Star-powered disaster movies used to be fun - think "The Towering Inferno" or "The Poseidon Adventure." The situations were spectacular (a massive fire or an upside-down cruise ship), making it easier to disconnect from reality and not think too hard about the tragic repercussions.

"Contagion," directed by Steven Soderbergh ("Traffic," "Ocean's 11"), is a disaster movie with real world implications. Everything about its killer virus premise is not only probable but darn near likely considering the recent "minor" outbreaks of bird flu, SARS and H1N1.

The film takes an informational, almost antiseptic approach to the drama, following several key players in a global outbreak. There's the first victim (Gwyneth Paltrow) and her seemingly immune husband (Matt Damon), a leading doctor/administrator at the centers for Disease Control (Laurence Fishburne), a field agent (Kate Winslet) charged with tracking the first stages of the disease, and a blogger (Jude Law) fanning the fear flames by slamming government officials and touting a homeopathic cure.

Jumping around the world as the virus spreads, "Contagion" takes multiple perspectives on the ramifications of a global outbreak, from the scientists working to develop a vaccine to the overload on hospitals and the gradual breakdown of social order.

Soderbergh, working from a script by Scott Z. Burns, has made painstaking efforts to keep "Contagion" grounded in reality, but all the location hopping and perspective shifts don't always work as a unified narrative. Some storylines are just more interesting than others, and at a brisk 105-minute running length, many of the characters are shortchanged or completely abandoned as the movie goes along.

The strand following a World Health Organization doctor played by Marion Cotillard, for example, takes an unexpected turn, but Soderbergh quickly veers away from the storyline following its twist. The blogger character played by Law also has an intriguing storyline that never really gels with the primary narrative.

The best elements of "Contagion" follow Damon's desperate widower as he tries to protect his daughter from the virus, as well as the crumbling society around them. He's the only "everyman" character in the movie, leaving Damon to carry the film's sole emotional moments. It's another excellent, subtle performance by Damon, a so-called "movie star" who continues to make smart and unexpected film choices.

With so many dangling characters and storylines, "Contagion" loses steam in the end, especially when it becomes apparent that Soderbergh has no intention of wrapping up every storyline. And, after trying so hard to be a realistic portrayal, the director sends the CDC officer played by Fishburne down an infuriating, illogical path.

As a public service announcement, "Contagion" gets the job done. Wash your hands. Stop touching your face. And for God sake, stay home when you have the sniffles.

As entertaining drama, however, "Contagion" could use a few injections.

Grade: B-

Ticket Stubs is sponsored by the Hayden Cinema Six Theater. Showtimes at www.HaydenCinema6.com. Tyler Wilson can be reached at [email protected].