Guest review by tetsuo:
There are two versions to this film: the first is edited export version in which they cut out most of the Japanese scenes(obviously translating them to English is a hassle) which were about 30 to 40 minutes of the film and the unedited Japanese version. The movie is about a russian virus which is accidentally released and then goes to contaminate the rest of the world, it kills so fast that civilization collapses in a couple of months, the only survivors are those in antartica because the virus becomes dormant in extreme cold temps. From their they learn that there will be an impending earthquake in washington(as to how they found out, I have no idea) and this will automatically launch all the nukes at russia then russia will launch….(you get the idea). This is film is nicely shot and well done, the casting is somewhat biziarre with Chuck Connors playing a british submarine commander! Some scenes here are downright funny such as in the Japanese version, there is a scene featuring virus victims doing the disco(yes the Travolta style) before they drop over, another scene is when a lover of the Japanese guy in antartica tries use a speed boat to get to the north Pole from Japan!(well good luck). There are also two endings for this movie, the good ending is in the Japanese version and the bad ending is the export version(as I watched it when I was in the Phillipines). This movie is supposedly the most expensive Japanese film done(because of all those famous actors), it is well shot and done(it better be worth it). Also watch out for other actors such as Robert Vaugn, Olivia Hussy, Glenn Ford, Edward James Olmos(before Blade Runner), Bo Svenson, Henry Silva(the bad guy from Escape From the Bronx) . Recomended.
