Sphere

Sphere is a 1998 science fiction film, an adaptation of a Michael Crichton novel, starring Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel Jackson and Queen Latifah. Barry Levinson directs. I haven't read the book, and this is the first time I've seen the movie. Critics don't tend to like this. I think it's an ok movie, even if the ending does just lay there. Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

trailer:


It's on youtube in 13 parts, which should autoplay from here:


Moria says,

It is puzzling as to why Sphere died a box-office death, as it is a fine film. One suspects the reason for such is that it eschews big-budget special effects, which are synonymous with science-fiction these days, in favour of cerebral, psychological drama.

Roger Ebert gives it 1 1/2 stars and says, "The more the plot reveals, the more we realize how little there is to reveal, until finally the movie disintegrates into flaccid scenes where the surviving characters sit around talking about their puzzlements." The New York Times calls it "a solid thriller with showy scientific overtones". Variety describes it as "derivative" and "an empty shell." Entertainment Weekly pans it, saying it "sinks from the weight of its own heavyhandedness." The poor film only gets a 13% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.