Outbreak **** (1995, Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Donald Sutherland, Morgan Freeman) Classic Film Review 1185

Director Wolfgang Petersen’s sizzling 1995 disaster scenario thriller stars Dustin Hoffman as an American Army doctor who set out to set out to find a cure for a deadly airborne virus that’s arrived in the US from Africa. But unfortunately he finds that the American top-brass Donald Sutherland and Morgan Freeman have a hidden agenda.

Hoffman turns into a pint-sized action hero in an often nail-biting medical thriller that is a rollercoaster of suspense, tension and thrills. It’s intelligent and thought-provoking, even if it struggles in places and finally descends into a thick-eared action movie at the end. Sutherland greatly enjoys himself as usual as corrupt General Donald McClintock and army surgeon and Freeman is stalwart as General Bill Ford.

The great cast and exciting premise help to make Outbreak thoroughly gripping, even if it’s slightly overlong at 127 minutes. Rene Russo, Kevin Spacey, Patrick Dempsey, Cuba Gooding Jr, Zakes Mokai, Dale Dye, Jim Antonio, Lance Kerwin and J T Walsh head that particularly fine group of star support players.

(C) Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Film Review 1185

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