"Virus" is not as bad as its reputation would indicate, even if star Jamie Lee Curtis herself feels that this is the worst thing she ever did. It's certainly not without its drawbacks - dumb and clichéd characters (the coward, the one who gets victimized first, the psycho, the no-nonsense hero, etc.), silly dialogue and silly moments, a familiar feel to it - but, taken for what it is, it provides some adequate entertainment. It makes sense that its director is John Bruno, whose background is in special effects, as it's often a showcase for some interesting and decently executed effects, with such luminaries as Phil Tippett, Steve Johnson, and Eric Allard contributing their talents. The story has a tugboat taking refuge from a hurricane by resting in its eye, and coming across an abandoned Russian research vessel that we know has already been overwhelmed by some weird phenomenon. It turns out the culprit is some sort of living alien electricity that has infested the computer on the vessel and manipulated its robotics department to come up with some amusing if not terribly imaginative human-robot hybrids. The movie has the look of quality - it's photographed by David Eggby ("Mad Max", "Pitch Black"), who does a cameo as a captain, and designed by Mayling Cheng - and features a booming score by Joel McNeely. The actors really do their darnedest, no matter how badly written some of their roles might be. Jamie Lee is worth watching as always, William Baldwin is okay as the male lead, Donald Sutherland a total hoot as Jamie Lee's crazed and sleazy superior, and lovely Joanna Pacula is great as the traumatized survivor of the initial attack who tries to help the newcomers; also appearing are character players Marshall Bell, Sherman Augustus, Cliff Curtis, and Julio Oscar Mechoso. Provided one can turn off their brain and just laps up this kind of thing anyway, it is possible to be entertained by "Virus". As for Jamie Lee's own opinion on the matter, she certainly has done better films in the genre, but this isn't the total fiasco it's made out to be, either. Just go in with your expectations low. Five out of 10.
Review of Virus
