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Virus - DVD
Writer: Chuck PfarrerDirector: John Bruno Producer: Dennis Feldman & Gale Anne Hurd Studio: Universal Studios Features: Production Notes, Cast & Filmmakers' Bios, Film Highlights, Theatrical Trailer, Web Links VIDEO Widescreen 2.35:1 (Anamorphic), ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC], FRENCH: Dolby Digital Surround Characters: Kit Foster - Jamie Lee Curtis Steve Baker - Willim Baldwin Robert Everton - Donald Sutherland Nadia Vinogradiya - Joanna Pacula J.W. Woods Jr. - Marshall Bell Squeaky - Julio Oscar Mechoso Richie Mason - Sherman Augustus Hiko - Cliff Curtis Review: The trailer for Virus wasn't very promising. It seemed to meld elements of various other films before it, from Contact to Alien to Terminator to Hardware. The film doesn't fare much better. Virus takes place, for the most part, aboard a Russian research vessel somewhere in one of the oceans on the world (I gather they're supposed to be near Australia, but they never really explicitly say). The vessel has been invaded by an alien life form which is using on board robotic systems to build itself into some kind of advanced form of life. Jamie Lee Curtis and crew play a tug-boat crew who inadvertantly end up on this Russian research vessel, and become trapped with the alien entity. The entity has apparently done a lot of reading in medical books, and has decided that chunks from the humans would make good additions to its overall "new" lifeform. Kind of like the Borg. Thus ensues much running and screaming and special effects and cool robots and explosions. The only problem is, there's no point to any of it. Virus has been adapted from a comic book, and like many other comic book adaptations before it, it brings the worst things from the comic along with it (bad dialogue, shallow characters) and leaves the best things behind (a deep world, a large history). It's not a terrible movie (like, for example, Spawn), but it's not a good one either. It's just a movie. Nothing less, nothing more. I could have lived with Virus being just a movie, but then they had to go and cast Donald Sutherland in it. The problem with Sutherland in this movie is that he's got this strange accent which is unplaceable. Even he can't seem to decide where he's from. Instead of making him sound worldly or deep, like he was obviously intending, it makes him sound like an idiot. Thus what ends up happening is that every time he's on screen, you want him to die a horrible but fast death. Sadly, it keeps NOT happening, so you keep having to put up with his damned accent. The other problem is, that this film was directed by a visual effects guy (the director worked previously on effects for Terminator 2, The Abyss and Titanic, among others), and thus the visual effects become the showpiece, and nothing else matters. The only problem is, that we've seen all these effects before. The alien entity is reminiscent of the Terminator (without skin), the Borg and the robot from Hardware. There also other elements ripped directly from other films, including whole subplots from a wide variety of science fiction and contemporary films. It's obvious the writer and director watched a lot of films before making this movie, but they never bothered to make their OWN film. I find it highly ironic that a film about a creature which is building itself from various parts of bodies and mechanical elements is built up entirely from pieces of other movies. If nothing else, it's a study in how to rip off other films while making your just different enough that you don't get sued. The DVD itself is from Universal, and is top-notch. The picture quality is outstanding, with great colour, deep blacks and good contrast. The audio mix is a very nice Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. It doesn't blow you away, but it does keep you in the action. Extras are good, with two behind the scenes featurettes (though one is merely an edited down version of the other), theatrical trailers, deleted scenes, web links and even a screen saver. This film is barely worth a rental. If you're in the mood for some cheese, and want to laugh with some friends, grab it for a night. Don't buy this unless you just have no time to watch the movies this rips off, and are looking for a science fiction film compilation. Ken Pierce Dvdken@home.com Contributing Editor, www.dvdfuture.com |
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