A very under-rated movie.

A bit too romantic in its views of what courage and patriotism is, but it's ok, it's a "good guys" movie

Outbreak, Wolfgang Petersen's disaster drama from 1995, boasted an all-star cast and it proved a hit at the box-office despite receiving mixed reviews. It follows a small team of scientists who attempt to find the host of a deadly virus before the army eradicates an affected small American town. Dustin Hoffman stars as Colonel Sam Daniels, a virologist for the U.S. Army who investigates an outbreak in Zaire and soon butts heads with higher ups who are attempting to cover up the first time this virus appeared in the 1960's when they bombed a camp with infected soldiers to keep it from spreading. Donald Sutherland is the ruthless General willing to ignore scientific breakthroughs and risk human lives if it means shielding his own coverup. Sam's team includes young Major Salt (Cuba Gooding Jr.), Lieutenant Colonel Casey Schuler (Kevin Spacey) and Sam's ex-wife Robby (Rene Russo), a doctor who later becomes infected with the virus. Morgan Freeman also stars as a General who is stuck having to answer to his superior's dodgy orders. Here's a very Hollywood take on a still relevant subject matter that works hard to convey the panic and urgency involved when it comes to dealing with such a potentially devastating event. Outbreak goes the thriller route which does keep the plot moving along at a good pace but also, arguably, distracts from what the characters are going through. In fact, everything about Outbreak is somewhat heavy-handed from the make-up effects to the big rousing speeches our heroes break into and the rushed storytelling that sees the scientist team crack the case and save the world in 48 hours. A more subtle and measured approach would have, no doubt, made it all more palatable and, ultimately, more powerful. An excellent cast saves Outbreak from being a waste of time as everyone delivers solid performances here. The film itself definitely had potential and it does have some good scenes here and there but it lacks the energy to be a worthy thriller or the realism to make the drama count and carry a much needed emotional weight. Not bad but forgettable.

Great cast, very convincing acting, some really intense action scenes, without ever losing site of the seriousness of the situation-- a situation that is all too real, and possible, given the mentality of too many people in high places with power and no accountability; a warning to us all of how things might really go/be in the near future. Depicts the very real dichotomy between those who really care about life, vs those who have no regard for it. I thought it was one of Dustin Hoffman's best roles ever. The greatest disappointment was NOT seeing the character played by Donald Sutherland be literally and totally destroyed at the end.

I want to know what happened to the dogs. I'd give it 0 stars if I could.

director Wolfgang Peterson juggles a star studded cast and a very terrifying premise that holds a lot of real-world context the only thing deadlier than being killed by something you know is nothing you can see or prepare for whether it's AIDS, ebola, salmonella, lyme disaease etc. Morgan Freeman, Renee Russo, Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman, Patrick Dempsey, Donald Sutherland, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. all work for the government mainly the CDC and the World Health Organization after a struggle in an African nation a deadly disease is then shown to have wiped out most of the village members, the site itself is blown away and sometime later a Capuchin monkey is captured to be sold in a pet store...little does everyone know that this animal has become a carrier for this deadly virus and it begins to spread everywhere the main focus here is a little Californian town which is then put under quarantine and a divorced couple Sam and Robin played by Hoffman and Russo attempt to combat this increasing pandemic a secret conspiracy is then uncovered mixing bureacracy, dirty politics, and biolocial warfare sure the movie is a bit of a stretch as far as scientific/medical accuracy is concerned but it is still very scary knowing how the real world reacts in response to a global catastrophe like this it's action-packed, grabs your attention, and makes everyone aware to take care of themselves more because even the smallest cough or so can make so many very on edge that's how strong our fear can be

It's better than I thought it would be. The acting is solid and the best part of the whole film with an absolute all star cast that does a good job. While it isn't phenomenal acting its still well done overall. I felt you could take the romance out because it feels hammed in and Hoffman/Russo don't have that good of chemistry but its still well acted. The cinematography is not bad either with well framed shots and some great stunts in the third act along with great sets and makeup. The only problem is there are some farfetched scenes in the third act and the I wouldn't call any of the camerawork phenomenal but still well done. The music is not bad in this either, the first half I felt had better music because the second is loaded with more action film tracks and I feel it doesn't mix that well but there both good on their own. The editing is ok enough here as stated before the two main problems is the romance feels unneeded and repetitive at times. The other major problem is this feels like a virus outbreak thriller and a military conspiracy action movie merged together and they don't compliment each other well. This leads to decent but not phenomenal pacing as it is still entertaining but it isn't a satisfying a conclusion for over an hour investment required to get there. The U.S. Govt conspiracy, Romance, and the farfetched action scenes like the news room scene and afew others hold this back and make it feel like it is a action movie rather than a horror/thriller it starts out as. That being said its still entertaining and a decent film for anyone that's a fan for any of the actors, director, or fans of 90's films to give this a watch. Otherwise you can skip this.

Great moments of suspense, tragedy and triumph. Well made, I loved it.

A movie that could have been an instant classic, but was derailed with its stereotypical illogical third act.

Do not believe the ratings. This is a cracking thriller and definitely worth watching. Wolfgang Peterson is an under appreciated director who is unable to make a film that is not entirely watchable. He understands what an audience wants from a movie and consistently delivers on their expectations. A great premise, a top-notch cast, good writing and plot structure add up to a movie that is always entertaining, often exciting and with moments of emotional heft.

Outbreak could have been the perfect drama, describing what humanity, or the US, might react like in some kind of worst case virus scenario. It is obviously supposed to illustrate what happens if a super deadly virus breaks free in parts of a population. This should be dramatic enough in itself, so there's really no need to exaggerate it any further, but that's exactly what director Wolfgang Peterson does. It starts out quite well but soon goes way over the top, and everything is more or worse than it has to be, The heroes are more heroic, the crooks are more crooked, the frantic more frantic, the conspiracy more evil, the logical flaws are more obvious, the love break relationship is more pathetic, as are the oneliners, and it certainly does not help to have a brilliant cast when a desperately over acting Dustin Hoffmann runs around to save the world. Even Morgan Freeman manages to overact, and that really never happens, which takes the expression 'outbreak' onto another dimension. It's constantly balancing on the verge of a parody, and it's almost as if Frank Drebin is expected to appear in a scene saying - Nothing to see here!

"It's airborne." Watching this during a real pandemic kind of creeps me out. It's not a documentary, it's a critic about how a health crisis is handled when there are some military secrets behind it, and so the scientists versus the government. It's also about a man who's scared to lose the woman he loved the most in his life, surviving, and Hoffman brought to the character something really human, a real hero.

Cast di stelle per un film di azione che intrattiene piacevolmente senza però sfruttare a pieno il suo potenziale. Molto innovativo ed interessante il tentativo di proporre come tema la diffusione di un virus altamente mortale in un territorio come quello statunitense; purtroppo questo aspetto viene posto in secondo piano con l'ingresso prepotente dei complotti governativi che invece stonano parecchio e risultano essere forzati e totalmente fuori luogo. Forse si poteva sfruttare maggiormente il cast.

Way Better than contagion

Maybe it's just because this story hits harder in 2021, but I found Outbreak to be a very compelling drama. It begins on a very ominous note, and then that brooding feeling builds throughout the movie as the virus spreads. Yes, there's some unrealistic science and yes, there are some plot-driven conveniences, but I still found myself filled with dread at certain moments and I kept hoping a solution would be found.

If you want a good epidemic or pandemic movie, go watch Contagion. This movie is okay.

Finally got around to watching this during the COVID pandemic even though I didn’t want to. Thought it was over the top at times. Decent enough acting. Plausible storyline with dumb people ruining things for everyone else. Glad there is a vaccine available now.

Well...guess this movie was certainly ahead of its time...from a certain point of view. To think that this movie was turning 15 when this major disruption entered our lives. And I watched this movie for the first time to "celebrate" the one-year anniversary of a global pandemic that, even if it magically disappears overnight, will still likely define this decade the same way the 1910's and 1940's were defined by two world wars. Now that we've discussed how watching Outbreak might not be a good idea for escapism when the world's gone to hell at the moment, is this movie a good disaster drama? Yes, I actually liked it quite a bit. It's not perfect and can come off as melodramatic at times but it has good acting, lines of dialogue that had me crack a smile, solid interplay between cast members and exhilarating direction that really helped give the movie the sense of urgency you'd expect from its premise. A solid thriller that only took 15 years to become relevant.

I enjoyed this movie when it was released. The pandemic has gotten it back out again. A great cast and good movie overall.

Outbreak is completely over the top but surprisingly enjoyable at times. The plot was ridiculous (especially at the end) and has been done before, but the concept makes for an enjoyable story since mankind is almost guaranteed to be wiped out by a virus in the future. The characters were pretty generic and silly (e.g. the evil general), and some of the dialogue was lacklustre. However, the cast was great, and the acting wasn't bad. The action was entertaining, and the cinematography, visual effects, and soundtrack were all decent.