OUTBREAK IS RATED R
A suspenseful medical thriller, "Outbreak," broke-out into theaters Friday. With lethal implications, this thought-provoking thriller calls our government's relationship to its people into question.
"Outbreak" follows the spine-tingling course of a deadly virus, carried by a monkey, from the African rainforest to a small California town. Colonel Sam Daniels (Dustin Hoffman) and Dr. Roberta Keough (Rene Russo), infectious diseases specialists, race to stop the virus before it spreads worldwide.
Colonel Daniels must also break the silence of his government superiors, who are unwilling to unleash a plan that will contain the virus (in a manner as uncompromisingly lethal as the outbreak itself).
Hoffman and Russo add the necessary tension and wit. As the two lead doctors assigned to contain the spread, they must also deal with their recent divorce. Hoffman's character refuses to accept that the love is gone. This enhances the story because it expresses the notion that there is hope for the couple.
The race to find an antiviral serum is further threatened by one of the nation's highest-ranking military officers, General Donald McClintock (Donald Sutherland), has vowed not to let the virus (or its secret history) out of the small California community—"at any cost."
The seriousness of this terrifying epidemic is understood when Colonel Daniels, in a moment of realization, mutters with intensity, "it's airborne!" From this point, mass chaos begins to take over.
The traumatic experience of this tiny town, Cedar Creek, will make you cover your mouth the next time you cough or sneeze, and remind those around you to do the same. It is a hair-raising escapade that will introduce you into a 3-D impression of the mysterious, yet horrific, world of germs; and more importantly, how contagious diseases are spread from carrier to carrier.
A man, unknowingly infected with the virus, is sitting back in the theater watching a movie when he nonchalantly coughs—without considering that he isn't the only one in the room. As the camera lens zooms in, we see an infinite number of minuscule, potentially dangerous particles sailing through the air.
With an unpreventable magnetism compelling them, the germs move toward other persons in the movie theater. Shivers are sent up your spine as the reality of this scene jumps off the screen and into our own little world—where we think that we are invulnerable to anything that could harm us.
Another critical scene is when Sam Daniels (Hoffman) discovers where this deadly disease evolved from. He is shown in a newsroom, holding the picture of the host monkey and the Center for Disease Control telephone number urging anyone who has any information to please call.
Despite the serious content of the film, there were moments of interspersed humor to lighten the mood. Certain comical statements were made which helped to ease the reality of the issue being dealt with.
Overall, the movie was exciting, suspenseful and an all around edge-of-your-seat thriller. First-rate acting and a perfectly picked cast help to make this film a must see. A tremendous amount of information is covered, but there still may be a lingering question that eats at you; "exactly where did the original host contract this killer virus?"
All in all, this film leaves you with a frightful realization that wherever you go, no matter how far you run, you can't escape the danger of an airborne virus. You can't see it, you can't feel it, you can't taste it—truthfully it could be devouring you at this very moment.
