Review of Outbreak (1995) by Javan W — 16 Apr 2013

Directed by Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot (1981), The Neverending Story (1984) and In The Line Of Fire (1993)), this is a disaster film that harks back to Irwin Allen's productions of the 1970's, only the big disaster in this one is a viral disease threatening to cause widespread death.

Petersen has a good ensemble cast at the centre of the film, and he stages some good action set pieces throughout the film, and it's very suspenseful. After a deadly virus occured in 1967, the site was bombed and everyone thought that was that, but the virus resurfaces and virologist Colonel Sam Daniels (Dustin Hoffman) is sent to investigate with his crew Major Casey Schuler (Kevin Spacey) and Major Salt (Cuba Gooding, Jr.

), Meanwhile in America, a capuchin monkey is brought into America illegally from Zaire, then stolen by biologist Jimbo Scott (Patrick Dempsey), who becomes infected from the monkey and it spreads from there.

Daniel's ex-wife Robby Keough (Rene Russo) investigates the disease at ground level, while Brigadeer General Billy Ford (Morgan Freeman) and Major General Donald McClintock (Donald Sutherland) argue about what to do next.

It's a very suspenseful film, and it's themes of infection would be explored in Contagion (2011), and it's got some good set pieces including a gripping finale, and it's ultimately a good scare story.