Review: Virus (1999)
Robert B. Marks
Virus is a movie with a great deal of potential. The idea
of an alien being, composed entirely of energy, coming to Earth
is one which could be developed in any number of interesting and
intelligent ways. Unfortunately, in this movie, it isn't.
What could have been an interesting piece of science-fiction
quickly becomes sci-fi (the SF writer's word for "crap"). When
the alien life form beams itself into the computer of a Russian
research vessel in an odd electrical storm (somehow managing not
to short out the computer in the process), it immediately begins
to build robots and tries to take over the ship, killing the
crew.
And then the crew of a small tugboat, commanded by a wooden
Donald Sutherland (who looks almost embarrassed at his role),
finds and decides to salvage the deserted Russian ship. Ignoring
the obvious signs that something is wrong (such as bullet holes
and blood splattered all over the place), they restore the power
and are soon set upon by the evil intelligence which sees mankind
as a virus to be removed; an idea obviously used only to provide
an excuse for it to want to kill people.
What follows is a very poor impression of _Star Trek: First
Contact_. Supposedly horrific cyborgs stalk the crew, wanting to
turn them into spare parts. And, just to show off the FX, each
new monstrosity is revealed before it actually begins to do
something even remotely frightening, destroying what little
suspense remains.
The movie, like most Hollywood sci-fi horror flicks, is also
filled with stupid characters. Donald Sutherland's Captain
Everton manages to ignore every single rational idea available,
and comes off looking like an idiot. Crew members routinely
disobey simple instructions, resulting in several entirely
predictable results. And, to make matters worse, there is not a
single two dimensional character present, much less a three
dimensional one.
In the end, _Virus_ is an uninspired waste of money and
time. While it is slightly amusing in some places, for the most
part it is predictable and almost boring. It is one of those
movies that is best watched as a TV rental.
So, the final score: 1.5/5. Sometimes amusing, but not even
worth a half-price show.
--
The future has not been written, / The past is set in stone,
And I am but a lonely wanderer, / With time as my only home.
-- from _Demon's Vengeance_
Forthcoming: _Myth_ical Battlefields -- Computer Gaming World (May
1999)
Speculations: Monolithic Proportions -- The United (early
1999)
Berge Garabedian
RATING: 6 / 10 --> Barely recommendable
For more reviews and movie trivia, visit http://www.joblo.com/
This film was supposed to be released in the summer of 1998. It was pushed
back. Then, it was supposed to be released in the fall of 1998. It was
pushed back again. Now, in January 1999, the film based on an original
series from Dark Horse Comics called "Virus", is finally being released to
the public.
PLOT:
A Russian carrier gets hits by an electronic life form, unknown to mankind,
which begins to study and meche elements of the humans onboard with all of
the robotics engineered on the ship. When a stray boat accidentally bumps
into the grand carrier, and the crew hop aboard the empty vessel for a
looksie, they find loads of dead bodies, and computer-infested robots
buzzing around in every shape and size. These new life forms see the human
race as a virus, and would like to extinguish it from the universe.
CRITIQUE:
This is not a great movie. It's not even a good movie. It's a standard, by
the numbers, science-fiction derivative of the healthy ALIENS and TERMINATOR
series, which offers a few simple shocks, some engineered tension, another
politically correct cast, and special effects that don't add up to much more
than a lot of machines mangled together in metals and lights. None of the
robots in this film impressed me much because I figure that if you've seen
one robot with lights, gadgets, buzzes and hoses flapping all around, you've
pretty much seen 'em all! And despite this film brandishing quite a few of
these android-puppies, some of which were hybrids of humans, I can't say
that they did much to impress, scare or excite me. Having said that, it is
to note that the plot was also as thin as Jack Nicholson's hair, and the
actors campy in some scenes, movie-stupid in others.
The good thing about this lame duck film was that it knew not to overplay
its obviously mediocre presentation, and did us all a favour by slapping the
whole affair within a time package of a buck and a half. I was never really
bored in this picture, and did enjoy Donald Sutherland's salty ol' dog of a
sea captain, but will admit to longing for the legendary shots of Jamie Lee
Curtis in all her form (For interested parties, please note that there are
no T or A shots of the lovely Ms. Curtis in this picture). The rest of the
supporting cast was negligible, and the shots of the vessel being attacked
by a typhoon looked more like a model boat in a bathtub, but I suppose the
film can be considered brainless fodder for those interested in this type of
thing. So remember, it's quick, it's redundant, it offers some action and
mediocre effects, no boobie shots, and some campy acting by Sutherland. If
you enjoyed either SOLDIER (6/10) or EVENT HORIZON (6/10), you will most
probably enjoy this one as well. It's the science-fiction crazy cousin that
no one likes to talk about, but with whom we've all shared a conversation at
one time or another.
Little Known Facts about this film and its stars:
Jamie Lee Curtis' big-screen film debut was in John Carpenter's original
HALLOWEEN (6/10). Her mom is PSYCHO's Janet Leigh, and her dad, Tony Curtis.
She has been married to former-"Saturday Night Live" star Christopher Guest
since 1984. In 1983, she dated English rocker Adam Ant for nine months. She
became Baroness, Lady Haden-Guest, when her husband inherited the Barony in
1996.
Screenwriter Dennis Feldman also wrote the original SPECIES (7/10), while
the other writer on this pic, Jonathan Hensleigh had a hand in ARMAGEDDON
(7.5/10), THE ROCK (6.5/10) and DIE HARD 3: WITH A VENGEANCE (6/10). He also
happens to be conveniently married to the producer of this film, Gale Anne
Hurd, who herself had a child with legendary director, Brian DePalma, named
Lolita. She was also once married to director James Cameron for a few years,
during which, she conveniently produced some of his films including
TERMINATOR (8/10)-which she co-wrote with him, ALIENS (8/10) and THE ABYSS
(7/10).
William Baldwin graduated from SUNY-Binghamton, where he studied political
science. He has been married to singer Chynna Phillips since 1995. He has
brothers named Alec, Daniel and Stephen, who are all actors in their own
right.
Donald Sutherland is a hoser at heart. He was born in Saint-John, New
Brunswick in Canada, and graduated from the University of Toronto. He also
fathered actor Kiefer Sutherland.
This is director John Bruno's first solo directorial film. He also
co-directed one movie before this one with James Cameron and Stan Winston
called T2 3D: BATTLE ACROSS TIME. He is an Academy Award winner (for THE
ABYSS) and six-time Oscar-nominee in the field of visual effects. He
actually quit his post as visual-effects supervisor on a little picture
called TITANIC (7/10) because what he really wanted to do was direct.
Actor Marshall Bell, who played Woods in this film, made history as the
first person to die in an episode of TV's "Tales From The Crypt". In 1989's
pilot episode "And All Through The House...", he got a fireplace poker right
through the head.
Actress Joanna Pacula, who plays the Russian woman in this movie, is
actually Polish in real life.
Review Date: January 15, 1999
Director: John Bruno
Writers: Dennis Feldman and Jonathan Hensleigh
(based on Chuck Pfarrer comic book "Virus")
Producers: Anne Gale Hurd and Mike Richardson
Actors: Jamie Lee Curtis as Kelly "Kit" Foster
William Baldwin as Steve Baker
Donald Sutherland as Captain Everton
Genre: Science-Fiction
Year of Release: 1999
--------------------------------------------
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(c) 1999 Berge Garabedian
James Brundage
As Reviewed by James Brundage
From the producer of Terminator 2 comes... (*gasp*) an expanded version of
the first five minutes of Terminator 2. You all know the five minutes: the
time where the robots are killing every human being in sight. Well, that's
basically the entire movie of Virus.
In Virus, a super-intelligent electronic life form has inhabited first the
space station Mir and then a Russian science ship. Everybody except for one
person on the science ship goes kaput. A tug populated by scavenging
psychos happens upon the ship and decides to salvage it, so they reactivate
the power and, in doing so, the psychotic robots. In the immortal words of
"Seinfeld", yada, yada, yada.
The yada, yada, yada? The robots try to kill them for the next two hours
while I try to stay awake for the remainder of this boring horror flick.
In the 80s, the golden age of slasher films, and in the 50s, the golden age
of B-movies, you could watch a horror film and laugh. I did not laugh once
during this foray into the stupid and unoriginal. The film is as patched
together as the robots it features: It steals from Relic, Terminator,
Terminator 2, Every Star Trek episode featuring the Borg, etc, etc, etc.
I'm only glad I'm going to see The Thin Red Line tomorrow. After this and
Varsity Blues, I'm ready to take a flame-thrower to Hollywood.
If you haven't seen it, don't. For those of you who've already made the
mistake that cost them two hours: Who's With Me?!
David Nusair
Virus (Reviewed on Jan. 16/99)
Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Sutherland, Billy Baldwin
"Virus" is a monster movie without a monster. Any movie with a hurdle
that large to overcome had better be pretty damn good otherwise. Sadly,
"Virus" does not deliver, on any level.
The movie opens with the Russian space station Mir about to transmit
something (we never find out what) to a big boat with lots of satellites
on it. Sudddenly, a wave of colorful lightning comes flying through
space, and winds up destroying Mir and using it to transmit itself to the
aforementioned big boat. Cut to seven days later, we meet Donald
Sutherland and his band of seafaring vultures. See, they spend all their
time sailing around looking for dead-in-the-water ships to rescue, and
then collect the reward money. At least, I *think* that's what they do.
Along with many other things in the film, their reason for being out in
the middle of the ocean isn't really explained.
So, they stumble upon this big boat with lots of satellites on it, and
decide to haul it back to Russian waters. The only problem is, the crew
starts disappearing one-by-one and turning into Borg. Yes, Borg.
Complete with the red laser beam in place of an eye. Apparently, this
alien lifeform can only survive if inside something electrical. So, it
creates make-shift machines and uses humans for "spare parts".
Blah, blah, blah. I could go on forever describing the ludicrous
so-called plot, but I won't. Suffice it to say the most original thing
about this movie is having Donald Sutherland play an Irish man (!).
Everything else in this movie has been taken from other (better) movies.
For example, many of the machines resemble those found in the little-seen
Japanese movie, "Tetsuo-The Iron Man". And the plot is right out of
"Aliens".
The funny thing is, I was actually expecting to enjoy this movie. I have
a soft spot for cheesy monster movies, like last years under-appreciated
"Deep Rising". But "Virus", as I mentioned earlier, doesn't even have a
monster. It just has a big pile of circuits and wires and expects the
audience to fear this ridiculous looking contraption.
"Virus" is the type of movie that really makes you wonder what the
screenwriter was thinking about when he wrote it. Besides the lame
"monster", it's chock full of dialogue that no real person would ever say,
and situations that no real person would ever allow themselves to get
into. For example, there is a scene late in the movie in which one of
the characters actually attempts to *negotiate* with the alien! Now, I
don't know about you, but if I came upon a lifeform that viewed mankind as
a virus to be eliminated, I doubt that I would attempt to reason with it.
That makes about as much sense as a baby squirrel calmly asking a fierce
predator to spare his life.
Finally, "Virus" isn't scary. The least the filmmakers could have done
was to make the movie just a little scary. As it is, it's about as
frightening as a box of cookies.
Skip "Virus". If it's a cool monster movie you want, rent the far
superior (and the granddaddy of this genre) "Aliens".
*1/2 out of ****
David Nusair dnu...@chat.carleton.ca
,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.
:"Yesterday, the last professional hockey player to play without a helmet :
; announced he's retiring. His actual words were, `I no play hockey never ;
: more.'" -Conan O'Brien :
;.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,;
Dept. of Good Vibes, Come visit my Reel Film Reviews site
Carleton University at "http://chat.carleton.ca/~dnusair"
Walter Frith
A movie review by Walter Frith
Member of the ‘Online Film Critics Society’
http://ofcs.org/ofcs/
The true invigorating art of science fiction and horror is quickly
fizzling out in Hollywood. Like comedy (especially in television),
these genres are extremely hard to succeed at. Never easy but often
attempted, the absurdity of many of them rarely pan out into becoming
unintentional comedies but that's what happens in 'Virus'.
The opening scene unravels like a cheesy bad dream in the South Pacific
where a Russian ship carrying satellite and computer technology and in
contact with the MIR space station, suddenly becomes paralyzed when a
strange force field in outer space sends a shock wave through MIR and
directly connects it to the ship. Many pieces of equipment are
destroyed, the crew is seemingly incapacitated and things fade to
black.
FADE IN: An expedition team is traveling through the South Pacific. Led
by the captain (Donald Sutherland), he is hauling cargo using a platform
connected to a towing line that's connected to his barge. Other members
of his team are William Baldwin and Jamie Lee Curtis, both of whom give
extremely bland performances as the banality of their characters suffers
from an over extended screenplay of intimate shock value throughout its
running time and a lot of action scenes that don't flow smoothly but
rather come off as short controlled bursts of energy and not as genuine
moments of excitement. A raging typhoon forces the captain's cargo to
be cut for fear of bringing down the entire vessel. The crew finds the
Russian ship and figure out that maritime law allows them to salvage its
remains and walk away with approximately 30 million dollars. They soon
learn that like the rules of old fashioned material greed dictate, there
is no such thing as easy money.
The film takes a sharp turn here after a somewhat promising start. The
basic premise is simply that the force field that struck the ship from
MIR is breathing life into a new form of alien technology that allows
mechanical parts to assemble themselves and gives them the will to kill
humans and use them as spare parts in mechanical assembly. Sort of like
the Borg from 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'. Oh, where is there a
nuclear device when you need one?
Gale Anne Hurd who has worked in a producing capacity for such films as
'The Terminator', 'Aliens', 'Tremors', and 'Dante's Peak', takes another
stab at her craft with 'Virus' and the film's title, I'm sure, is no pun
intended at making fans sick of it after about the first half hour. Who
is John Bruno and where did he come from? Another failed attempt at a
new director trying to teach an old genre new tricks and it doesn't
work. After serving as a miscellaneous crew member for such films as
'Terminator 2: Judgment Day', 'Die Hard 2', 'The Abyss', and 'Heavy
Metal', Bruno is not suited to the top chair on the set of a motion
picture. His direction of the film is bogged down under a lot of dark
and hollow scenes of repetitive energy. The film fails for primarily
one reason: lack of scene diversity. If you're going to make a film
that's set primarily in one location for the entire running time, you
had better have a dynamite screenplay but this one is more like a weak
sparkler. 'Virus' put me in mind mostly of 1998's 'Sphere' where a
strange alien force was at work by the sea. Maybe that's why both films
look watered down!
OUT OF 5 > * *
Visit FILM FOLLOW-UP by Walter Frith
http://www.cgocable.net/~wfrith/movies.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * - a must see
* * * * 1/2 - don't miss it
* * * * - an excellent film
* * * 1/2 - a marginal recommendation
* * * - can't quite recommend it
* * 1/2 - don't recommend it
* * - avoid it
* 1/2 - avoid it seriously
* - avoid it AT ALL COSTS
1/2 - see it at your own risk
zero - may be hazardous to your health
David Sunga
Rating: 2 stars (out of 4.0)
********************************
Key to rating system:
2.0 stars - Debatable
2.5 stars - Some people may like it
3.0 stars - I liked it
3.5 stars - I am biased in favor of the movie
4.0 stars - I felt the movie's impact personally or it stood out
*********************************
A Movie Review by David Sunga
Directed by: John Bruno
Written by: Chuck Pfarrer and Dennis Feldman, adapted from the Dark
Horse comic VIRUS
Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, and
Joanna Pacula
Ingredients: alien creature, troop of well armed crew members being
stalked
Synopsis:
With their tugboat damaged by a hurricane, the tugboat crew seeks refuge
in the eye of the storm, only to find another ship there: a huge,
deserted Russian space research vessel called the Volkov, equipped with
dozens of machine rooms and mechanized labs. Exploring the Volkov, the
tugboat crew comes upon the scientist Nadia (Joanna Pacula), the frantic
sole survivor of some sort of massacre. Nadia claims that an electronic
life form has invaded the ship by satellite and that the alien is using
the Volkov's power and labs to manufacture cyborg-like creatures in an
attempt to destroy mankind. The alien life form uses humans for spare
parts.
Of course nobody believes Nadia until people start disappearing and
showing up as spare parts on robotic attackers. Can Foster (Jamie Lee
Curtis), Steve (William Baldwin), and the others defeat the alien aboard
the Volkov before it takes over the world? Lucky for them the scientific
research vessel happens to contain an ample supply of guns, ammo,
missiles and thermite grenades.
Opinion:
I love the cast of VIRUS. Donald Sutherland as a creepy sea captain;
Jamie Lee Curtis as the heroine; William Baldwin as a seaman; it can't
get any better than this. VIRUS also has good effects, courtesy of
director John Bruno who happens to be a special effects expert. VIRUS
marks his debut as a director. I even like the bad guy: a ruthless,
faceless, personality-free, alien life form made of electricity trapped
in the circuitry of the ship.
What VIRUS lacks, however, is suspense. VIRUS works like a 50s B-movie
with an upgraded budget. People stumble along, weather a few attacks,
and at last find a loud way to end the thing. Ideally in a movie you
want the good guys to face a deadly opponent they know nothing about.
Through narrow escapes and small clues they should slowly learn enough
to theorize a way to beat the thing. But in VIRUS finding out about the
enemy is done too quickly and easily; it's just a matter of believing
whatever Nadia says, rather than thinking about clues. Similarly, in an
ideal technothriller, the audience should be shown some of the devious
traps the alien might be planning, in order to ratchet up the suspense
factor when the unknowing heroes are shown. But in VIRUS the audience
never gets shown the sneak peak, so a lot of opportunity for suspense is
lost.
There are also some unanswered questions concerning the incongruous
behavior of various characters. What does Captain Everton stand to gain
from his actions? Why would a special forces expert become hysterical
when all the civilians are calm? These actions don't make sense.
Suspense is when you know a character well enough to see that his
personality is going to put him in big trouble with the upcoming
situation he doesn't know about. But when characters act unbelievably,
some of that juicy anticipation is lost.
In short, it's fun watching the cast of VIRUS ham it up, and there are
plenty of high tech booms and bangs in this movie for amusement. But
VIRUS could be much better with a healthy dose of basic suspense.
Reviewed by David Sunga
January 16, 1999
Copyright © 1999 by David Sunga
This review and others like it can be found at
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