In "The Andromeda Strain," a U.S. military satellite crashes in a small town in New Mexico and unleashes a deadly plague killing all but two survivors . As the military quarantines the area , a team of highly specialized scientists is assembled to find a cure to the pathogen code-named "Andromeda," and a reporter , Eric MacCormack , investigates a government conspiracy only to discover what he is chasing wants him silenced . The team of scientists formed by Benjamin Bratt as Dr. Jeremy Stone , Christa Miller as Dr. Angela Noyce , Daniel Dae Kim as Dr. TsiChou , Ricky Schroder as Major Bill Keane , Viola Davis as Dr. Charlene Barton , all of them are assembled in a high-tech, underground facility to identify and defeat the "enemy" before it is too late. As the threat must be identified in time to save the population from extermination .
This is a fair-to-middling rendition based on Michael Chricton novel , previously adapted by Robert Wise with Arthur Hill, James Olsen , Paula Kelly , David Wayne , Kate Reid . It deals with a strange satellite falling back to earth carrying a deadly bacteria , as a crack team experiences strong difficulties as it becomes clear that the satellite has performed its intended function all too well, and has brought back something from space . It was originally exhibited as a two-part miniseries , but has also been edited into 4 different parts intended for airing as hour long episodes with commercials . This Sci-Fi yarn hits hard in the creepy beginning when an U.S. Army satellite , Scoop , falls to earth near Piedmont and population being destroyed , and in the hair-raising climax , as an extremely exciting ending , in fact , it is worthy of a typical action/thriller movie . However , the tension and suspense inherent in the bestselling Chricton novel is talked down by excessive changes from original book and a boring cast . After a splendidly traditional opening set piece , the message about the risks of scientific research starts to loom ponderously large with banks of super-computers dedicated to investigation as well as inclusion some weird elements as ¨Worm holes¨ and underwater bacteria ¨bacillus Infernus¨. As you'll perch on the very edge of the armchair when protagonists fight against time assailed by the Andrómeda Strain and to disarm the self-destruct device before it can trigger itself off .
The motion picture was regularly directed by Mikael Salomon . Filmmaker makes rather plod through the screenplay , so that when the scientists finally get the connection between the micro-thing from outer space and a secret bacteriologic warfare , it seems heavily developed and high time , indeed . Salomon has stated his intention of working on less of the TV-series and pilots that force him to compromise his visions, in favor of more qualitative features and mini-series . He made some films but also directed other series , episodes and TV movies as ¨Rome¨, ¨The Company¨, ¨The Grid¨, ¨Salem's lot¨ , ¨Band of Brothers¨, ¨Six¨, ¨Pompeii¨, ¨Damien¨, ¨Young Arthur¨ and many others
