Goofs for
Virus (1999) More at IMDbPro »

• Factual errors: The language options on the Russian computer are written in nouns, not adjectives. It states a person's descent, not type of language.
  
  
• Continuity: After Woods is shot with the nail gun by the robotic critter, the blood stain on his shirt changes between shots, going from large and pale, to smaller and darker.
  
  
• Continuity: When the crew are trapped in the eye of the typhoon there are storm clouds towering on the horizon, as one would expect. A few minutes later, while still in the eye and boarding the Russian ship, the sky is perfectly clear as far as the eye can see.
  
  

• Revealing mistakes: In one of the scenes you can see a North American electrical outlet, not a Russian one.
  
  
• Factual errors: Foster uses a standard "floating needle" field compass to discover the direction to which the ship was "turning itself." Floating needle compasses are ineffective on modern steel ships.
  
  
• Continuity: Just before they go outside, Foster is just wearing a sweater and jeans, but in the next shot of her outside, she is wearing her raincoat.
  
  
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Nadia Vinogradiya first appears and fires on the crew, Steve says something about having an Uzi fired at them. The weapon used is in actual fact the Czech Republic Skorpion.
  
  
• Factual errors: In the eye of a storm, the sea isn't calm as depicted in the movie.
  
  
• Continuity: When Everton is in E-Deck Workroom 14 and watches a headless torso rise up from the tabletop, a tattoo in the form of the Russian Red Star is visible on the left side of the torso. In the next shot, the tattoo has transferred to the right side. The entire shot has been mirrored for some reason, as the mechanical parts fused to the torso have also switched sides.
  
  
• Continuity: In exterior shots, the ship is shown pitching up and down and rocking side to side in very heavy seas caused by the hurricane; yet interior shots, except for a mild "rocking" of the camera, show little manifestation of these violent motions.
  
  
• Continuity: Once aboard the Russian ship, when the crew is about to enter the control room for the first time, you can see through the ships windows to reveal a ship yard on the opposite side rather than open sea and the storm.
  
  
• Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Nadya's "husband" is recognized by the wedding ring on his left hand. Orthodox Christians, which is most common Russian religion, are wearing it on a right one. Having a ring on left hand is being a widow.
  
  
• Anachronisms: The tug shown is one which would be used in a harbor or perhaps for short distance towing, not in the open ocean. Further, the short chain method shown is not suitable for ocean towing. It would have snapped in any decent roller, and would not have lasted for more than a few minutes in the storm shown.
  
  
• Factual errors: The anchor chains of large ships are secured to a bulkhead or deck in the chain locker. The attachment is not, however, intended to restrain the chain should it run free as is shown when the ship's anchor is dropped through the tug. The end of the chain should have brought debris from its tearing free from its attachment. Also, the length of chain should have been far, far longer; typically about 1,000 feet.
  
  
• Plot holes: The discovery of someone onboard the Russian ship should have changed the tug captain's reward expectation. An abandoned ship would be worth 10% of its value as salvage (as described in the movie). A ship with even one person from the original crew on board would not be abandoned. The rescuing crew would only be eligible for a finder's fee or the towing fees to take it back to port.
  
  

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