Rating: 
Summary: Greatest sci-fi movie ever..
Review: I'm not a big fan of sci-fi movies besides Star Wars, but I managed to catch this one on TV one night. This is one the best movies ever! You don't watch this one for the special effects, you watch this one for the totally errieness when they're doing research on the sample. An excellent movie with errie sound effects and even some decent suspense for a movie like this. A must see!
Rating: 
Summary: Taut Suspense Thriller by Academy Award Winning Director
Review: The director of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL went on to make the classic SOUND OF MUSIC, and in between he crafted this highly suspenseful tale of battle against a potential virus outbreak which could destroy the world's population in a matter of days. In the tradition of X-Files paranoia, it becomes clear along the way that the crashed government sattelite which brings back the microbes was probably sent up for just that purpose -- to provide the military with a biological weapon. The cast is full of great underrated actors giving some of their best performances, including Canadian Kate Reid, Walter Hill, and David Wayne. If you are a fan of movies that make a serious effort to portray the possiblity of a doomsday virus in a reality-based "procedural" way, Robert Wise's movie compares favorably to anything else out there, including OUTBREAK or THE STAND, and it's far better than most films of this "genre". THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN was critically well-received for its taut suspense and sharp, modern editing style and excellent performances. Often edited for television, I confidently recommend the theatrical version of this tech-thriller classic.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best of the genre
Review: The book this movie was adapted from has become bit of a classic, despite being the work of a young and inexperienced (at the time) writer. The movie, however, is full of second-string TV actors and suffers from cheap effects and a script that glosses over the interesting technical bits in the book, in some places simply substituting nonsense. Still, it's worth seeing as it's become one of the small classics of technical sci-fi, much like "The Forbin Project". Just don't expect too much from it.
Rating:
Summary: Cherish this film -- no better film out there
Review: This is a biased review, OK? Why is this one of my personal favorites? I love the intensity of this film, the xenodochium, the scenes in Mr. Stone's house, the entire cast, the military heavies (esp. Major Manchek), the decontamination procedures, Gil Melle's unusually effective electronic score. This film is so near and dear to my heart I doubt I can write an effective review. But, no, I don't think the science is that visibly outdated. Even if one ascribes the events to have actually happened in 1970, so what? Maybe it actually happened in 1970 with the computers of the day. My God what a wonderful, wonderful movie. Thank you Mr Wise. Thank you, Mr. Chrichton. This movie makes the act of hunching over a computer doing some intense technical work exciting and profound! Explore the boundaries of the possible!
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Summary: a great sci-fi movie !
Review: a realistic sci-fi movie! the plot, the conflict, the actors, not very attractive-makes you question the government! one of my favorites!
Rating:
Summary: The best science-fiction film of all time
Review: Let me qualify that remark with a few statements. Star Wars was pure fantasy in a sci-fi setting. Star Trek takes great liberties with technical accuracy, making it more space opera than real science fiction. 2001 probably qualifies as science fiction but the main ideas are more metaphysical than anything scientific. That leaves Andromeda Strain with the title of the best hard-science science-fiction film of all time. The Andromeda Strain shows how a hard-science plot can be made exciting. True, the technology is a little dated, but it only adds to the realism. I'm sure this film won't appeal to the same people who will flock to rainless action flicks like this summer's Wild Wild West, but if you have a brain and your willing to use it, this film is great entertainment. Oh, and just to correct the previous poster, Andromeda did come out on laserdisc and that transfer was gorgeous.
Rating:
Summary: Almost as good as the book.
Review: I originally saw the movie eons ago as a kid and it really impressed me and left me a bit unsettled. Last week I stumbled upon the book at a flea market and thought it would be a good read. Read it in two sittings. Great book! But about the movie..... Had to see the movie again with the book fresh in my mind. Everything was the same except for the change of sex of one character, the switching of her personality with another (in the book, her character had the authoritative role that the older gentlemen provided in the movie) and the ending was a little different. Overall, it still left me with a bit of a creepy, unsettled feeling. Get the movie, yes! Get the book, even better!!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie marred by a horrible transfer or print
Review: Intelligent, taught, suspense thriller that I saw in the theatre when it was first released. All of the technical goo in the picture is somewhat dated by today's standards, but if you keep the age of the film in mind while watching, you'll be more forgiving. The fact that most of the equipment used in the production was real also adds to the viewing experience. I do have a major complaint with this DVD though. This transfer has to be the worst I've ever seen, Laserdisc or DVD (though the film never made it to Laser). Maybe it's a good transfer of the worst print I've ever seen. Either way, the viewing pleasure is diminished because of it. I understood that Robert Wise was emulating a pseudo-documentary style, but even the worst government documentary I've ever seen wasn't this grainy. If there's a reason for the grain that anyone knows of, please fill me in.
Rating:
Summary: One of the finest 'hard SF' thrillers
Review: If you're a fan of hard SF and accurate science, you'll probably love this movie. The first time I watched it, the sense of tension and nervousness was incredible. However, if you don't have any scientific training, you probably won't always understand the implications of what's happening, and will miss a lot of the subtle details. Basically, if you've studied any biochemistry or cell biology, this is the thriller for you. If not... well, it's still a classic SF movie, but you probably won't be biting your nails. The characterizations are good; it's easy to forget how unusual it was to see scientists portrayed realistically in the cinema thirty years ago. The movie is also interesting for its innovative use of multiple frames within the widescreen image. In fact, if you haven't seen it widescreen, you really haven't seen it at all.
Rating:
Summary: A great idea, followed by a great book, followed by a great
Review: I am curently reading the book, but I have already seen the movie. The movie is very good. It was the movie that led me to read the book! What makes this work of art stand out from the rest is how through and intresting it is. The movie is through the same way the book has been. Also the book has a very intresting topic, a viris from our own planet kills an entire town and has to be stopped. This is also so believable, much more that the aliens kill everyone on the planet type movie. This makes you think that it is really happining, and will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time! Watch this movie right away!
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