As a typhoon approaches the South Pacific, some mysterious outer space force attacks a Russian "missile and satellite tracking" ship. Nearby, a small America tugboat barely weathers the storm. Led by steadfast navigator Jamie Lee Curtis (as Kelly "Kit" Foster) and handsome engineer William Baldwin (as Steve Baker), the crew barely makes it into the eye of the storm. Hoping to make repairs, they instead encounter and board the Russian ship, which is seemingly deserted. The huge vessel has 42 labs and is valuable as a salvage ship. If no Russian personnel survive, those returning the ship will be paid millions of dollars. After losing his tugboat's cargo, heavily-accented Captain Donald Sutherland (as Robert Everton) wants to collect the cash. Naturally, he hopes to find no survivors. This puts him at odds with attractive scientist Joanna Pacula (as Nadia Vinogradova)...
Special effects wizard John Bruno directs this Dark Horse comic book adaptation. Not surprisingly, "Virus" is a special effects movie. It starts off with an attack and storm. The subsequent, short characterization period really doesn't endear us to the cast, who seem very stereotypical. We should have a much stronger time getting to know the characters. That we may not want to know them is another problem. Also, there is also no real suspense as things immediately get rough for the crew; consequently, there is little time to dread the villainous presence or care what it kills. An ambiguous ending jolt seems to be setting up a possible sequel, but we were probably better off letting this "Virus" run its course.
***** Virus (1/15/99) John Bruno ~ Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, Joanna Pacula
Special effects wizard John Bruno directs this Dark Horse comic book adaptation. Not surprisingly, "Virus" is a special effects movie. It starts off with an attack and storm. The subsequent, short characterization period really doesn't endear us to the cast, who seem very stereotypical. We should have a much stronger time getting to know the characters. That we may not want to know them is another problem. Also, there is also no real suspense as things immediately get rough for the crew; consequently, there is little time to dread the villainous presence or care what it kills. An ambiguous ending jolt seems to be setting up a possible sequel, but we were probably better off letting this "Virus" run its course.
***** Virus (1/15/99) John Bruno ~ Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin, Donald Sutherland, Joanna Pacula