The Andromeda Strain

When I watched the sci-fi film The Andromeda Strain, I realised how spoilt the film audiences of the nineties have become. In 1971 there were no slick computer effects. Here there even seems to have been a lack of a proper budget, for the technical gadgetry in the film is certainly nothing to boast about.

In The Andromeda Strain, a virus from outer space attacks a small, isolated area and kills every living thing. The area is immediately quarantined. Meanwhile leading scientists gather to study the virus more closely and, if they are lucky, find an antidote. The film starts excitingly by showing the discovery of the dead village, but most of the film describes the scientists' work, which is actually rather uninteresting, at least in this rendering. As mentioned, today's audiences are not amazed by bulbs that flash and machines that make funny noises. Not even the fact that the main characters are under time pressure noticeably increases the suspense. Had the film been tightened up a little, though, I think it would have helped the overall impression enormously.