Outbreak
A deadly airborne virus finds its way into the USA and starts killing off people at an epidemic rate. Col. Sam Daniels' job is to stop the virus spreading from a small town, which must be quarantined, and to prevent an over reaction by the White House.
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- Cast:
- Dustin Hoffman , Rene Russo , Morgan Freeman , Kevin Spacey , Cuba Gooding Jr. , Donald Sutherland , Patrick Dempsey
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Reviews
Very best movie i ever watch
Purely Joyful Movie!
As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
I like the premise of this film, but it's not executed well. Uncontrollable viruses that decimate populations and spread with deadly virulence just make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, or maybe that's just the internal bleeding. Regardless, I was left hanging by a fairly unoriginal disaster movie.Plot holes, cheesy action sequences and unrealistic depictions of human behavior during an outbreak aside, the film managed to keep my attention for two hours, though this wasn't necessarily a good thing. I found myself truly watching this movie from the outside looking in, because I didn't feel a part of what was going on on screen, and I should have.I generally disliked some of the actors working in this film to begin with, but watching this film now, even if they may have provided fair performances, I can't connect or sympathize with their characters. Their ability as actors to transform into someone I care about, relate to or believe in has been diminished or overshadowed by their personal reputations.All in all, I would not watch this film again as it has nothing more to offer and was not particularly enjoyable, scary or believable.
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.
An Ebola-like but (naturally) even more lethal virus nearly wipes out an American town (with the help of the army), but Dustin Hoffman grabs the monkey (the primary host of the virus) by the neck and produces a life-saving anti-serum in no time, saving the world and his marriage, as well (thanks to the fact that his soon-to-be ex agonises a little more patiently than the others).It sounds pretty dumb, but thanks to the decent script, the fine actors (you can rarely go wrong with Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Spacey and Morgan Freeman), the good pacing and the simple, but effective direction, Outbreak is actually a satisfying thriller that remains semi-plausible throughout and never gets boring. That's saying a lot, because most films in the genre are unable to keep up the tension and lack even a dash of realism. Outbreak does grab your attention, outlines a realistic scenario, and keeps you on the edge of your seat till the end.Unfortunately, the last third of the film is drenched in the usual clichés — world-saving hero vs. pigheaded, war-obsessed military commander, deus ex machina supplied in abundance, mandatory happy ending, etc. —, but the competent execution ensures solid entertainment for the whole two hours. And with the climate change and the terrifying prospect of deadly diseases spreading to territories previously considered 'safe', the topic remains as relevant as ever.
Outbreak is what you'd get if you combined Toxic Skies (2008) with Warning Sign (1985). It's a typical disease panic movie, but in this particular scenario the United States army is willing to cover things up to the point of killing millions and not offering health care. A monkey is spreading the disease, a capuchin monkey smuggled from South Africa to the States by a slob named Jimbo. Jimbo's girlfriend catches it, so does a whole movie theater full of innocent people, and the next thing you know everyone from senior citizens to infants are dropping like flies. Two disease control doctors, feuding over their divorce, have to work together to save the country from the epidemic.This was a decent movie, but a heavily exaggerated scenario. It mimics Warning Sign but on a much larger scale. The soundtrack was great, the acting wasn't bad, and I hate monkeys so the horrible animal wandering the streets with the disease was pretty creepy to me.I also recommend The Happening (2008), The Omega Man (1971), Toxic Skies (2008), The Andromeda Strain (1971), Warning Sign (1985), Dawn of the Dead (1978), The Crazies (1973) and Threads (1984).