a_chinn
I remember this film being better. It now seems rather silly and boils down to Dustin Hoffman and the US Military trying to catch a monkey. Kind of Tom Clancy meets "Monkey Trouble." Okay, maybe that's a bit glib, but this film does seem a bit hysterical in it's race-against-time virus epidemic plot-line. The story involves a CDC team led by Hoffman, which includes Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, and Cuba Goding Jr., trying to track down the source of a deadly new virus in order to develop a vaccine. That source happens to be a monkey. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, the film has many exciting chases and solid suspense, as you would expect from the director of "Das Boot" and "In the Line of Fire," but the story just comes off as silly. With "The Hot Zone" having just been released around the same time as this film, "Outbreak" was a ripped-from-the-headlines type of film upon it's original release, but I think this film has not aged as well, despite it's credible cast and solid talent behind the camera. The best part of the film was an uncredited one scene appearance by J.T. Walsh as the White House Chief of Staff, who just tears into the scene and cows a room full of very talented actors.
ironhorse_iv
Medical pandemic disaster movies has always been scary to me. There is a certain fear that come with movies, dealing with a deadly virus outbreak that is untreatable, and threatens the whole world's population. It's a terrifying thought. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen and loosely based on Richard Preston's nonfiction book, 'The Hot Zone', this film gives that, what-if fictional scenario; a name, 'Motaba'. Inspired by then recent real-life Ebola outbreaks, and speculating on the measures taken by the military and the Center for Disease Control if such an outbreak occurred in the United States, Petersen hope to capture those fears, and challenge it, into a compelling entertaining watch. For the most part, he and his crew kinda pull it off. The cinematography from Michael Ballhaus, the music by James Newton Howard and the makeup department, led by Ellis Burman Jr were amazing. For the most part, even the acting, was very good, throughout this film. In spite of Kevin Spacey rocking the worst dyed wig, ever. Even the capuchin, Binks was great as the disease carrier, Betsy the monkey. It's just funny, how often, people mistake her for another monkey, Katie. Katie as Marcel is the one that was mock with the fake "Outbreak 2: The Virus Takes Manhattan" poster in the 1990's sitcom 'Friends', not Binks. I don't blame people, for not knowing the different, between the monkeys, after all, the producers didn't. In the end, they all deliver us from Ebola. Without spoiling the movie, too much, there were only a few things that I didn't like, about this film. Most of them, had to do with the inconsistencies on the effects of this disease. Don't get me wrong, I like the way, they describe the virus, as something that will liquefying the internal organs of its victims. However, it's seem to me, that the illness, only turns rapidly and deadly, whenever the film calls for it to act. How on earth can some sick characters only look a bit feverish, pale and dried out, while the other characters has blood streaming from their eyes, nose and mouth, skin destroyed, during the same stage. It's make no sense. Yes, I understand, some bodies might have stronger phagocyte cells than others, but it doesn't explain, how accidentally sticking yourself with a contaminated needle is less severe than breathing in the inflection, due to a small rip in a hazmat suit. According to the head of epidemiology at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health, it's very unrealistic; as there is fewer cases of researcher dying from breathing in an inflection, than those who die, due to direct contact with blood, excretions or saliva. Another thing, I didn't like, about this film is the ability of the scientists in the film, being able to solve most of the illness in a few hours. It seem a bit, impractical. In real-life, vaccine research, often takes months, or even years. Even with that, the only reason, why the scientists work so hard, toward the end, was to save the main character, Colonel Sam Daniels (Dustin Hoffman)'s marital troubles. It's kinda shallow, when you think, deep about it. I really didn't think the movie, needed to add that romantic subplot with Rene Russo's character, Roberta "Robby" Keough. It felt, a bit distracting. Another thing, I didn't like is how the film morphs from a medical thriller into another generic government covert military conspiracy action movie. I don't mind, the whole firebomb subplot, but the idea, it was used before in the town of Motaba, and nobody knows about it, is hard to believe. Are we to believe that nobody from Zaire know about this!? Did they do no research on where this disease, came from!? Come on! Also, how in the hell did the US able to bomb another African country's army base, anyways!? Wouldn't that be, an act of war!? Anyways, the idea of the military wanted to use Motaba, as a biological weapon should had been cut out, because adding an over the top stereotypical villain like Major General Donald McClintock (Donald Sutherland), really took away, some of the deadliness effects of the disease. For the last part, it felt like, a different movie, with the long-drawn helicopter chase, jumping into a moving ship, and hijacking a news outlet. It was eating a lot of time that could had made the disease even scarier. Despite that, the movie does have some very frightful moments. The idea that the disease was exposed to others in a movie theater, must had really scare those audience members who came to the theaters to see this movie. However, there is one scene that really disturbed me. All of the scenes with 'Sample 612' were haunting, due to how heartbreaking, it was. It made for a very intense watch. Overall: While, it does have a few flaws throughout the film. Don't avoided this film like the plague. Go see it. It might not be a great film, but it's entertaining enough to overlook it flaws. Highly recommended.
Wuchak
THE PLOT: After a deadly incurable African virus is brought to a Northern California coastal town via a monkey, the military moves in to quarantine the village. While Dustin Hoffman seeks to find an antidote, the two generals in charge of the quarantine (Morgan Freeman & Donald Sutherland) strangely decide to annihilate the town. Can Hoffman find a cure in time? And, even if he does, can he stop the firebombing? I remember when Wolfgang Petersen's "Outbreak" came out in 1995; the idea just never interested me. Big mistake, because this is an outstanding picture. Although viruses are so small they're invisible, they have the potential to be the biggest monsters of all. Certain deadly viruses, if let loose, can easily wipe out an entire town in a mere couple days. This is the scenario in "Outbreak." It could happen and is therefore realistic, which naturally makes the story more horrifying than most horror flicks or monster movies.But "Outbreak" is more than just a scary what-if story, the second half involves a military cover-up and is edge-of-your-seat suspenseful, all the way to the final minutes. It's like an avalanche that slowly builds momentum.Cuba Gooding Jr. is also on hand in a significant role as Hoffman's partner in the race-against-time. And, for those who care, there's a romantic subplot about Hoffman and his ex-wife Rene Russo. Will they get back together? The locations are magnificent, filmed in the coastal towns Eureka, Arcata and Ferndale, California, all in the extreme Northern part of the state, just South of the Redwoods and West of Bigfoot territory (i.e. Willow Creek). The African sequences were filmed in Hawaii.BOTTOM LINE: This is top-of-the-line cinema -- equal parts scary, dramatic and suspenseful.GRADE: A-
