The Film

Release Date: August 14th, 2007
Running Time: 170 Minutes

Disease is a very real threat and always terrifying. Keeping that fact in mind, it is a little confusing how a film about a disease can be lackluster and timid. Nevertheless, Pandemic somehow manages to take a genuinely terrifying concept and turns it into a cheesy, run of the mill TV movie.

On a flight home to Los Angeles from Australia, an American passenger is unknowingly carrying a deadly virus that has already begun to decimate Australian wildlife. He begins to present symptoms and eventually succumbs to the disease during the flight. This causes the Center for Disease Control to become involved as everyone on the plane is now potentially at risk. Unfortunately, by the time the passengers are transported to a containment ward the disease has already begun to spiral out of control in Los Angeles. Is it bird flu? A biological attack? It is up to a CDC epidemiologist named Dr. Kayla Martin (Tiffani Thiessen) and others to try and locate a cure before the disease spreads through the world.

The concept is not bad at all. Who isn’t afraid of a massive disease killing off tons of people? The problem is that Pandemic infuses too many unnecessary subplots that only tack on bad acting to the massive running time of 170 minutes! No TV movie or direct-to-DVD film should be 170 minutes. What would have made an interesting 90-minute late-night movie has instead turned into a drudging 3-hour affair. Despite featuring a number of name actors, it’s the length that proves to be the true disease.

The DVD

The video is offered in an unspecified 16×9 anamorphic widescreen transfer. There is a lot wrong here: grain is a constant annoyance, compression errors pop up, and the colors can be inconsistent between scenes.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. It is literally a 2.0 track that makes no use of the 5.1 technology. The dialogue is audible and balanced with the music, but the whole experience is like watching normal television. Audio can be a huge asset when creating tension and suspense; they really dropped the ball here.

The Extras

“Creating a Pandemic” is an 11-minute behind-the-scenes featurette that offers up the same old EPK information about the plot, characters, and how great the director is. I’m so tired of these types of featurettes.

“Interviews with the Cast” is another 14-minutes of interviews that end up saying close to nothing.

The Trailer is offered as well.

Final Thoughts

Pandemic is too long, too boring, and has a very sub-par DVD treatment. It’s just my opinion, but consider yourself warned. – Jeff Ritchie