REVIEW: Outbreak (Released in 1995)

DIRECTOR: Wolfgang Petersen

PRODUCERS: Arnold Kopelson & Gail Katz & Wolfgang Petersen

WRITERS: Robert Roy Pool & Laurence Dworet

PERFORMERS: Dustin Hoffman Rene Russo Morgan Freeman Cuba Gooding, Jr.

with Doanld Sutherland and Kevin Spacey

"The single biggest threat to man's continued dominance on the planet is the virus" - Joshua Lederberg, Ph. D.

With the Coronavirus in effect, it's almost ironic that these words were the opening text to this cult film about a massive virus threatening the world on a global scale. If a virus is capable of killing thousands, no millions of people worldwide then man's dominance on earth is just as dangerous as what potential danger we bring into it. I was intimidated for a long time to view this movie but was personally interested in checking it out. So one Sunday after a house church service, I finally did... little did I know what I was in for. This is a film completely relevant to what's happening in our world right now and it does not let up. Seeing that this was released in '95 this is the right title to begin with in my series of films with anniversary marks this year.

The film tells the story of a group of scientists and military commandos clashing on how to save a small residential California town from a deadly airborne disease originated in the jungles of Africa and the race against time to find the best solution possible to save the town and it's residents from destruction. First off, the story itself was very engaging. You had an estranged couple (Dustin Hoffman and Rene Russo), two Military Men (Morgan Freeman and Donald Sutherland) mixed in very shady business and two supporting players (Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Kevin Spacey) who add to the touch of a suspenseful thriller and a monkey that represents the danger "the likes of which we have never seen". The cast was stellar, but the performances were beyond stunning and electrifying. Specifically the moments between Hoffman and Freeman or Freeman and Sutherland were what really stood out to me. In those days having a cast as huge as this had was what drew audiences to the theaters. When you had big names like Hoffman and Sutherland and Gooding, Jr. there was no way you could go wrong. "HEAT" for instance is a major example of stellar casting and good storytelling, but this was it's own Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro led cast. The chemistry between everyone is undeniable, anytime Hoffman and Freeman were butting heads I thought "This is what real acting is all about! Chemistry, Right timing and mannerism" Today's acting in films is decent, but cheesy in a sense that seems to have forgotten what it really means to act and give it your all.

Now "HOOK" has always been one of my favorite performances from Dustin Hoffman given the seasoned actor he is, but this film proved to me that he could not only pull off a nail biting portrayal of a selfless hero, but he could also be that guy you root for every step of the way and with Cuba Gooding as his pilot, it's easy to see why. In the Bible Jesus went around the world and to preach the gospel and he always had someone or a whole group of disciples with him. In this one, Gooding is the disciple and Hoffman is the preacher who's more focused on saving a whole town than just himself. Jesus had that same mindset. He and his wife (Rene Russo) are separated, his life falls apart and then suddenly this crisis happens and he pulls out all the stops to beat the clock and find a vaccine before more people die or get infected. Then there's the black and white area stuck between good and evil, which is played brilliantly by seasoned veterans Morgan Freeman and Donald Sutherland as they portray two men with different ideals to contain the growing epidemic. While Sutherland has no problem nuking a contaminated area, Freeman on the other hand, is conflicted about the whole thing and because they were both involved in some serous shady deals it seemed like it would take a very serious situation to have a change of heart. It has been a long time since I've seen acting like the one I saw in this film. In fact, the acting took me right back to films like "A Few Good Men" (on the military aspect) and "The Fugitive" (on the chasing aspect).

Another thing that made this movie great to watch was the "Edge of your seat" part of it and there are two scenes that is living proof of that. The first one was a scene between a little girl and the monkey. The whole time that was going on, my heart was pounding, I couldn't breathe and I got so tense that I found myself screaming "NO! GET AWAY FROM THAT MONKEY!!!" Such a tense moment for me that as soon as it was over, I had a moment of relief like 'That was close'. By the time that was done, I thought I was coming off a falling plane and through God's love, I had survived. The second was the climax of the movie in which Hoffman and Gooding stand their air while a military plane carrying a bomb is about to fly through it. That was a LORD OF THE RINGS moment for me because it took me back to the scene where Gandalf tries to stop the balrog from crossing the bridge. Where Hoffman refuses to move his chopper with the animal host was an immediate reminder of a scripture from the Bible in which Jesus asks God for his will to be done (LUKE 24:42). The music in particular in that scene was what really moved me because it was breathtaking, thrilling, you didn't know what was going to happen until boom, it did.

There were no effects in the film which is ok because it wasn't necessary. But as for the direction of Wolfgang Petersen, Superb job! I had forgotten all about him before I saw this movie, I remember 'The Perfect Storm' and that was so well directed that I thought this guy could go on forever. But it has been quite a long time since he did something this enjoyable. Although this film is 25 years old, even things like this are recognized with things like 'oh I remember that one!' As for the virus portrayed in the film, the title Motaba is actually quite an interesting name for it considering this film is based on a book about a real life epidemic, one that lost the chance to be adapted into a film for this one because of the differences.

"Outbreak" is a character driven film about humanity and the darkness of humanity, from the military to the powers that be in the white house, this is what 90s movies were all for. Everything about this film was clean cut, nothing cheesy and straight to the point. Much like Roger Ebert, I was more than hooked, I was invested completely in everything that took place from start to finish! I saw people trying to save other people, others doing what they thought was necessary and even a few others that were just there. It gave me a lot to think about, like the fact that the world's most deadly virus can be lurking anywhere in the world, even in our own backyard. This film to me, is a direct reflection of the present crisis we're in right now. One little thing from China and the next thing you know... the U.S. is in a state of emergency. The last time this happened, it didn't spread as quickly as the Coronavirus did and of course, look where we are now. Another thing about this film that made it great was science and politics and anyone will tell you: these two do not mix very well together. Science is about things never done before and whether or not they should be worth considering, while politics are about opinions based on present things vs. future occurence. My take on the whole thing is where do you put your faith in either of these things? That left me in serious questioning when the movie was over.

In Conclusion, having seen this when I did I can say it was so much better than I thought. I couldn't see it then because I was younger and did not understand what the aspect of it was. But now that I have seen it, especially as a young adult I get it. I can only imagine what the people in the White House and the CDC are debating right now in regards to our current situation. There's a virologist or more somewhere in the ranks going toe-to-toe with powerful figures looking to do what they believe is necessary to contain the pandemic. But at the end of the day, they all have a common goal: to save as many lives as they can by any means necessary. The fact that the Ebola virus was going on while this film came out made it all the more worth considering. Art imitates life in so many ways we sometimes cannot fathom, the way this film does that is a major example. That's why other films related to this topic were born out of them, from 28 Days Later to Contagion, the list goes on... "Outbreak" set the standard for what the world would be when faced with a medical crisis. If you've seen it, great! If not, check it out you might get something out of it, especially with the times we're already in. Everybody stay safe and healthy and thank you for taking the time to read my review for "Outbreak" #Happy25thAnniversary #Outbreak25 #FilmReview #Filmsof1995