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The Andromeda Strain
When virtually all of the residents of Piedmont, New Mexico, are found dead after the return to Earth of a space satellite, the head of the US Air Force's Project Scoop declares an emergency. A group of eminent scientists led by Dr. Jeremy Stone scramble to a secure laboratory and try to first isolate the life form while determining why two people from Piedmont - an old alcoholic and a six-month-old baby - survived. The scientists methodically study the alien life form unaware that it has already mutated and presents a far greater danger in the lab, which is equipped with a nuclear self-destruct device designed to prevent the escape of dangerous biological agents.
Release : | 1971 |
Rating : | 7.2 |
Studio : | Universal Pictures, |
Crew : | Art Direction, Production Design, |
Cast : | Arthur Hill David Wayne James Olson Kate Reid Paula Kelly |
Genre : | Thriller Science Fiction |
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Sorry, this movie sucks
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This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
When we talk about science fiction films, few are able to maintain a touch of realism that adds a fascinating taste of suspense to the work. The Andromeda Strain, is one of those few films.When a satellite hits the earth, infected with a lethal alien organism that threatens to destroy humanity, a group of scientists has the task of discovering how to combat such an entity, over time, they will discover that there is much more to fight than the unknown.This is one of my few favorite fictional movies that make me sit on the edge of the chair, paying close attention to every detail, every word, every argument, listening and fascinating as I enter a world of completely incredible science. Few movies are capable of achieving this realism, since sometimes reality is often boring for some. But they are wrong. The reality exceeds fiction. This movie proves it with great magnitudes. Even if the main idea itself may sound fake. It can develop at any moment on our planet, and the only way to fight such a threat is with science.This is where the word '' scientific accuracy '' stands. Since this film has dialogues so perfectly armed that I could not believe it was fiction, I felt myself approaching a world of medicine and viral diseases, an excellent world that teaches me the most brilliant side of humanity.With an incredible suspense, fascinating performances, remarkable scenes, a cinematography that leaves me even terrified at times, this movie is included in the list of the best realistic science fiction films.With the only disadvantage, being slow progress. A bit tedious waiting, but absolutely worth it. Even if the advance may seem slow, the movie is built correctly over time and teaches us the virtue of patience, science and medicine, magnificent fields that become the 3 main elements of this movie.
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.
Too bad that a white-knuckle premise is undercut by laborious execution. Seems an experimental space scoop has brought back an alien life form from outside Earth's orbit that has killed a small New Mexico town. The exceptions are an old man and a baby who somehow survived. Now a high-security laboratory set up for investigating such possibilities must determine the nature of the life form before it spreads. A small specialized group of scientists are assigned the earth-shaking task.The first 10-minutes or so are excitingly compelling. However the movie's remainder turns relentlessly inward into a self-enclosed laboratory space that soon stifles the promising beginning. Now I have nothing against technical argot, but 90-minutes or so of mainly analytic biology soon had me looking around my room. Compounding that esoteric dialog is the self-enclosed space of the multi-level lab itself. In short, the dialog seldom strays from scientific jargon while the camera seldom strays from small spaces. Too bad, because the dimension of an outside world is soon lost. And, after all, it's an outside world in all its diversity that is presumably in peril. Had the screenplay given the researchers more personal context, then the visuals could have relieved some of the monotony by cutting away to family or community. Some such would have humanized the race against time. At the same time, the cast conveys little of the crisis's intensity, and that includes the wise-cracking Reid who I guess is supposed to be comedy relief.That's not to say that the movie fails altogether in suspense or involvement. As indicated, the premise itself is loaded with potential and some manages to surface even amid an over-extended run-time and a stifling context. However, the general treatment appears to get carried away in the process.
THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN is a sci-fi movie with a difference: there are no light sabres here, no outer space travel, instead this is a thinking man's thriller. That's no surprise given that the source material came from a Michael Crichton novel; viewers will note plenty of similarities between this and the likes of WESTWORLD, for instance.In any case, this is a thoughtful, slow-paced sci-fi mystery in which a team of experts try to work out the nature of a killer virus that may have come from space. Of course, the tension soon ramps up when it becomes apparent that they're working against the clock. Almost the entire film takes place in a remote installation and the claustrophobic setting becomes a character in itself.I have to admit that this wasn't one of my favourite movies; some of the middle section seems a little stodgy with not much happening to further the plot. Still, it definitely picks up for the race-against-the-clock climax, and it's not often these days that you see something genuinely fresh and original in the sci-fi genre, so I can see why it holds the status of a minor classic.