The Andromeda Strain

The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Director: Robert Wise
Cast: Arthur Hill, David Wayne, Jame Olson, Kate Reid
Memorable Line(s): "Most of them died instantly. A few had time to go quietly nuts."

This is probably the first virus/germ techno-thriller ever made. Anyone watching it today would have to say that much of the science included in the movie is quite dated, but the plot and the dilemma are still engaging enough for most viewers.

The movie starts out with an army satellite falling to earth in a small town in New Mexico. Within hours, everyone in the small town is dead with the exception of two of the inhabitants. A specialized scientific team is charged with assessing the situation and either finding a remedy or devising a plan that will stop what is believed to be the most deadly virus in human history from spreading. That plan could involve quarantining potentially lots of innocent civilians and using nukes to stop the virus from spreading.

Plodding at times, director Wise does moves the plot along, but it seems that he became too enamored with the scientific gizmo's and gadgets of the film because they get almost as much screen time as the actors. Much the the momentum of the film is caught up in explaining or watching some fantastic scientific apparatus do it's job. My only other gripe with the movie is that the climax seems to wrapped up a little too quickly without exploiting the tension of the final sequence.

The cast is sober, yet serviceable. What I do admire about the casting is that they are completely believable in their roles. I can't help but wondering if the movie would be remade would be how it would be recast and how movie star attractiveness would triumph over believability.

Yes, it's severely dated in places, but there's enough here to generate the interest of most viewers.