The Andromeda Strain

For sci-fi fans it seems that it is television that is supplying all the best entertainment at the moment. Decent sci-fi movies are few and far between are usually big, blockbuster special effects movie, with this summer having more than its fair share, especially of the comic/superhero variety. Of course, festivals like SCI-FI-LONDON cater for the more discerning tastes, and those who want to original, intelligent and often outrageous ideas on screen. What television, and US TV in particular, has done is bridge the between the cinema spectacles and the well-crafted stories of the independents. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and HEROES are two examples that immediately spring to mind, but there are others like SUPERNATURAL and the STARGATE movie spin-off series too.

Times have changed too. Now actors and directors are more than happy to work on television, mostly thanks to the improvement in production values. And these production values have improved thanks to the advances in digital technology making them infinitely more affordable. You just have to look at the latest series of DOCTOR WHO, compared to what went before. It has also meant that other shows known for their rather dodgy sets and effects are being reborn. BLAKE'S 7 and THE PRISONER are already slated for 21st Century makeovers.

Michael Crichton is no stranger to television, or cinema, with his works being some of the biggest hits on both platforms. From JURRASIC PARK to ER, his fiction is always firmly grounded in science. One of the first of Crichton's stories to make it to the screen was the Robert Wise directed THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN. Made with a relatively unknown cast it still managed to capture the imaginations of viewers with its very real threats. Now the Scott brothers' production company, Scott Free, have brought together a cast of well-known actors (mostly from TV) for an updated version of the alien infection story, with an added modern political slant. The two-part series is showing on Sky Movies Premier on May 10-11, but for those who don't have Sky, through choice or circumstance, it will be available on two-disc DVD on May 19 from Universal Pictures.

In this re-make, a U.S. satellite crash-lands near a small town in Utah, unleashing a deadly plague that kills virtually everyone except two survivors - an old man and an infant, who may provide clues to immunizing the population. As the military attempts to quarantine the area, a team of highly specialized scientists are assembled to find a cure and stop the spread of the alien pathogen, code-named Andromeda.

Featuring strong performances from the cast headed by Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order, Love in a time of Cholera), Rick Schroder (24, NYPD Blue), Eric McCormack (Will & Grace), Daniel Dae Kim (Lost) and Andre Braugher (City of Angels) THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN follows the adventures of a group of scientists called in to contain the deadly outbreak. But they also make an unexpected discovery about the nature and origins of the virus.

The show has plenty of action as well as some quieter dramatic moments as the scientists try to figure out how to combat the virus. And because it is based on a Crichton story, there is plenty of believable science. It is definitely worth watching on the ad-free DVD and in one sitting too.

THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN is oreleased on Paramount Pictures DVD on May 19 and available from major retailers including Amazon and Play.

Watch the trailer here