nannite
This movie does one thing well, but it does it very very very well. It is masterful in its cold, sterile depiction of technology as well as metaphorically depicting the different worlds in which scientists and non-scientists exist.Other than that its just an OK movie. Worth watching, 6.5/10 if IMDb had half stars.There is no suspense until the climatic action sequence. It is a good sequence though.The special effects are outdated. Although there are some really good bits involving animals dying suddenly. Apparently they actually suffocated the animals until they passed out, then brought them back around.The ending scene of this movie is laughably bad. It involves the main character testifying with ominous music and ends on a goofy line, followed by goofy special effects.I think my favorite part of this movie was the random PA announcements that were taking place. The general ambiance and sets used in this movie is great.
SnoopyStyle
The military finds most of the population of Piedmont, New Mexico dead. The town's doctor had found a satellite and opened it. Something is leaving everybody's blood clotted. The only survivors are an old alcoholic and a baby. Project Scoop declares an emergency to gather a group of eminent scientists in a facility rigged with a self-destruction nuclear device. Specimens, the satellite and the survivors are sent there. The scientists race to find the cause of the mass death.The movie is a bit dry. It's more in love with the technical aspects of this incident than the personal human aspects. It spends most of its time explaining technical procedures and scientific concepts. It ends up being too sterile but fascinating nevertheless.
lathe-of-heaven
Believe me, not that I'm anybody special, but I don't give out '9's very often. I just now finished watching the new Blu-ray and it is frigg'n AWESOME!My Dad took me to see this at the theatre when I was about 12 and I remember VERY vividly that I laid awake all that night, absolutely TERRIFIED that some nasty virus was assuredly going to kill us all. I don't remember just how long I was traumatized by this film, but it was a while. Heh, my poor Dad; there was no way that he would have known the impact that this film would have had on his extremely imaginative and impressionable little p\/ssy of a son.Since then I have seen the film a couple of times, but it has been quite some time since the last time I watched this, but let me tell you, even as an adult now some 40 years later, I can attest to the fact that this is one of THE most effective Science Fiction Thrillers of it's type. Now of course, I can much more fully admire the wonderfully serious and precise way it was put together. I think that this film has probably evoked the most respect for Robert Wise from me so far, even though he has directed MANY excellent films. The structure, pacing, direction, bloody EVERYTHING was perfect. I think that this is probably one of THE very best examples of how when done properly, a film can create the maximum amount of tension, suspense, and an oppressive mood, BUT... without having to resort to graphic violence or anything obvious. The way Wise ratcheted up the unease and tension was nothing less than masterful. And even so... I must admit that at least for me, there was maybe ONE or TWO moments in the film that actually called up feelings of genuine Horror, even though nothing was even close to being overdone or explicit in any way. I WILL say though, without going into too much detail so as to be a Spoiler or anything, but there IS a scene with a monkey that is most disquieting. I DON'T think that they would allow such a scene to be filmed like that now (remember, then they did not have computers to simulate things like they do now) I love animals, but I'm not a PETA activist or anything, and let me tell you that that one scene was really intense. And that is pretty much the bottom line of this film. Robert Wise used EVERY method available, in the most artful way, to elicit the most powerful effect on the audience. But again, WITHOUT resorting to low-denominator crassness. TRUE quality and talented film making at it's very best.After seeing so many films, many from around that time period, I feel that this one stands out above most of the other supposed Sci Fi Classics around that time, building a palpable sense of dread and realism. I think it was the sense of realism that made it work so well; and usually I am one of the LAST people to extol 'Realism'. Usually I am scornfully denouncing it in movies, and particularly the people who can't get into a film unless it is totally 'Real' or 'Believable' to them. Usually I spit venom in the direction of their Mothers, Grandmothers, and various other female family members as I smugly look down scornfully on what, I feel in my superiority, is their less than pitiful imaginations.However...In THIS film, Wise very shrewdly ramped up the 'Realism' in order to draw us firmly into the situation as it was happening, and it damn well held you there in it's Death Grip until it was done with you. Needless to say, in this case, I will quite humbly make an exception.As you can likely tell by now, I hold this film in the HIGHEST regard. Although I am usually quite put off by an overly 'Realistic' style when it comes to film making, especially when such 'Realism' eschews any imagination or suspension of disbelief or stretching yourself a little because it has to be OH SO 'Believable', I was fully held in the spell of this near-Documentary approach to a Science Fiction Thriller. And, of course the introduction at the beginning of the movie sets the tone beautifully.I would say that IF you are the kind of person who appreciates the simplicity of just DAMN good film making, and doesn't need a ton of special effects (although the ones incorporated here were quite ahead of their time and VERY effective) or if you don't require a boatload of sadism and gore, then you should very much enjoy this excellent and powerful Classic film.
rkRusty
I first heard of and read the work of Michael Crichton by chance in my early teens, and found him to be one of the most engaging writers I'd come across. That position still holds; his novels are beautifully paced and expertly crafted, with character driven narratives and well constructed dialogue. As a result, I was sceptical as to how well this would come across in film. I'd seen Jurassic Park before I'd read it and found it very entertaining, though reading the novel highlighted how much of the original story had been 're-made for Hollywood'. Thankfully, The Andromeda Strain does not suffer from the obligatory 'magic touch' of Hollywood.It is paced excellently, steadily building tension whilst thoroughly and accurately exploring how science might discover and potentially exploit extraterrestrial life. The characters are realistic, both in appearance and behaviour, each with their own unavoidable faults that add significantly to the story. As a result, there is an unnerving undertone of man's authority, the right of humanity to conquer the unknown, best described by Dr. Stone - "we will understand it and destroy it". By the end, you will not root for mankind.Suffice to say, this is one of the best films I've ever seen, easily the best science fiction film. Thoroughly recommended.
