The Trigger Effect is kinda like the little engine that could...but didn't. It simply falls flat, and it is all due to a script that is chock full of gaping errors and head scratching moments.
I have to give away some spoilers to prove my point, so stop here if you wish to be surprised.
Here are some of the examples about inconsistencies, and other head scratching problems.
At one point, the three leads decide to venture outside to witness the insanity caused by the blackout. But they leave the baby at home, alone, unattended, while it's sick with a fever, and there is no electricity.
I can understand long lines at places like a gas station or a grocery store or hardware store, but Kyle goes to a pharmacy and a gun shop where there are lines practically out the door. OK, maybe the gun shop I'll accept, but a pharmacy? All of a sudden people need to go to the pharmacy? Why now? And then Kyle gets into these totally unnecessary heated arguments with the pharmacist and the gun shop owner. Why?? If he would just talk to them in a calm, rational manner, he would have been able to get what he needed like the medicine from the pharmacist. It just made no sense. It's like, Kyle, calm down, dude!
After Rupert is shot, and they end up losing their car and having to use Michael Rooker's car instead, they try desperately waving cars down on the road to help them, but to no avail. Why didn't they just place Rooker's car in the middle of the road to block traffic? This would cause all oncoming drivers to stop, then that way Kyle could have asked them for a ride to a hospital. But nooooo, what does Kyle do instead? He runs all the way to that lone farmhouse that he ends up breaking into---and this brings up even more questions: Why did Kyle run all the way to the farmhouse for help? He passes a NUCLEAR FACILITY. Don't you think that the NUCLEAR FACILITY would have MANY people working inside? People who could have helped him get to a hospital? But, noooooo, he runs to the farmhouse.
When he gets to the farmhouse, he gets into yet another heated argument with the owner for no reason whatsoever. Had he just remained calm, I am sure the owner would help him. But, nooooo, they fight which causes Kyle to return later with the rifle that he gave to his wife to keep with her for protection. So, let's think about this. It means that Kyle ran from Rooker's car passing the NUCLEAR FACILITY to get to the farmhouse where he gets into a verbal fight with the owner, then ran back from the farmhouse passing the NUCLEAR FACILITY again to get to the car to get the rifle, then he runs from the car passing the NUCLEAR FACILITY yet again in order to get to the farmhouse where he gets into a gun fight with the owner after he unnecessarily breaks into it. Are you confused, too? So am I!
At the beginning of the movie, there is a sequence where a woman obliviously cuts into a line at a concession stand to get popcorn. Except for one person, no one else in this looooong line complains that this woman just cut right into them. Not even the concessionaire tells her to get to the back of the line. Wow. Such a kind, forgiving group of people.
At a time where cash is of the utmost importance, our leads happen to come across an ice cream truck (!!!???!!!) on the side of the road, and decide to blow some of their ever-so important cash---on ICE CREAM??? And why is this truck there to begin with, and how is the vendor keeping the treats frozen when there is no electricity?
A man breaks into Kyle and Elisabeth's house. After they chase the criminal into the street, their neighbor ends up shooting and killing the guy. For the rest of the film, Kyle resents the fact that his neighbor did this. Why? The criminal was even waving a switchblade in the middle of the street when he was shot, but for some reason I guess Kyle felt that his neighbor's action was too extreme. If this were me, I'd be kissing and bowing down to my neighbor thanking him for killing the guy!!! I mean, he just broke into my house carrying a weapon which I'm sure he would have used on me, my wife and my child. Yet Kyle, I guess, ends up resenting his neighbor for doing this good deed. Whatever.
I know it's 1996, but doesn't one single person in this entire HUGE city own a cell phone?!?!?
I could go on, but I'm sure you will find the same problems with this script that I did. The more I think about it, I realize that people in this movie just don't act rationally. I know that during a blackout people will do the strangest of things, but it's just that there are so many inconsistencies and scenes that make no sense whatsoever. Unfortunately, Koepp is a master of the Head-Scratching screenplays. His films are certainly entertaining, but there are many times when you just sit there and say, "Whuh? That makes no sense"! And this movie has a lot of those scenes. Too bad because it really is a fun idea.
I have to give away some spoilers to prove my point, so stop here if you wish to be surprised.
Here are some of the examples about inconsistencies, and other head scratching problems.
At one point, the three leads decide to venture outside to witness the insanity caused by the blackout. But they leave the baby at home, alone, unattended, while it's sick with a fever, and there is no electricity.
I can understand long lines at places like a gas station or a grocery store or hardware store, but Kyle goes to a pharmacy and a gun shop where there are lines practically out the door. OK, maybe the gun shop I'll accept, but a pharmacy? All of a sudden people need to go to the pharmacy? Why now? And then Kyle gets into these totally unnecessary heated arguments with the pharmacist and the gun shop owner. Why?? If he would just talk to them in a calm, rational manner, he would have been able to get what he needed like the medicine from the pharmacist. It just made no sense. It's like, Kyle, calm down, dude!
After Rupert is shot, and they end up losing their car and having to use Michael Rooker's car instead, they try desperately waving cars down on the road to help them, but to no avail. Why didn't they just place Rooker's car in the middle of the road to block traffic? This would cause all oncoming drivers to stop, then that way Kyle could have asked them for a ride to a hospital. But nooooo, what does Kyle do instead? He runs all the way to that lone farmhouse that he ends up breaking into---and this brings up even more questions: Why did Kyle run all the way to the farmhouse for help? He passes a NUCLEAR FACILITY. Don't you think that the NUCLEAR FACILITY would have MANY people working inside? People who could have helped him get to a hospital? But, noooooo, he runs to the farmhouse.
When he gets to the farmhouse, he gets into yet another heated argument with the owner for no reason whatsoever. Had he just remained calm, I am sure the owner would help him. But, nooooo, they fight which causes Kyle to return later with the rifle that he gave to his wife to keep with her for protection. So, let's think about this. It means that Kyle ran from Rooker's car passing the NUCLEAR FACILITY to get to the farmhouse where he gets into a verbal fight with the owner, then ran back from the farmhouse passing the NUCLEAR FACILITY again to get to the car to get the rifle, then he runs from the car passing the NUCLEAR FACILITY yet again in order to get to the farmhouse where he gets into a gun fight with the owner after he unnecessarily breaks into it. Are you confused, too? So am I!
At the beginning of the movie, there is a sequence where a woman obliviously cuts into a line at a concession stand to get popcorn. Except for one person, no one else in this looooong line complains that this woman just cut right into them. Not even the concessionaire tells her to get to the back of the line. Wow. Such a kind, forgiving group of people.
At a time where cash is of the utmost importance, our leads happen to come across an ice cream truck (!!!???!!!) on the side of the road, and decide to blow some of their ever-so important cash---on ICE CREAM??? And why is this truck there to begin with, and how is the vendor keeping the treats frozen when there is no electricity?
A man breaks into Kyle and Elisabeth's house. After they chase the criminal into the street, their neighbor ends up shooting and killing the guy. For the rest of the film, Kyle resents the fact that his neighbor did this. Why? The criminal was even waving a switchblade in the middle of the street when he was shot, but for some reason I guess Kyle felt that his neighbor's action was too extreme. If this were me, I'd be kissing and bowing down to my neighbor thanking him for killing the guy!!! I mean, he just broke into my house carrying a weapon which I'm sure he would have used on me, my wife and my child. Yet Kyle, I guess, ends up resenting his neighbor for doing this good deed. Whatever.
I know it's 1996, but doesn't one single person in this entire HUGE city own a cell phone?!?!?
I could go on, but I'm sure you will find the same problems with this script that I did. The more I think about it, I realize that people in this movie just don't act rationally. I know that during a blackout people will do the strangest of things, but it's just that there are so many inconsistencies and scenes that make no sense whatsoever. Unfortunately, Koepp is a master of the Head-Scratching screenplays. His films are certainly entertaining, but there are many times when you just sit there and say, "Whuh? That makes no sense"! And this movie has a lot of those scenes. Too bad because it really is a fun idea.