Search - Virus - DTS on DVD

Swiss cheese has fewer holes than this story

K. Poudrier | Faerun | 05/03/2000

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This has got to be THE worst movie I have ever seen, with the exception of Hardware. In no particular order, here is what stood out to me about the sheer stupidity of the story: The russian woman who managed to stay alive for a week after the ship was initially taken over: She managed to cut off the power to the alien, so why didn't she destroy the computer it was inhabiting?The crew: They allow themselves to be sent through a typhoon by a clearly unstable captain. No background: Who are these people? The navigator (Jamie Lee) is ex-navy we learn thru a picture in the background. One guy is ex-navy also apparently. He mentions being a Ordnance Specialist at one point. So whats he doing on the crew? Apparently being a Ordnance Specialist makes one a mechanical genius capable of creating an escape device out of a rocket and spare parts.Everytime the crew are attacked by a "monster" they attempt to shoot it dead even though it has no substantial body. Its also established early that the way it is kept under control of the alien entity is by a mass of cables dragging behind the "monster". So why not chop the cables? Would that be TOO easy?The high point of the movie? The ending credits."

Virus can be fun!

D. Swensen | Manifesto, MT USA | 01/24/2001

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Virus may seem like a god-awful movie at first, but with just a little work, you can make it surprisingly tolerable. Upon renting Virus, I decided to make it a little more interesting by playing a little drinking game. The game had the following rules (all based on the contents of the movie, incidentally): 1.) Every time the music swells for no reason whatsoever to heighten the "spooky" atmosphere -- take a drink.2.) Every time Jamie Lee Curtis (she has a job on a boat -- and she's a WOMAN!) has an in-your-face confrontation with a male authority figure -- take a drink.3.) Every time Jamie Lee Curtis is rescued by a male authority figure -- take a drink.4.) Every scene Jamie Lee Curtis stops talking and starts screaming -- take a drink.5.) Every time they pull the old "cat trick" (OH NO LOOK OUT BALDWIN CLONE -- oh, whew, it's just the cat!) -- take a drink. 6.) Every time the token Macho Black Guy says something macho ("I'm gonna mess you up, giant robot sucka") -- take a drink.7.) Every time someone yells "It's gonna blow!" -- take a drink.8.) Every time a rock-stupid supporting character hears a mysterious sound from an air vent and responds by sticking his damn hand in there -- take a drink.9.) Every time a rock-stupid supporting character gets himself killed by attempting the previous, or something similar, or just because it's been ten minutes and no extras have died yet -- take a drink.10.) Every time the characters enter a room full of billowing smoke, flashing lights, and random sparks (man, who hired the electrician for all these abandoned starships and boats, anyway?) -- take a drink.Yes, Virus is an offensive mishmash of cliches, pounded sternly into something resembling a script, and filmed -- evidently in great haste -- for your viewing pleasure. If you like monster movies, Virus does have one thing going for it, and that's a pretty impressive Giant Robot Thing at the end. But the rest is swill. Trite, recycled, boring, warmed-over swill. You've seen this movie so many times you can probably -- oh, let's say -- make a drinking game based on it, without seeing the movie first -- and be right about almost all of it. Try not to watch it sober if you can help it at all. Incidentally, the movie does contain all these moments, in spades -- so play this game while watching Virus and your entertainment is practically guaranteed. Otherwise, you're on your own."

"Shocked" by the negative reviews...

Ace-of-Stars | Honolulu, Hawaii | 10/25/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"*
I cannot really ''praise,'' per se, the originality or story of the film ''Virus,'' because, in all honesty, it's not what anyone can rightly call a great film. Sure, it's visually stunning and fun and enjoyable and all that... but it's certainly not ''Terminator'' or ''Aliens.'' Even so, I'm somewhat puzzled that so many reviewers are having a difficult time ''relating'' to this movie, based upon how it plays itself out. I think they are missing one key element in the whole thing, however: Just as ADULT reviewers have to be reminded that ''Santa Claus Conquers the Martians'' was a movie made for the tiny tot audience, reviewers of the movie ''Virus'' need to keep in mind that this film was based on a ''comic book'' story (...or as ''fanboys''-- current and former --would call it, a ''graphic novel'')! Anyone who pays any amount of attention would realize that there is NEVER (or rarely ever) going to be a ''totally straight'' presentation of a comic book story translated to the big screen -- even if the story itself is treated ''seriously'' within the pages of the comic. (''The Crow'' was one of those rarest of exceptions.) Keeping that in mind may actually make viewing this movie about an alien energy lifeform that....??? uses human bodies for ''spare parts'' ???...., and tries to kill them off more effectively by constructing cybernetic monstrosities???.... okay, so it's a little ludicrous, but again, I don't think it was meant to be taken completely seriously -- it's mindless escapism that's both fun and scary. That's Entertainment! * * *"

Cybernetics has never looked tastier...

Schtinky | California | 11/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A team of Russian cosmonauts encounter a strange, malevolent electrical being in space just before transmitting data down to a research vessel, the Vladislav Volkov in the South Pacific, and inadvertently wind out transmitting the being.In the meantime, the tugboat Sea Star is struggling with a large cargo in tow and gets caught in Typhoon Leiah, with some spectacular special effects on the storm in this scene. After loosing the cargo they must head for the eye of the storm in order to repair their boat, and meet up with the abandoned and derelict Russian research vessel. The captain claims the vessel as salvage and sets alight the crew's dreams of big money in the salvage fees.When they power up the Russian ship in order to bring her in, they unwittingly release the electrical being, starting up all the monstrosities it had already managed to create before being shut down by the remaining survivor of the Russian crew. The visuals are superb on the cybernetic creations, gory and disgusting; and the suspense as the survivors struggle to best the living, intelligent being is palatable and thick. Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Sutherland, and William Baldwin give excellent performances, and the supporting cast as well. Derelict ship, creepy monster, lots of action, sexy heroine...and lots of blood and guts give this tasty morsel five stars on my list. Enjoy!"