"The Andromeda Strain" miniseries has been rated toxic waste by most TV reviewers. Tough crowd. Expecting a worthy successor to Robert Wise's 1971 feature film to emerge from regular cable TV seems ... wildly optimistic.
As far as a sci-fi telefilm goes, "Andromeda" proves a decent enough diversion, with all-star TV actors, good production values, some rousing visual effects and an intriguing score. OK, so it helps if you come presold on the title and story -- and you'll want to burst out laughing here and there -- but still I give "Andromeda" a detached thumbs-up.
Universal releases the telefilm "The Andromeda Strain
Wise's film held up for decades, until its once-futuristic technologies made the drama look stupid (unlike the eternal "2001: A Space Odyssey," a few years older). Still, I'm always up for a viewing of that exciting and influential film about a deadly virus that wipes out a small western town and threatens the planet. (Universal rereleased "Andromeda" on DVD in 2003.)
The A&E project, executive produced by Ridley and Tony Scott, sort of remakes the Wise film and, of course, points back to the Michael Crichton novel. The telefilm moves things along the real-world timeline in numerous ways -- its hero scientists search for the source of the mysterious virus, "CSI"-style; it politicizes the storyline; adds some modern gore; and brings in a swarm of current-events touch points.
And so we have Homeland Security in a supporting role; a Dick Cheney figure up to no good behind his president's back; run-ins with post-9/11 military law; eco-plotting; and some gumby physics (mind that wormhole).
Good to see the old drunk and the infant who can't be infected still register in the plot, at least in part 1.
Your stars fighting to snuff the pandemic include Benjamin Bratt, Andre Braugher, Christa Miller (pictured), Daniel Dae Kim and Ricky Schroder.
Take note of the nods to "Alien," "Fail Safe," "Dr. Strangelove" and "The Birds," all easy to spot.
The DVD's extra features are OK. There's a making-of docu that tells how the Scott brothers couldn't get the project to fly as a Universal feature, despite a decade of trying. (Ridley Scott. "The Andromeda Strain." This is a bad idea?)
For A&E, resources from Turner's "The Company" rolled over into this project, including director Mikael Salomon. One of the producers calls the project's history "very peculiar," noting the telefilm was made like an independent film once Universal refused to make the feature.
The making-of clips from the original film suggest that movie's rich-red images remain in fine shape.
Another extra on disc 2 advertises a breakdown of some of the visual effects but doesn't deliver much.
The director, producers and editor do a listenable if rah-rah commentary. The making-of should be plenty for most viewers.
The widescreen visuals are first rate, with crisp and clear renderings of the two color schemes -- assorted browns and golds for the outdoors; cold blues and greens for the "Wildfire lab." The DVD audio was unexceptional but OK.
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