The Andromeda Strain (mini series)
Reviewed By : AVL

Release Year : 2008

Directed By : Mikael Salomon

Written By : Michael Crichton, Robert Schenkan

Starring : Benjamin Bratt, Andre Braugher, Christa Miller, Eric McCormack, Viola Davis

Related Links : IMDB

 

Deadly virus/organism crashes to earth on a satellite and is released by hick hillbillies opening it up - can a team of virologists find a way to kill it before the world is devastated?

A more glitzy TV remake of the movie which bears the same name, this 'expands' upon the original story. It's almost like someone sat down, watched the original, then a series of X-Files, and looked for stuff to throw into the mix. Time travel, worm holes, messages from the future, governmental conspiracies, romance, heroic self sacrifice, and a few environmental issues to please the green brigade. All these elements aren't necessarily bad, but they do detract from the simplicity that was a part of the orginal movies charm.

Fans of the original will see many things retained, although in many instances they develop rather differently. The scope has been hugely expanded, so it no longer focuses almost solely on the team within the bio lab - there's now also a dashing reporter out to expose government complicity, at least if he can stay alive long enough; And there's a mutant version of Andromeda too that causes madness and extreme violence in its victims.

There are some very good and entertaining scenes, many of them in fact - the mad birds, the attempted nuclear explosion among others - and it is very enjoyable effort. Just, I dunno, it's as if they fleshed out the story a little too much, gave it a much better looking body which can't help being clumsy and lacking in the graceful simplicity of the first version. I'd certainly say watch it, but it's just got the feel of made for TV, where it's compulsory to include bits of plot like romance and self sacrificing heroism and focus on the issues of today.

Oh, and before anyone points out this version is more faithful to Michael Crichtons novel than the first - I wouldn't have a clue, I've not read it.