A US military-engineered virus, released during a plane crash, kills almost the entire human population. The only survivors are scientists and military personnel in Antarctica, who desperately try to find a cure and save what is left of the human population from further destruction.Written by
P. Straatsma
Upon entering the bunker, Yoshizumi watches in horror on several monitors as nuclear rockets launch all over the world. The footage on many of these monitors feature hand-held camera work. Due to the virus sweeping the world many months earlier, there would be no one alive at that point to be operating these cameras. See more »
The Japanese version mixes English and Japanese writing during the opening credit sequence. The English-speaking actors' names are in English and the Japanese cast and crew members' names are in Japanese. See more »
Alternate Versions
Among the scenes missing from the U.S. version of the film (existing only within the unabridged Japanese cut): the film opens on board the submarine Nereid as Yoshizumi takes one last look at his devastated Tokyo homeland through the eye of a video probe while Captain McCloud usurps Major Carter for a thoughtlessly sarcastic comment about Tokyo, domestic scenes with Yoshizumi's girlfriend telling Yoshizumi that she is pregnant and her displeasure with his decision to go to Antarctica, Yoshizumi's girlfriend losing the child from overwork, Yoshizumi's girlfriend and his best friend Tatsuno's son committing suicide by sleeping pills while traveling on speed-boat after the rest of the Japanese population has been killed off by the virus, a 5-year-old boy killing himself over short-wave radio while the Japanese Antarctica base tries to get him to release the Transmit switch, Tatsuno's escape from the Antarctic base and intimated suicide as the crew searches for him in a snow storm, a Christmas party at the Antarctica base, the revelation that the majority of the eight remaining females have had children, more scenes between Yoshizumi and Marit, a young Navy-man who has an "appointment" with Marit, miscellaneous scenes explaining Yoshizumi's backstory, much more of the final "trek south" sequence (including Yoshizumi's passing through Machu Pichu and bomb craters). Various shots have been re-positioned in the American cut, including the signature shot of weather-beaten Yoshizumi up against the sunset while walking south, which appears as the opening shot in the American version in desaturated form. The Japanese cut also uses various title cards to explain the progression of the virus and the progress of the Antarctica community. See more »
I was so impressed by this movie that I hunted for it on IMDB to place a comment. It boasts a stellar American cast in a delightfully international story. Rather than spoil it for a new viewer, I offer these two items of advice: 1) don't be put off by the occasionally over-the-top acting and 2) read ALL the credits at the end.
20 of 22 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
| Report this
I was so impressed by this movie that I hunted for it on IMDB to place a comment. It boasts a stellar American cast in a delightfully international story. Rather than spoil it for a new viewer, I offer these two items of advice: 1) don't be put off by the occasionally over-the-top acting and 2) read ALL the credits at the end.