Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful
Review: A wonderful story written by a wonderful man, Carl Sagan. Highlights mankind's weaknesses and strengths, and shows the difference between blind faith and true science.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent movie, poor dvd edition
Review: This is an excellent story. Jodie Foster is compelling as the child that never stopped believing in her dreams, in spite of everything. Oscar-worthy performance by her and her costar (Matthew M.)Very watchable movie that can handle multiple viewings. However, this dvd edition's "extras" come up VERY short. Audio commentaries sound canned & non-interactive. They would have been better off adding alternate language tracks. There is NO theatrical trailer on this edition, which is a shame because Contact had a very good one. Buy this dvd because you like the movie (which is good), but dont expect to be thrilled with so-called collector's edition bonuses. I'd rather buy a "no-frills" dvd than buy this one expecting something extra.
Rating:
Summary: Successfully Walks Between Fact & Fantasy
Review: It may be understandable that "Contact" is well seen in Carl's adopted town of Ithaca, NY, where his wife, Ann, still lives. Ann has said that Carl would be proud and happy with this film. For me "Contact" was able to nicely walk the tightrope between fantasy and fact. A good many of the characters you see are based on real people that Carl knew in the SETI community. While we can't know what will happen when - and I do say when - we discover other life in the universe, "Contact" gives us a good account of the nobility that the human race will show when it happens (embodied largely in Ellie), the ignomy (embodied largely for me in the portrayal of the Government and David Drumlin), and the misplaced but sincere concern we'll all feel (embodied in Palmer Joss). In the end "Contact" is actually not about the aliens. It's not about the search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. It's not about the science or the technology. Carl Sagan, as he did so many times, wrote a story about US - the human race, the human condition as we will be when we take that final, humbling step on the road Copernicus put us on so many centuries ago when he ripped the Earth from the center of the universe and put it as one of so many planets in the Solar System. As such, "Contact" doesn't have to be seen as a Science Fiction film if you don't want to see it as such. You'll love this film if you've ever felt passionate about anything in your life. You'll love this film if you've ever had that passion challenged. Heck, you don't even have to know what a radio telescope is! See this film. Who knows, we might see it in real life sometime.
Rating:
Summary: True to Sagan's vision.
Review: This movie truely did justice to the vision of Carl Sagan. Watch, listen, and enjoy... PS
The world is a lesser place without Carl Sagan. May he rest in peace.
Rating:
Summary: Contact: A fitting legacy for Carl
Review: "Contact" is one of my favorite movies of all time. The concepts it explores, both scientific and spiritual, are dear to my heart and not, as some believe, mutually exclussive. As long as imminently talented people like Robert Zemekis and Jodie Foster nurture the visionaries like Carl Sagan, Issac Asimov and those who follow, we will continue to evolve and we will do it in style. I am certain that some of those future visionaries will be inspired by this movie. Jodie Foster gives a dynamic performance, as good as anything she has done before. The special effects and the musical score are incredible. I have owned the VHS version of "Contact since it became available and it was one of the first movies I purchased on DVD the first week I had my new player. This movie deserves a place in any video library and it is a must have for anyone who believes that we are not alone in the Universe.
Rating:
Summary: One of the few times the movie is even better than the book
Review: As a great fan of the late Carl Sagan's book "Contact" I was worried this movie would not stay true to the idealogy and themes of the original. I was extremely pleasantly suprised. Not only did it stay true, but the slight modification to the story added a whole sub-theme to the story, adding an element of beliefs and religion and how we justify our beliefs that wasn't in the book. It was an enhancement that only improved the story, which was great as it was. The acting is superb and well cast.
Rating:
Summary: Excelent
Review: This movie raises questions about God, the universe, and just about everything that is, or isn't out there. Jodie Foster gives a great (as usual) performance as Ellie Arroway, an ambitious scientist who will do anything, even give her own life, to answer the big question: Is there other life out there? For all of the believers this is a fun film. This is based on the book by the late Carl Sagan, who the character Ellie is loosely based on. Ellie is a female in a dominantly male perfession trying to make it. When she finds a code hidden in the radio waves from outer space, she has to decode it. Everyone else tries to take credit for her work, which just plain [made me mad]. The viewer is right along with Ellie trying to fit together the pieces of the puzzle. Palmer Joss, played by Mathew McConaughey tries to teach Ellie about God, even though she doesn't believe in Him. The movie is mostly about science v.s. religion, ultimately saying they have the same goal: the search for truth.
Rating: 
Summary: Why Jodie...?
Review: This movie has just about everything right about it - apart from the usual ending which is totally ridiculous. If you were about to send someone into a machine which you didn't understand, to somewhere you had no idea about etc etc (aka Stargate experience) - why send Jodie? She spends the entire end of the movie crying - I can't really see a marine getting too affected by all that.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies I have seen
Review: Contact -- based on the best-selling novel by Carl Sagan -- is one of the best movies that I have ever seen. The story has many different levels which mean so much more than what it appears to mean on the surface. Jodie Foster plays Eleanor Arroway, a scientist who listens for signals from civilizations in other galaxies while struggling with the prejudices against women and her career, which is considered silly. But what this story is really about is the way religion and the government control science today. This movie is one that needs to be watched several times to really get the true meaning. In Contact, you get profound acting along with a brilliant story plot that gives you a deep message that can be interpretted on different levels. Along with this, you get stunning visual effects unlike any other. Part of what makes this such a good movie is the all-star cast of Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, and James Woods, plus the directing of Robert Zemeckis. The only thing that I didn't like about Contact was the way they used Bill Clinton as the president, not an actor. They used his images from video clips of him in real life which never seemed to fit in correctly. Contact is truly a movie for all ages and I hope that they re-release it in the theaters again, I would be the first to see it.
Rating:
Summary: consider the good this movie has done to our society...
Review: Acting skills and screenplay quality aside (which were the best I've ever seen), this film had accomplished what very few others had not, which is to provide the viewers with ideas that would change their lives. Just think about how many brilliant school kids made up their mind to pursue (good) science, and for this matter, to help make Earth a better habitat after they were shown the splendid magic of Carl Sagan, Robert Zemekis, and many others committed to educate the mass. Just consider the good this movie has done to our society(and what many others had done the exact opposite), _Contact_ is unambiguously the best film ever made by our species.
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