The Andromeda Strain (1969)

[unclejack]

Hey peoples, I just watched the Andromeda Strain on Netflix last night and I loved it. I increasingly find that true science fiction is found more in the classics than anywhere else. I really did love this one, I didn't find it to be too slow or drawn out at all. I hate it when the current blend of sci fi and horror makes the fatal mistake of revealing the true mystery of the threat facing the main characters in the film within the first 30 minutes of the movie. The science fiction element of this film was maxed out and it really kept me wondering what the true nature of the supposed virus was right up until the moment of revelation. It's one of those movies that kinda creeps up on you. Nothing seems to be happenin for the whole movie but when you do finally get wind of what's goin on the suspense level kicks itself into overdrive and you are swept away wondering how it's going to turn out. I like the fact that they give you no indication throughout the film as to whether or not you're watchin a "Dr. Strangelove" film that ends with the destruction of the world so you really don't know how it will end.
Plus I think it's really original to make the alien threat something biological instead of a full blown out alien life form intended on destroying mankind via some kind of super death ray or somethin. That really exposes the fluidity of the universe and does a good job of showing how powerless we are against a potential threat in nature itself, especially when it is from outer space and is light years beyond our technological capabilites to understand. Anwyay, I just thought I'd rant for a few minutes but I really did love the film.

 

[Quokka]

Great movie, I've always loved movies with scientists in a lab somewhere either fighting to stop an outbreak or creating something that later gets out of hand and having seen it as a kid, The Andometer Strain is probably largely to blame. Read the book (Michael Crichton) recently and IMO its one of the few examples were the movie is actually almost as good as the book.

*Spoiler*

The climax often gets a bad rap, I actually liked how it was linked to the virus spreading but could have done without the 'hero' climbing up a ladder avoiding lasers built to shoot escaping monkeys?

 

[Vladd67]

I enjoyed the film but I did feel the ending was a bit of a cop out

 

[j d worthington]

I enjoyed the film but I did feel the ending was a bit of a cop out

Which part of the ending? The "single man" bit, or the warning at the end?

At any rate, I thought the "single man" item worked very well, frankly. It narrowed the focus to a single individual while at the same time driving home the breadth of the potential result of what he was trying to prevent. For that moment, he became humanity, frail and faulted with enormous courage and determination... all of which may just be for nothing.

As for the warning at the end... in a way, it's the old scare tactic, but it nonetheless is a perhaps quite valid concern... and we don't know but what something of that nature may be floating around out there. We've not met up with such (or its analog) so far, but the possibility remains... Improbable it may be, but we'll only know for certain if it's possible or not if we really do find ourselves in that position....

I guess from what I've said you can tell I like the film quite a bit. I'm usually quite impressed with Robert Wise's films, and it seems that just about any sort of film he turns his hand to, he does a very good job. Just take a gander at his filmography, and you'll see what I mean....

Robert Wise (I)

 

[Foxbat]

I'm not a fan of Crichton's work but credit where it's due, this is probably his finest - and the film ain't too bad either

 

[kythe]

I seem to be the odd one out here, but I really didn't like the movie. I think the book is one of Crichton's best. He provides a unique perspective on extraterrestrial threats in a well-written story. The movie was hard to follow, though. I'm not sure I would have gotten much out of it had I not read the book first.

 

[unclejack]

I really don't totally dissagree with you kythe. The movie is pretty slow in the middle of it and if you aren't all that enthralled by the overall premise of the movie uou may find it hard to follow it to the ending which is actually quite suspensefull. Mostly I just love the realistic aspect of it. Most science fiction movies that deal with an alien threat of some kind jump straight to the whole monster theme and ignore all the biological implications of having an alien life form in our atmosphere. I personally find a biological threat to much more frightening than some monstrous alien coming to kill everyone.

 

[j d worthington]

I also like the fact that they didn't change that aspect of Crichton's novel, and kept the very fact of our fallibility (such as Dr. Leavitt's fear of losing her position should her tendency to seizures be known, or the very precautions we take to eliminate such an organism via nuclear annihilation) being perhaps as great a menace as the alien organism....

 

[unclejack]

Yeah, the movie does have kind of an ironic twist to it at the end and speaks alot of our falibility as you put it. You spend the whole movie watching this extremely top secret facility with the most sophisticated scientific tools and knowledge at their disposal and in the end the most obvious solution that the can come up with turns out to be the biggest threat.

 

[Delvo]

What was this twist? I've seen the movie but forgotten, or I didn't finish it.