for what just happened. Fonda, with her first piece of "hard news", hopes to air the story immediately, but is stone-walled by the news station's management. It soon becomes clear that PG&E has gotten word of the film's existence and successfully stops it's airing on television. Shortly thereafter, Douglas steals the film from the station's film vault and secretly shows it to a couple of renouned physicists. What he finds out is very chilling, indeed. Jack Lemmon plays the Shift Supervisor at Ventana, coming off excellently as a loyal, dedicated company man, who must balance his feelings for his beloved plant, with his growing concern that the plant may not be safe to operate. Digging deeper, he discovers significant evidence that PG&E and its sub-contractors have by-passed safety regulations in the construction of the plant. When he presents this evidence before his superiors, he is amazed to find out that they only care about getting the plant up-and-running again to make money. The rest of the movie you will have to see for yourself. It exposes the reality of corporate greed and fraud. It gives you a sense of what a whistle-blower in today's world might go through to get their story out. Some companies are killing us and we don't even know it. For example, PG&E (a real company, for those of you who didn't know) recently settled a class-action law suit for contaminating ground water, it's employees and nearby residents with carcinogins. It made many people sick and some died. Many more will die from the long-term effects of expose. You may remember the movie that was inspired by the story: Erin Brokovich. I was about 12yrs old when The China Syndrome came out. It's just as scary to me now as it was then. I also understand why some of today's youth don't see it that way. Most movies today require extreme graphics and violence to get their message out to an audience. The China Syndrome will seem a little dry to some. If another event, like Three-mile Island or Chernobyl occurs, and it will, then this movie will make more sense to them. It's not the nuclear energy I fear; It's the people who profit from it who scare me.
Rating: 
Summary: Toxic film
Review: The acting was bad and the science was bad. If it weren't that Three Mile Island happened around that time, the film would have been an utter flop. Don't waste your time with this toxic lie.
Rating:
Summary: Great Acting, Story and a Landmark In Film
Review: The China Syndrome does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat, with compelling performances from Jack Lemmon and Jane Fonda. The suspense the film creates is top notch. For those of us who grew up in the 70's and early 80's, nuclear power as well as the threat of nuclear war were a big part of our social conscience and fears. The China Syndrome does an admirable job of representing that widespread uneasiness with nuclear power through it's dialogue-rich storyline. Three Mile Island and Chernobyl were incrediby scary things to be exposed to as a child, and The China Syndrome succeeds in never letting those of us who remember...forget, what that can feel like. I picked this DVD up for a fair price...and it's an excellent addition to my growing collection of film classics. It is a tremendous film.
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