Virus
Universal Pictures | Release Date: January 15, 1999 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
19
METASCORE
Overwhelming dislike based on 17 Critic Reviews
Positive:
0
Mixed:
3
Negative:
14
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
An unpretentious, amusing thrill-a-minute sci-fi horror thriller / monster movie that plugs right into fears of a Y2K crisis. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
The script, based on a Dark Horse comic-book series, is hugely predictable, but the robot effects by veteran Phil Tippett are nastily entertaining. Read full review
42
Entertainment WeeklyStaff (Not credited)
The pathogenic agent to fear, however, is the one that evidently turned every line of dialogue into inane gibberish. Read full review
30
L.A. WeeklyNicole Campos
FX whiz John Bruno (Terminator 2, True Lies) makes a dubious directorial debut here, juggling monsters that are icky but not scary; an out-of-control Donald Sutherland as the tug’s Ahabesque captain. Read full review
30
Film ThreatTom Meek
The plot itself is a disappointingly gory concatenation of two recently forgettable sci-fi thrillers; "Hardware" and "Event Horizon." Read full review
30
The New York TimesLawrence Van Gelder
As long on adrenaline and special effects as it is short on genuine novelty and intellectual content. Read full review
30
VarietyJoe Leydon
Curtis and Pacula are thoroughly convincing in thinly written roles. Read full review
30
Washington PostStephen Hunter
Everything in it is a cliche including the end. Read full review
25
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
95 minutes of unrelieved tedium. Read full review
25
USA TodayAndy Seiler
The movie was postponed from 1998 and shielded from critics. (They were ot allowed to see the movie before the opening, usually a bid sign.) [15 January 1999, Life, p.8E]
25
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
"Deep Rising" was one of the worst movies of 1998. Virus is easily worse. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleBob Graham
No one is likely to claim it's a great, or even good, movie, but it does offer some guilty pleasures. Read full review
25
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Frankly, about 20 minutes into this dud, I was rooting for the alien beasties -- their diagnosis seemed dead-on. Read full review
25
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Some movies are a joy. Some are a chore. And some are sheer torture. A good example of the latter is Virus. [17 January 1999, Metro Chicago, p.8]
20
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
Until the diverting special effects take center stage, this story, about an alien intelligence that builds an army out of flesh and metal, pathetically exploits genre conventions without generating self-reference, camp, or thrills. Read full review
0
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
This suspense-free, originality-deprived mess will likely be a major contender for the title of 1999's worst film. Read full review
0
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
It's dead in the water. Read full review
More From This Movie

19 Critic Reviews

3.1 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL