Customer Reviews

The Drone Virus: Special Edition

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jaime Roland (Talia-Lynn Prairie) recently cured of cancer has to undergo one more test. It seems that she expired during the test. Stephen Roland (Billy Wirth) her father will not settle for "That sometimes happens" and goes out of his way to find answers.

As with all good tech-mysteries we have good guys and bad. Or maybe the equipment it's self. And as with all good mysteries you may be thinking it is always the last person you would suspect. I guess you will have to watch to see.

The filming is good, the timing is well paced, and the plots are plausible.

The movie was an enjoyable thriller/mystery that features a final twist at the end which I will not spoil. Although adequately foreshadowed, there are some events that don't quite make sense in the new light, so it's slightly unsatisfying, like it was tacked on at the end rather than building towards it.

What really bothers me about the movie is the central idea that a MRI machine can kill people due to malicious code inserted into its firmware. The "drone virus" refers to a computer virus that allows PCs to become zombies and due to bidding of the controller. This is a problem with unsecured Windows PCs in real life, but the malware here is not a virus at all, but does allow remote operation, in this case to fry patient's brains.

So, how does an MRI fry someone's brain, making it looks like some kind of unknown seizure? They say repeatedly that it "increases the radiation". Well, an MRI doesn't involve radiation of any kind, but rather uses a big magnet to align the water molecules in the body; when the field is switched off the molecules swing back, emitting a very faint signal that is picked up by the machine. The radio frequency used might be considered "radiation", it is not "ionizing radiation" meaning it doesn't knock things loose from molecules in the body, and doesn't cause any damage whatsoever. The only risks involve flying metal objects, and getting too hot.

I worry that this will only create fear of a machine that is perfectly safe, or perhaps is a symptom that such misplaced fear already exists in the general population. Perhaps the book was better (more technically plausible) and the movie messed it up?

Like many movies these days, it will be enjoyed more if you don't know anything about computers. In this case, it's also enjoyable if you don't know anything about medical imaging or general knowledge of what MRI actually is. And if that's you, remember that this is fiction and sabotage, not an inherent danger in the technology.

I followed the review of the other customer and decided to have a go at this movie, and I was surprised that it hasn't drawn the attention it deserves. It is indeed exciting and the plot isn't predictable. I recommend it .

The story, acting and visuals for this unusual Sci-Fi thriller make it a "must watch" for Sci-Fi/mystery/action movie fans.