Search - Virus on DVD

Keith A. (Keefer522)
Reviewed on 8/26/2013...

This is one of those all star big budget disaster/end of the world/apocalypse films that were so popular back in the day, made in 1980. It was a Japanese production and at the time it was made, it was the most expensive movie ever made by a Japanese company. It features a large cast of both Japanese and Western actors. (The American roles were filled by such late 70s/early 80s genre stalwarts as George Kennedy, Robert Vaughn, Bo Svenson, etc.)

In a nutshell, a plague kills off almost everyone on Planet Earth except for a group of scientists and researchers in Antarctica (where the killer virus can't survive due to the cold weather), so it's up to this group of 800 or so people to rebuild society. Bad enough that 99.9% of the world's population is dead, but just to add insult to injury, we find out later in the film that thanks to a computer glitch, a bunch of nuclear weapons are now pointed at the few people that are left. (Did I mention that this film features a lot of now-outdated Cold War politics? Haha.)

This movie was on one of those cheap double feature DVDs I've been buying at the dollar store lately so I expected it to be cheesy, but it was actually quite good. Apparently the American cut of the film (which is what I have) is now in the public domain (the copyright has expired) so it can be purchased cheaply. The original Japanese version is about an hour longer (the stuff that was cut from the U.S. version dealt mainly with the Japanese characters) and is supposedly the superior version of the movie. I may have to look that one up at a later date.

Yvonne L. from CHRISTIANSBRG, VA
Reviewed on 8/26/2012...

A great movie that starts with the worst that could happen and then goes on from there. Many familiar actors played in this early movie. It reminded me of "On the Beach" by Nevil Shute, except you get the feeling that the world will go on, however slowly and with a tiny remnant of humans. And despite the folly of foolish politicians! We enjoyed it very much!

All Movie Guide Synopsis of VIRUS

Song & story lover | Midwest, USA | 06/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A double disaster film with both an American and a Japanese cast, Virus presents some pretty wild probabilities to viewers. First of all, a virus has been developed that gets loose and starts to destroy humanity on a grand scale. The only people who are remotely safe are a group of eight hundred men and eight women on Antarctica. Since the President of the United States warns them by radio communications not to accept anyone into their area who has been contaminated, the men and women are somewhat prepared. That does not mean they are ready to handle the crew of a Russian submarine that seeks refuge with them. The second disaster is nuclear, and part of the suspense lies in whether or not it will be ultimately averted -- and who, if any, will survive all this. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

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Directed by Kinji Fukasaku and starring Masao Kusakari, George Kennedy, Robert Vaughn, Chuck Connors, Olivia Hussey, Edward James Olmos, Ken Ogata, Sonny Chiba and Glenn Ford. The film is notable for its fine cinematography and for being the most expensive Japanese film ever made at the time (1980)."