Virus (1999) Reviews

• I liked it anyway

  LJ271999-08-23

  I've heard people trash this movie left and right yet I found that it kept my attention for the duration of it's running time and all the technical aspects were top-notch (especially Tippett Studio's CGI realization of Goliath). The characters weren't great and weren't bad either. Sure, we've seen it all before in other films but I have little hope of finding a film that's completely original. Frankly, I got about what I expected out of it - motion picture fastfood. You enjoy it as you take it in and digest it and forget about it after you leave the theater. It's just entertainment and not bad for what it is. Unlike LOST IN SPACE or BATMAN AND ROBIN, this film isn't boring. It moves at a quick enough pace to where you don't find yourself checking your watch all the time. I'm not sure what the deal was with Donald Sutherland's character who displays no sense of logic whatsoever. Had they dropped the stuff with his character, it would've helped the film. If you're bored, check it out. It's worth at least one viewing.

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• Better than evreyone makes it out to be

  Christopher-Peznola2006-07-13

  A mediocre storyline (i.e. Titanic) can become a world class film with character development, believable dialogue, and, for lack of a better word, some Hollywood magic. This film could have been a blockbuster with less action, less noise, less effects and more humans being human. Look at 2001 A Space Odyssey, Jaws, Titanic and countless other films, and you'll see that the story was about as interesting as Virus, and the actors, equally talented. Virus failed to deliver characters that we could believe and identify with. I still recommend this film highly, as its interesting, it contains Jamie Lee Curtis (a hottie) and Donald Sutherland (a 20th century legend), lots of effects and action. In a way its sort of fun to watch quality actors attempt to make the best of horrible dialogue. A 7 out of 10 for storyline and casting

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• Salvage, salvage

  shhazam22005-12-30

  Say what you want about this movie not meeting expectations of the 90's but it was very entertaining and thats most of what I expect from any good movie. Bad aliens, greed, bravery, bravado, science gone bad and survival all play major parts in this flick. Strong women, brave men and treacherous men are a good mix for any story and this movie has them in abundance. The aliens seem to want something from humans and its not in the best interest of these humans to meet their needs. Try not to be comparing this movie to other sci-fi and just enjoy an interesting twist on the genre.

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• Come on, it isn't THAT bad!

  willywants2004-12-07

  After losing their payload the ramshackle, sinking, ocean-going salvage tug "Sea Star" takes refuge in the eye of a typhoon in an attempt to make repairs. Whilst trying to find help the tug, captained by Robert Everton ('Donald Sutherland' ), discovers a Russian science vessel adrift in the eye. The crew believes their troubles are over and they are set for life when the captain informs them of the value of salvaging this apparent ghost-ship. However, the navigator Kit Foster (Jamie Lee Curtis) and the chief engineer Steve Baker (William Baldwin) are not convinced that it will be that easy. Once power is restored to the ship strange things start to happen and the crew mysteriously disappear one by one. It isn't until the discovery of the last remaining Russian crew member, the chief science officer Nadia Vinogradiya (Joanna Pacula), that the crew realize the enemy ranged against them isn't the Russians but something far more malevolent. While I'll admit that the plots is hacked from dozens of other (Mostly better) films, 'Virus' is no where as bad as others have made it out to be. Jamie Lee Curtis is likable in the lead and the special effects are terrific! The film is an entertaining and fast-paced sci-fi horror movie. It was gory too. I enjoyed it. 6.5/10. ABOUT THE DVD: Universal has done a terrific job with the release of the virus DVD. The crisp looking 2.35:1 wide screen transfer looks great. There's little to no grain, sharp colors, solid blacks and realistic flesh tones. The Dolby digital 5.1 audio is very effective. I loved them gunshots! Gotta have your gunshots! Extras are great, too. The commentary, provided by the director, John Bruno, select cast members and the composer is an enjoyable track filled with behind-the-scenes stories and is quite informative. Next up is a very good 17-minute documentary, Ghost in the machine, covering everything from special effects construction to cast interviews. Next up are a collection of 4 deleted scenes (Shown in there rough-cut form), which are pretty enjoyable in there own right. Next up is a tiny 6-minute featurette, which is really just a rehash of the documentary. Also included are production notes, DVD-ROM features, a trailer, and really cool animated menus. Nice! DVD ratings

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• Compilation of other genre movies

  Alex-3722004-04-23

  Don't take this movie too seriously, and Virus is actually an enjoyable romp, that pays homage, excuse me, rips off many venerable movies from the same and similar genres. It starts of as an X-Files episode, turns into The Perfect Storm, Sutherland is clearly inspired by mad Quint in Jaws, then the movie becomes Johnny 2.0 meets Robocop and Alien II. The drawbacks are of course obvious - the Life Form behaves more like a space moron, than a higher form of intelligence. If it was the latter, it would simply have the entire crew set port in Australia and have taken it from there. Instead, the "humans are viruses" approach simply brings it down. Bummer. Billions of miles of space travel, and it gets bested by the motley crew of a tugboat with a demented skipper. Anyway, 21 years after Halloween, Jamie Lee still looks delectable with a perfect figure. The rest of the crew are funny and charming, in a forgettable way. Sutherland puts in the best acting he has in years, which isn't saying too much as he has been phoning his performances in since JFK. Anyway, this movie is low on originality, but if you like the genres above, it is a pretty nice diversion.

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