Contamination

Contamination’s visceral b-movie energy is, suitably, contagious. It is packed with macho energy and fascinating fight sequences set against the backdrop of a story revolving around an escaping rage-virus, and despite a nonsensical narrative it never forgets to entertain.

When an elite black-ops unit finds themselves tasked with the destruction of a top-secret lab in the wilderness, members start to slowly experience symptoms that cause betrayal in their ranks. Foreign military involvement leads to gunfights, but the presence of an alien-electro pathogen is quickly identified as a greater threat. The virus takes control of its hosts mind, and it falls on the team to make impossible choices as their own brothers become infected – if humanity is to have any hope of survival.

Contamination at its best is mindless, dumb fun. It is a testosterone-fuelled vehicle for shootouts, fight scenes and brotherhood that would make Jesse Ventura smile. And it is proudly all these things – living in embrace of its own chaos. You have to be, after all, to include a scene in which a character empties a pistol magazine by angrily shooting into the air in a post Hot-Fuzz world.

The affable embrace of cheesy action is a virtue that helps the film overcome what barely passes for a plot. The skeleton structure of an escaping virus is hardly revolutionary stuff but provides a solid enough base for the action. However, viewers will be forgiven for losing track of the various strands such as the Russian military’s involvement – and how a development of such substance ends up forgotten as soon as it needs to be. The nature of the virus itself and its global consequences are pretty opaque as well – with characters undergoing a behavioural transformation but little else, to an unclear endgame. More of a consequence is the interchangeability of the soldiers themselves. None of the cast really stand out as sympathetic, amusing, endearing or outrageous. It is only by his role in the plot that viewers will relate to director Neil Chase’s role as Dallas as the protagonist – despite an overall strong performance.

The film is shot well and Chase and co-director David Heacock deliver some great moments of combat. The tight corridors of the lab feel reminiscent of videogames as the soldiers stalk their enemies in dim light, whilst the outdoors hand-to-hand fight sequences are personal, brutal and thrilling. The sets themselves look great, although the cast look a little too clean whilst exploring them for a group of hardened killers. The directors deliver an impressive array of action sequences on a lower budget, including a car chase, and a shocking moment with a family that adds an unexpected question of morality into the story – one of the few narrative highlights.

Contamination is an action throwback that is proud of its roots. It’s never going to win any screenwriting awards, and it does fall flat in areas around character where it fails to match the best of its inspirations. But anyone in search of pure action will want to catch this virus.