Hard Rain is literally a torrent of action sequences strung together to make for an energetic and exhilarating film. I started watching the film with trepidation: how can anything exciting happen when it's just raining a lot (I lived through such rains when I was wee lad)? Fortunately, the rain is just a backdrop for the real action, which has its moments.
It's raining hard in Huntingburg, Indiana and the town is on the verge of being flooded. Tom (Christian Slater) and Charlie (Ed Asner) are driving an armoured truck containing three million dollars when it stalls, stuck in deep water. They are approached by Jim (Morgan Freeman) and colleagues who are interested in the money, not in helping. Charlie gets shot and dies. Tom, being the ethical person, takes the money with him and hides it, with the crooks hot on his heels. As you can suspect, this leads to a lot of cool action sequences involving water (jet ski and boat chases, electrocutions, a dam bursting---you get the idea). Throw in a corrupt sheriff and a love interest, and you drive up the action level some.
One of the most impressive aspects of Hard Rain is how convincing the film making is. I could easily believe the whole town was flooded. The jet ski action sequence through high school corridors is amazing. Slater and Freeman deliver fine performances. There are a few plot incongruities but Hard Rain isn't an intellectual exercise---it's a time killer. Worth renting.