Virus (1999)

When the crew of an American tugboat boards an abandoned Russian research vessel, the alien life form aboard regards them as a virus which must be destroyed.

Director:

John Bruno

Writers:

Chuck Pfarrer (creator), Chuck Pfarrer (screenplay),

Stars:

Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin, Donald Sutherland

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Kit Foster
William Baldwin	...	Steve Baker
Donald Sutherland	...	Captain Robert Everton
Joanna Pacula	...	Nadia
Marshall Bell	...	J.W. Woods Jr.
Sherman Augustus	...	Richie
Cliff Curtis	...	Hiko
Julio Oscar Mechoso	...	Squeaky
Yuri Chervotkin	...	Colonel Kominski
Keith Flippen	...	Captain Lonya Rostov
Olga Rzhepetskaya-Retchin	...	Female Cosmonaut
Levan Uchaneishvili	...	Captain Alexi (as Levani)
David Eggby	...	Norfolk Captain

Storyline

When a typhoon cripples their boat, the crew sails into the eye of the storm, where they discover a high-tech Russian communications and research vessel adrift. Only one Russian crew member is still alive, raving about "intelligent lightning." They soon discover that an alien life form has taken over the ship's computers and is churning out mechanical warriors. With their own boat destroyed, the crew must battle the creature as the ship reenters the storm.

---

Plot Keywords:

russian | ship | alien | storm | sea | 

---

Taglines:

Life on earth is in for a shock.

---

Genres:

Action | Horror | Thriller | Sci-Fi

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sci-fi violence/gore, and for language

Details

Official Sites:

Universal

Country:

USA UK Germany Japan France

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

15 January 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lépéskényszer

Filming Locations:

Newport News, Virginia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£202,301 (UK) (4 June 1999)

Gross:

£451,358 (UK) (18 June 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mutual Film Company, Universal Pictures, Dark Horse Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chuck Pfarrer explained in an interview that the comic book was based on the script that he wrote in the early-'90s. Because of the special effects that the script called for, it was impossible to make the script into a movie at that time, and he handed it to Dark Horse Comics who published it in 1995. Several years later, when special effects technology had caught up, Pfarrer revised the original script.

---

Goofs

Once aboard the Russian ship, when the crew is about to enter the control room for the first time, you can see through the ships windows to reveal a ship yard on the opposite side rather than open sea and the storm.

---

Quotes

Hiko: Richie's gone postal, man.

---

Connections

References Alien (1979)

User Reviews

I liked it anyway

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.