The Chase is a 1994 American action comedy film written and directed by Adam Rifkin and starring Charlie Sheen and Kristy Swanson.

It features Henry Rollins, Josh Mostel, and Ray Wise in supporting roles, with cameo appearances by Anthony Kiedis and Flea of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Convict Jack Hammond stops at a gas station in Newport Beach, California, where he encounters two police officers and a young woman.

When the officers receive a radio call indicating that the car Jack is driving is stolen, he panics and uses a candy bar (Butterfinger) as a makeshift gun to kidnap the woman and escape.

A blood test sample improperly collected at one of the crime scenes proved Jack's innocence but its inadmissibility led to his conviction and sentence to 25 years' incarceration.

[8] To reduce costs, part of the car chase was filmed in the middle of a traffic stream during an actual Houston rush hour without clearance and with no stunt drivers filling in for actors Charlie Sheen and Henry Rollins.

[10] The film's soundtrack features alternative artists such as Bad Religion, Rancid, The Offspring, Down by Law, NOFX, Rollins Band, Suede, and One Dove.

[11] The Chase performed well[citation needed] when it opened on March 4, 1994, in 1,633 theaters,[12] finishing fifth and grossing $3.4 million at the US weekend box office, behind Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Greedy, On Deadly Ground, and Sugar Hill.

[12] Considering its limited budget, Rifkin felt the film was a commercial success, stating that it made "a huge profit" for 20th Century Fox.

[24] Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert, who gave the film two-and-a-half out of four stars, felt that The Chase was "slick, charming, and with moments of real wit".

[22] Film critic James Berardinelli agreed, stating that Sheen develops "a surprisingly effective chemistry" with Swanson, and noted that Rifkin's use of satire is "far more perceptive than one might expect from a piece of cartoon fluff like this".

[19] Although Swanson's performance was highlighted,[21][22] Variety writer Brian Lowry felt that the "whining Valley girl aspects of her role" does not contribute to her characterization.

He concluded that, while The Chase is "nobody's idea of excellence in cinema", "Rifkin's skewed world view suits this rollicking, stupid slab of celluloid just fine.

[27] The film was highlighted for "taking a look at the growing infatuation that the media had with tabloid journalism, and specifically the need for TV news crews to capture and speculate upon every minor freeway chase that happened in California.