Rating: 
Summary: SKIP IT!
Review: THIS MOVIE HAD TO BE THE ALL TIME WORST SCI-FI MOVIE EVER......IF YOU SEE THIS MOVIE COMING YOUR WAY......RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!!!!!! DON'T BUY IT...DON'T RENT IT......JUST SKIP IT!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Another case of Book MUCH BETTER than movie
Review: I can understand why this movie retails at 15.00. Save yourself and read the book or better yet listen to the audio book. Movie is difficult to follow and leaves out many important details to the story.
Rating: 
Summary: SPHERE is a psychological thriller not a Sci-Fi film.
Review: An interesting concept that held my attention well throughout. But, if you thought Dustin Hoffman was out of place in OUTBREAK, you'll have a hard time with SPHERE as well. Forget about the fact that Samuel L Jackson, Sharon Stone and Hoffman were wasted on this film. None seemed to know how to deal with their respective characters. I suspect much of the total film remains on the cutting room floor. All of that now said, let the exploration of the concept be your reason to see this film. The gradual realization of nature of the film's antagonist makes the process worthwhile. This film could have been very good with a LESS notable cast and an ending that doesn't seem like a cop-out.
Rating:
Summary: Could have been better
Review: This movie is a disappointment. It's a collection of great actors and a potentially great story that ends up wandering aimlessly on film. Has occasional moments of excitement but also occasional moments of unbelieveable lameness. A good plot gone wrong!
Rating: 
Summary: Hoffman, Stone, and Jackson are mesmerizingly intense...
Review: Crichton's idea will fascinate me until the day I die. The question raised by the subject matter, "what if mankind [chosen men and women, necessarily], is given ultimate power..?", is a tantilizing one. The novel is utterly and satisfyingly mysterious; refusing to answer any questions it may raise, instead it raises greater and greater ones, until the ending claims the greatest unanswered question of all.This film, while achieving nothing in terms of the mystery and nightmarish wonder it should've, still excels as follows: the acting is perfect. Hoffman, Stone, and Jackson are mesmerizingly intense. Maintaining their humanity despite the terrors inflicted upon them from within and beyond, they entertain completely. They do wonders. I love the book, and consider this film one of my favorites.
Rating:
Summary: SF film has its moments
Review: Sphere has a lot in common with BLADE RUNNER: both films deal with complex issues and themes that are not commonly found in science fiction films; both films had their budgets slashed just prior to filming; both underwent extensive rewrites and editing to compensate for the reduced budget(hence the adaption and screenplay credits). SPHERE is an a flawed film that, like BLADE RUNNER, might gain additional appreciation over time for its intelligent treatment of a complex theme. There was similiar carping about BLADE RUNNER comparing the novel(DO ANDRIODS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP by Phil Dick) to the film and similiar bad reviews. SPHERE deals out a number of ambitious themes. Although the film doesn't have the best hand to play, director Barry Levinson does his best with the material at hand. Keeping in mind the crippling imperfections found in the film, SPHERE is still worth owning. Although it doesn't sucessfully deal with all the themes presented and the screenplay has a number of weaknesses, Levinson deals with the material intelligently and the cast, with a few exceptions, performs admirably.
Rating:
Summary: A Unique Film
Review: If science fiction is what you love, then Sphere will grab your intellectual senses and keep them flowing. This put to screen Michael Crichton story is tragically underrated. I, myself, am a very demanding and harsh film reviewer and it is very rare in my business that I would take the time to write such a synopsis. Yet, I can't let an excellent and well executed sci-fi thriller be so wrongfully put down. The film will capture you if you love sci-fi and are willing to understand the unique style it jusifies. Barry Levinson's direction was not rushed, it was alike that of Wag The Dog and very interesting because of the lack of these original techniques in other sci-fi films. The acting of course is everything you'd expect it to be, top-notch. And no, the acting is not the only aspect of film that holds it together. Please, don't let the ignorant mislead you. Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Worse than the sum of its parts
Review: When I heard that they were going to make a movie based on the Crichton's novel Sphere, I wondered why they bothered. When I read the novel back in the early 80s, I thought the novel was a mess. There were stock horror scenes mixed with some interesting mysteries, and an extremely clumsy ending. The movie could not break that mold, despite some inventive scenes. At the end of movie, I had the "why bother" feeling so similar to that I had close to 20 years ago. The production value is very good though.
Rating: 
Summary: Extremly good plot and special effects, lacks flowing.
Review: Extremly goof plot and special effects, though I believe the book is much better.
Rating:
Summary: don't sit through this movie, let alone own it
Review: Why can't movie makers consider quality in their decisions rather than names, alone?! This movie is pathetic. Anyone that pays money for it is doing a tremendous disservice to audiences everywhere! Truly insipid! I'm dissappointed that these stars would want to ride on the overblown Creighton train so badly that they'd settle for such garbage.
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