Contact

Rating:
Summary: Dazzling axe-grinding, but well worth a viewing
Review: Hollywood grinds out yet another movie about making contact with an alien. Ho-hum, right? Hold on. This one is grounded in the real world for a change, not the la-de-da what-if world of a fantasizer (although those can often be quite entertaining; it's just that this one is refreshing because of the perspective of writer/producer Carl Sagan).

We see the struggle of the modern scientist to be taken seriously, the single-mindedness that marks the great mind, the helplessness of losing control of one's "baby," all in the setting of a visually unique experience that's as dazzling as anything I've seen on film.

Yet it's also Sagan's perspective that spoils the experience on one level. His evolution-based theories have always caused him to be singled out for opposition commentary by those who believe in Creation rather than his purist form of natural selection. Therefore his story includes snotty religionists (Rob Lowe in a bit of bizarre casting, thinly disguised as Jerry Falwell) and mindless fanatacism masquerading as religious fervor (stunning role by Jody Busey, son of Gary). This smacks of possibly a "strike back at them" attitude in Sagan's heart, as he seems to see ALL Christians now as wild-eyed freaks and self-righteous hypocrites.

Sagan's idea of presenting a balanced perspective toward those with religious views is to include a near-priest who dropped out because he "couldn't handle celibacy" and hops into the sack with Foster right away, yet is our Godly hero. Puh-leeze. Have to have sex to sell tickets, I guess, but that's seriously left field. Likewise the government people and department heads are all one-dimensional bad guys.

I continue hope in vain that the movie industry at large can one day manage to lose its prejudice against us with a deep faith in God, and thereby present Christians as real three-dimensional people rather than one-note props to play off of and treat as idiots, yet there is no doubt that the story of "Contact" is moving and exciting, visually hypnotic and inventive. Obviously it does not commit the sin of boring the viewer; it's one you can debate after seeing it.

Further, major props to the makers for at least presenting the scientist herself even-handedly. She is not Ms. Perfect. That would have been unforgivable. It's a shame she's the only character in the entire story who really seems like a real person with complexities and a past. For a 2-1/2 hour film, you'd think at least one other character would have the hint of a personal history. Oh well, not everyone can create a Babylon 5 universe.....

Rating:
Summary: Out of This World, Yet In It
Review: This movie has a lot to offer. Besides the fact that the special effects are great and the acting is great, the story is entertaining and realistic (okay, to a degree). The science world is exposed as to how it really is -- more driven by money, politics and ego than most care to admit. It also shows that although science can do wonders, it is not the answer to everything (by the way, my background is in the hard sciences). Before you know it, you may be wondering about Godel's Incompleteness Theorem and really appreciating what it says.

Rating:
Summary: Wanna Take a Ride?
Review: Wanna Take a ride?

This is a really great movie, for those who like to question what really is out there. While Jodi Foster is not my ideal image as an ambassador of our planet I have to say that she does a great job here.

Overall-Yes Armagedon was more fun, but this one has better science

Rating:
Summary: How Could They Go So Horribly Wrong?
Review: Author Carl Sagan? Big name.

Director Robert Zemeckis? Big name.

Academy Award winning actress Jodie Foster? Big name.

Not three strikes, but still an out ... out cold as in a sleepfest came CONTACT onto the silver screen. Based on the book by Carl Sagan, the premise is fascinating: an alien intelligence finally makes contact with SETI, providing mankind with instructions to build ... well ... er ... something that'll make advanced contact possible.

Even with stellar supporting performances by James Woods, Matthew Connaughey (sp?), Tom Skerritt, and Angela Bassett, somehow CONTACT still feels sadly like 'the little engine that couldn't,' a conglomeration of talent surrounding some big ideas that only delivers a 'Twilight Zone' type ending.

However, major kudos and hats off to cast & crew for keeping the film -- as does the book -- on track with the stellar theme that, before we start understanding the cosmos, we should begin with understanding ourselves. Once more and perhaps its only notable achievement is the fact that CONTACT underscores the final frontier may not lie in a galaxy far, far away but very well be inside each and every one of us as the truest human condition.

Rating:
Summary: My first DVD!
Review: Having owned and seen many DVD's since getting my player in '98, I can now come back and say that this is one of the best. CONTACT is based on a book by Carl Sagan, and I approached it with caution but interest. It was a wonderful film to see on the big screen and of course lost some of that power in the transfer to your TV set. That aside, the transfer is GREAT and the sound-especially if you have DD 5.1 (I believe there is a DTS version as well) -is fantastic. The extras are actually interesting here; I really loved the explanation of the computer animated sequence for the opening of the picture. The other menu items are also interesting.

Knowing Sagan's proclivities, I figured there would be a strong 'bash on religious thought' undercurrent to the film. I was pleased to see that that was not the case. The monumental issues of faith and science were *generally* dealt with respectfully. I did find Matthew M's character (former man of the cloth Palmer Joss) to be an interesting foil for Jodie Foster, SETI scientist, answering her pointed questions with even more thought-provoking statements like "Prove it." I appreciated that because, in fact, the naturalist/rationalist is at the same pains to support their ideologies. But I digress... Perhaps the most interesting point to the entire film is the way in which Foster's doubting character is forced to defend herself in the face of evidence that she imagined the entire experience. This alone leads me to believe that the entire purpose of the film is to tell the story of one person's transformation from skeptic to surprised and berated believer. How interesting...

On the other hand, the preacher has no problem sleeping with Jodie Foster which was more than a bit strange, and the film's consistant portrayal of religious followers/leaders as morons and lunatics (Busey) grated on me after a while. Ugh. How tiring. How a number of reviewers can claim that this film was some sort of religious propaganda is *beyond* me. Outside of 'Palmer Joss' the 'religious' characters are anything but likeable. In the end, the film was still very good and well worth seeing despite these issues. It remains a powerful film with amazing originality. The effects are wonderful, the displays of CNN crew and President Clinton effective at first, then a bit annoying. Finally, to answer the question 'What was the point of having Jodie Foster travel all that way to meet her father?' Uh, I think the reasons for that are obvious:

1) To prove to some of the numbskull film audience out there that perhaps not everything in life is not tied up with a ribbon as nicely as we want it to be.

2) The fact that perhaps this alien culture tailors these trips to the individual making them-and they knew that Foster's character had unfinished business with her father.

3) Plus, rather than overloading Foster's character, they presented themselves in a pleasing form. Makes sense to me.

Rating:
Summary: What a Bummer!
Review: Will anyone please explain to me why Foster meets her space alien - who turns out to be her own dead father - on a tropical beach? What is this supposed to mean? This film offends just about everyone: science fiction buffs, scientists, atheists, religionists, those who believe in aliens, those who don't, and most of us hoping for alien contact of the Spielberg kind. If you think there's going to be lots of interesting special effects, fast forward the film after the first five minutes to the last ten minutes. This should save you hours of boredom. Also, is this what Carl Sagan wrote? Shame on him if he did! Zemeckis's own Forrest Gump could write a better story! I have a feeling the book ought to be different, but after this movie I'm not interested enough to bother finding out....

Rating:
Summary: Giving Atheists and Believers common Ground
Review: I saw this movie when it was released in 1997. I was impressed by many aspects of it. I liked how instead of telling us or showing us everything that was happening all the time, we got to see it on CNN's breaking news. I thought that was a pretty cool way of displaying the movie. Plus they tied it in with current events of that time. Remember the clip of the bodies being taken out of that San Diego home when members of the Heavens Gate killed themselves? They stuck that in. I still remember that too.
Second of all, I thought it was great that it tackled the subject of faith....NOT RELIGION. Remember, in the movie, religion dies (when the machine blows up) but, faith and science survive.

Ok, I dont think I want to give away anymore of the movie. I swear this is one of the last movies that actually made me think other than Minority Report. I love movies and I hate when people criticize them. I think we watch too many of them as a society and then begin to not appreciate them. Remember, they are for our entertainment.

Rating:
Summary: Was this a movie or did they try to promote CNN?
Review: When you want to create a world for a big budget science fiction movie, it has to litterally be it';s own world with little or no connection with the everyday world. Showing CNN news casters in this movie from start to finish was clearly a case of over-kill and took away from what the film was supposed to be, had George Lucas or Steven Spielberg made this movie, it would have been a lot more then what was delivered here, which was not much.
Carl Sagan's best known films and statements on Mankind's place in the universe was much better explored with the PBS series, COSMOS.

Rating:
Summary: Make "Contact", Despite Newsbreaks
Review: Based on the late Carl Sagan's best selling novel of the same name, the movie version of CONTACT, is in the end, a mixed effort... Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster), an astronomer, who is convinced that an alien life form is trying to communicate a message to earth. After hearing from the United States goverment, her beliefs as a scientist are questioned by a lot of people, includig her friend and (sometime) lover, Palmer Joss ( Matthew McConaughey). Palmer is a man of spritual faith and that puts them at odds. As a project to "see what's out there" takes shape, the entire nation wonders, are we alone?

For the most part, the film stays true to the book, wth its themes and central characters. However, director Robert Zemeckis, chose to use, a few gimmicks to tell his version, that got to be a bit much. In order to make the film more realistic, a slew of reporters and anchors from CNN show up, to impart information to the audience. I have no problem with using one or two folks from the network, but (it seemed like everyone got into the act) after a while it got to be a bit of a distraction, and in my opinion, that hurts the film. The novelty wears thin. He also incorporates then President Clinton into the film--a la FORREST GUMP-so that charaters can interact with him. The only problem with this is that dates the film and again that kind of gnawed at me. Still, Foster is so good as Ellie, that she makes the movie worth a look. Sagan wrote a wonderful book that looked at all sides of the extra-terrestrial debate and made the reader think--the film does too-when it's not driving home the fact that the studio that made the film, and CNN, are media partners

The DVD features 3 audio commentaries. (A) has Jodie Foster (the best track), (B) has Zemeckis and Co-producer Steve Starsky, and (C) has the special effects team of Ken Ralson and Stephen Rosenbaum. There's also a bunch of extras on the F/X of the film. Most of it is well produced and informative

In the end, I think the book is better, but I still think the film deserves a look, if you have never seen it. Recommended with ***and a half stars

Rating:
Summary: Superb adaptation of a wonderful book.
Review: This movie has it all. I read the book first, and usually that means I won't like the movie. Of course this was a total surprise. Sagan's work transferred very well onscreen, with only a few minor differences. Foster is always excellent to watch, and what a great chemistry she shares with Matthew McConaughey! If you haven't seen Contact or read the book, please try it out. You'll go for a heckuva ride from one side of the Universe to the other, and discover that the human heart holds the greatest journey all the while :)