The Andromeda Strain (1971) User Reviews

The finest example of how to make science-fiction movies

[danila_1 · 8/10 · 23 December 2002]

The Andromeda Strain is virtually perfect. And it doesn't need the special effects of Alien to succeed in telling the similar story of alien life and our contact with it. The movie is captivating right from the starting credits that introduce us to story. Of course, the director had a brilliant novel of Michael Crichton, but he also did his best to bring this novel to the screen sacrificing neither the main idea, nor the minor details. Actually, all the details that mark every scientific thriller by Crichton are there in the film. The Andromeda Strain doesn't have any dinosaurs, it only has a small virus, but overall it is a much better film than any of the Jurassic Parks. And it succeeds in telling us a great story about science much better than some modern CGI-filled movies like Invisible Man.

Finally, the acting is flawless, the actors are great, sets are excellent. If you want to see a great sci-fi movie, choose this one and you want be disappointed.

Frighteningly absorbing piece of fiction that's fused with fact.

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 14 March 2008]

A satellite from the SCOOP project has crashed into the desert town of Piedmont, the SCOOP project basically entails that the satellite scoops outer space for any alien micro-organisms. After the crash all the residents of Piedmont are killed with the exception of a baby and an old gentleman booze hound. Mankind is on the verge of being destroyed by a leaked alien virus, so a crack team of scientists are gathered in the hope of containing and understanding the virus before the world gets devoid of human life!

Taken from the novel by Michael Crichton, this film is a wonderful lesson in tension building as we follow the scientists through a carefully structured sci-fi plot that will eventually become a race against time thriller. What makes The Andromeda Strain stand out against other genre pieces is the astute and believable approach to the subject matter, we are (in the main) in the presence of proper scientists. There's no super hero tricks forthcoming from these people, these are sensible honest intelligent folk using their combined knowledge to hopefully save the planet? A masterstroke from the makers is that they used largely unknown actors for the film, this gives the story an added grounded believable factor, thus a very useful way of drawing the audience into the drama unfolding. The direction from Robert Wise is very clued in for serio narrative drive, the set design for the underground research facility is top notch, and the actors all give stoic and intelligent performances.

However, it's not without a niggle, for after the excellence of the films first two thirds, it's disappointing to find that the final act reverts to type, which somehow seems misplaced given what the viewer has just been through. Don't get me wrong, it's a fine sequence of events that fuels the dramatic slant, but it comes off as just a bit too glossy in light of the preceding structure. Still, The Andromeda Strain is an intelligent, smart, mature, and knowing film that is standing the test of time for being a great piece of science fiction cinema. 8/10

Shows its Age ??? What ???

[triplem33 · 8/10 · 4 September 2005]

OK. I'm reading these reviews and I keep seeing the same things. Its shows its age. What ? That's like saying the aircraft in a WWII movie show their age. Of course it shows its age - this was the 1970s. Did you expect to see Pentium 4s with DVD Drives? If thats you main criticism then the movie must be good.

It is good. Probably one of the most realistic and suspenseful movies of its kind ever made. Though PURSUIT was pretty good as well. Robert Wise does a very good job of building the story in a leisurely pace that keep you rivetted. I've seen the movie now about a dozen times and it still keeps me interested. Its not one of those movies where you can stop it and watch the remainder the next day. It has to watched in one sitting. I think the casting of ordinary Joes in the leads was very telling. This is a story about science not about characters.

It will be interesting to see what they will do with the remake. Obviously the story is still relevant today - maybe even more so then in the late 60s.

You alread know how it ends

[Joe Eeee · 13 December 1999]

And yet, you just can't help yourself. Under Robert Wise's direction, this tale of microbiological Armageddon unfolds with such perfectly metered suspense that by the 100th viewing, you STILL find yourself glued to your couch. You HAVE to see how it turns out, even though you already know.

Although the film is well over 20 years old, and the computer equipment at the Wildfire laboratory shows its age, this is a perfect change-of-pace film for any movie monster fan. Heck, you've probably already let your kids see the bloody carnage in "Jurassic Park" anyway.

Instead of the usual radioactive mutated towering apparition that flattens cities and topples skyscrapers, the monster in "The Andromeda Strain" is so tiny, it takes powerful electron microscopes to see it. The average movie monster can only cause damage wherever he can stomp, smash or exhale a blast of fiery breath. Andromeda has the potential to be carried to every corner of the world by the winds, where it could conceivably wipe out all life. Try to top THAT, Godzilla!

The real star of the film is Wildfire itself. A government facility located (we thought) safely away from populated areas, it bristles with everything a microbiologist needs to avert a biological disaster. . .or does it?

Seeking an unprecedented realism, director Robert Wise insisted that everything on the set be real, from the computer terminals (with their quaint light pens) all the way to the electron microscopes. The Wildfire set is every microbiologist's dream come true and it's populated by a quartet of actors!

Since the presence of a big-name star might blunt the impact of this high-tech visual feast, Wise carefully assembled a cast of fine actors who just don't happen to be household names. Without rehashing the characterizations, we'll just say that Arthur Hill, David Wayne, James Olson and Kate Reid couldn't possibly have been more perfect for their roles. With a less competent cast, "The Andromeda Strain" could have degenerated into a parody of itself. This is gritty work, saving the world from biological annihilation. It takes real ACTORS, not just pretty-boy movie stars!

Go ahead. Be scared out of your wits by something so tiny, you can't even see it. I dare you to try and get up before it's over.

Fine slow moving sci-fi drama

[lumper · 7/10 · 13 July 2004]

There's an echo of 2001 and a foreshadowing of The Parallax View in this paranoiac sci-fi drama. The movie delights in presenting the tools of science and questions the direction and authority of those elected or selected to preserve us. The pacing strikes modern audiences as slow - it is - but that's the film's greatest success: suspensefully unfolding at a snail's pace. Some of the dialog is stilted and some points are far too belabored (the scene where Dr. Mark Hall, James Olson, is instructed on the use of his key is a tedious overplaying of the moment). The cast do what they can with dialog that sounded a little trite and predictable in its day and sadly is the main thing that mars an otherwise hypnotic journey into the dangers of modern governments and modern science. At the film's core, however, is a lesson that bears repeating, lest we forget.

A Sci-Fi with a capital "S".

[haggar · 10/10 · 22 May 2004]

I have always been attracted by science, since my early childhood. I remember seeing this movie and being fascinated by the science and technology on display in it. Today, as a MSC EE, I can see that the science in "Andromeda Strain" is accurate. In fact, it's the most accurate of all Sci-Fi movies I have ever seen (and I have seen the great majority of Sci-Fi cinema).

That's one reason I love this movie.

But there are other, probably subjective reasosn for my adulation of "Andromeda Strain": believable people and believable situations (no "last microsecond decision/action/occurance", no over-the-top behaviour, just human quirkyness, no one-man-does-it-all but teamwork and birth of ideas) and the avoidance of the cliche of only-1-will-survive. So, yes, I liked the script a lot.

I also thought the actors were good and the setting was brilliant. I am not put off by dated computer technology: the film clearly illustrates the computing capabilities at the beginning of the '70, and I find something educative and strangely reassuring in that.

I give it 10/10, and am sad that nobody produced a Sci-Fi as scientificly accurate ever since.

This is not sci-fi, this is SCIENCE-ficion

[baberchik · 6/10 · 8 June 2014]

I am going to go as far as saying the movie is unique in every way. Where detail loses to generalization - this movie digs deep in the small details. Where the enemy of a "regular" sic-fi movie is a horror flick alien - here it is the horror of helplessness against an organism just some microns in size. Being slow-paced, showing attention to detail and carefully serving audience the more or less csi-like approach to science, minus the action and theatrics, makes this movie some kind of anomaly as if scientists were themselves to chose what *they* would like to see as an action movie, rather than being dictated what some people view science as ... and that could just as well be traced to old Frankenstein movies where "science" is a collection of random gadgets and stereotypical special effects. This is the kind of originality that sets Andromeda Strain apart, with a unique atmosphere and a very original approach to putting the viewer if not in the hot seat, then at the very least in a tense situation. I give it 6 points none the less, because I can see how this kind of movie will never have great appeal with the general audience.

Near Perfect

[henry-girling · 9/10 · 20 March 2003]

Robert Wise is an under rated director but in his body of work are such gems as 'The Body Snatcher', 'The Set-Up', 'The Day the Earth Stood Still', 'Odds Against Tomorrow', 'The Haunting', 'West Side Story', 'I Want to Live!' and on its own terms, 'The Sound of Music'. He managed to make genre films more interesting and watchable than other more celebrated directors.

'The Andromeda Strain' is an engrossing film from beginning to end. It is science fiction, alien virus comes to earth type thing, but has more depth than just that. The scientists, played very well by Arthur Hill, David Wayne, Kate Reid and James Olson, are fallible and have real emotions. Yet in them is a longing to know, to discover, to solve. Most popular cinema celebrate the fist or the gun but part of the excitement of this film is the use of the intellect to tackle the problem. Brains and not brawn is key.

The early scenes in the town of Piedmont are fascinating. Nothing dramatic, only small details adding up to a large tragedy. Restrained film making is not common but in this case it is really effective. After these scenes the film moves on as fear and wonder grip the scientists to a satisfying conclusion.

The electronic music is just right, the sets are atmospheric, the hard ware plausible and the photography simple and effective. A mention should be made of Paula Kelly as a nurse, an excellent actor and shamefully under used in films. (She is great in 'Sweet Charity' too.)In a supporting role she gives an intelligent, spirited performance.

A near perfect film. Hopefully no one will re-make it.

Excellent sci/fi

[Prof-Hieronymos-Grost · 7/10 · 26 November 2008]

After a military satellite crashes near a remote desert town, investigators find that the town is still intact but that the bodies of the townsfolk are lying lifeless in the streets. Further investigations makes them believe that a virus from outer space has been brought down to Earth. Tests show it to be very virulent and so as secret tests are done to find an antidote, plans are being made to nuke the town before it can spread worldwide. Wise yet again shows his adeptness with different genres, here adapting the Michael Crichton novel. The film is full of the usual sci/fi paraonoia about humanity meddling with science, but its done very well and although its slow, its still quite riveting viewing. The cast of virtual unknowns helps the films immensely as does the electronic score.

Great hardcore sci-fi. Crichton's best

[mstomaso · 9/10 · 3 July 2005]

The 1970s were a time before some of the "intelligentsia" of American culture began to abandon rationality and reject science on pseudo-ethical grounds. Unsurprisingly, then, 1970s sci-fi is often better informed by science than the sci-fi of later decades, and it is also often more thoughtful and intelligently written. The Andromeda Strain is one of the best hardcore sci fi epics from a decade which brought us such genre classics as 2001, Solyaris, Silent Running, and the original Rollerball. Unlike most of these films, however, Andromeda Strain does not strain believability beyond its bounds, nor does it indulge in metaphysical tangentializing or philosophical moralizing.

Developed from what I consider to be Michael Crichton's best book, the Andromeda Strain takes its cue directly from the hard realism of that book, along with its documentary style and scientific background research. Though aspects of the plot defy biological probability, if not law, almost the entire film is plausible. Also borrowed from Crichton's writing is the general point the film attempts to make - one which is present in nearly all of Crichton's work - that along with technological advance comes risk. Fortunately, however, this story does not reach the near-paranoid levels of technophobia which sometimes appear in later works.

A great ensemble cast full of not easily recognized character actors represent a team of scientists called together to contain and manage a deadly virus-like organism which has arrived on a crashed space research probe. The virus has already wiped out an entire town, and now the scientists must work at a breakneck, sleepless, pace to determine what the organism is, how it spreads and grows, and how it can be killed or contained. Their only major clues, it seems, are an old man and a baby who survived the initial outbreak. To avoid spoilers, I will avoid any further details regarding the plot.

The only aspect of the film which really seems dated is the strange electronic soundtrack, which, at times, seems more derivative of 1950s sci-fi than more modern stuff. Suffice to say that this is one of the best uses of the 'as-it-happens' documentary film-making style. The entire film is delivered in a very refreshingly straightforward manner, with believable dialog, actors that look like real people, and a pace that builds constantly from start to finish.

Highly recommended.

Intriguing sci-fi mystery

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 13 February 2015]

THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN is a sci-fi movie with a difference: there are no light sabres here, no outer space travel, instead this is a thinking man's thriller. That's no surprise given that the source material came from a Michael Crichton novel; viewers will note plenty of similarities between this and the likes of WESTWORLD, for instance. In any case, this is a thoughtful, slow-paced sci-fi mystery in which a team of experts try to work out the nature of a killer virus that may have come from space. Of course, the tension soon ramps up when it becomes apparent that they're working against the clock. Almost the entire film takes place in a remote installation and the claustrophobic setting becomes a character in itself. I have to admit that this wasn't one of my favourite movies; some of the middle section seems a little stodgy with not much happening to further the plot. Still, it definitely picks up for the race-against-the-clock climax, and it's not often these days that you see something genuinely fresh and original in the sci-fi genre, so I can see why it holds the status of a minor classic.

NB. I watched this again on blu-ray and found it a lot better this time around. It's a mystery but a different kind of one - a fresh-feeling scientific mystery. Sure, it's a real slow burner, but it does wonders for the intellect and the ending is as exciting as they come.

Love this film

[mentalist · 10/10 · 28 September 2004]

I really love this film, and its funny because most people Complain about its slow pace, but I believe that this is one of the reasons that the film is so good, and pace does build up towards the end.

I understand that this film isn't for everybody, but I am a Michael Crichton fan, and I enjoy the way he introduces his sci-fi characters into his novels.

I agree with other user comments that this film was way before its time, and disagree with others who don't seem to be able to differentiate between the music and the sounds in the film.

The film has so many qualities, and is a must see for any sci-fi fan.

9/10

Life not as we know it

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 6 March 2019]

Robert Wise made the daring decision not to cast any big name stars in The Andromeda Strain.. It certainly save on the budget. But it also lent a nice ring of authenticity.

The story behind Michael Crichton's science fiction novel and the movie is that a small northern California town has been wiped out by a new strain of virus. The only survivor are a wino and an infant. Scooping them up four scientists Arthur Hill, James Olson, David Wayne, and Kate Reid take them to a secure location as they race against time to prevent a pandemic. This thing creeps up silently and moves fast.

It's not like anything seen on earth. It's called The Andromeda Strain because that's the nearest galaxy to the one planet earth is in The Milky Way. The four have to race against time to come up with an answer.

Robert Wise got a lot of tension out of this film, especially at the climax when it is race against time to prevent a self destruct from occuring just as are four are finding answers.

They do find an answer. And ironically it's from some of the most plentiful things we have on planet earth is where the cure comes from.

This one is a science fiction classic.

It Tries Too Hard To Overwhelm The Viewer With Technology

[sddavis63 · 5/10 · 24 August 2011]

The premise of "The Andromeda Strain" is hardly unique. A deadly organism (this one from outer space, which has been brought back to earth by a crashed satellite) is loose and threatening a world-wide plague, and a team of scientists is brought together to try to figure out the solution. There are a lot of movies that follow the same basic story outline. Most of those movies tend to place most of the emphasis on the organism and its effects - on the "plague" caused by it, if you will. This movie might explain why those other movies place so much emphasis on the organism and its effects.

Basically, my feeling as I was watching this was that the writers chose to place far too much emphasis on the technology involved in the fight against the organism. So we spend most of our time inside this futuristic facility called "Wildfire" that's full of fancy (for the day) computers and medical technology and lasers and awfully impressive looking suits. I had the impression throughout that the movie was trying to dazzle me with the technology it was depicting rather than with the story it was portraying. I don't argue that there was some suspense, particularly near the end as the organism was let loose and the facility automatically set itself to a self-destruct status, but that then led to the very cliché "countdown" as the only one who can stop the self- destruct has to do it while the computer voice is saying "three minutes and thirty seconds to self-destruct," etc. In the background there's a still relevant portrayal of the debate between science and politics (should the president listen to the advice of the scientists or not?) The cast for the most part works pretty well together and there is a decent enough mystery about the old man and the baby and why they survived the initial infection when the rest of their small town in New Mexico was killed when the satellite brought the organism to town.

But the technology part of this was overdone, to the point at which it detracted from the story. Again, my feeling was that the viewer was being directed not to the fight against the organism but to the wonders of the technology being portrayed. That was a weakness. The story could have been better developed and better portrayed, and it could have been far more exciting and suspenseful. (5/10)

They wouldn't make it today

[rmax304823 · 7 May 2003]

It reminds me a bit of "The Forbin Project" in that it presents us with a puzzle that needs solving by intellectual means, and with a problem that has momentous overtones. They wouldn't make it today. Look at the cast. Arthur HILL? Kate REID? They'd need DeCaprio and Roberts at least. And "angstrom units"? And not a single gun or punch in the mouth? And the bomb doesn't EXPLODE? No, no, no -- all wrong.

Well, the movie IS dated, true, but not in ways that count. I can handle the fact that clerks still use typewriters instead of PCs. I can live with the awe that is supposed to be instilled in us when we watch somebody use the mechanical hands. And the references to "love ins", and "SDS", and "protest marches," and the notion that the collection of deadly organisms from space may have been deliberately carried out by the DOD. (I forget who objected to that implication but I don't find it the least implausible, not anymore.)

The story proceeds logically, step by step, through the introduction of the characters (with Kate Reid providing some welcome Thelma-Ritter-type comic relief), the introduction of the organism (if that's the proper word), and the identification of its nature. Never for a moment does the script lapse into mumbo-jumbo. We're never lost. We always know who's doing what, and why.

And in the age of ebola, AIDS, and SARS, I think we can forget about the fact that some of the technology is dated, because the issue certainly isn't.

On the other hand, I wish the end had never come, because the movie completely implodes during its last ten minutes or so, by deus ex machina. I mean, here these guys are, working like hell to solve a problem, and when they're just about to do it, the problem goes away by itself and is completely forgotten. Instead we have a conventional chase scene. Can James Olsen stop the nuclear device from detonating, while alarm bells ring and a recorded voice counts down the minutes and seconds, and automatic lasers are shooting at him? Are you kidding? The Wildfire station may not be destroyed but the heretofor well-constructed story is.

Still, this is worth seeing, for a number of different reasons. One of the main ones is that they so rarely make 'em like this anymore.

Procedural sci-fi

[p-stepien · 7/10 · 24 November 2013]

Within the logic confines of the Cold War and the eternal quest for the upper hand in annihilation, space becomes a frontier for seeking the next new biological weapon. When a US satellite crash-lands in a remote town of Piedmont in New Mexico a sudden outbreak of a cosmic threat causes almost the entire town to die in mid-step. The terrifying reality of an uncontrollable epidemic initiates a clandestine Wildfire project, where the finest scientific minds are whisked away to a secure underground facility with state of the art technology and a self-detonating nuclear device set to explode to prevent any potential outbreak. The project itself was formed by a group of prominent scientists led by Dr. Jeremy Stone (Arthur Hill) specifically for this eventuality: to counterattack any extraterrestial form of life, that could cause a deadly epidemic. Together with fellow scientists Charles Dutton (David Wayne), Ruth Leavitt (Kate Reid) and Mark Hall (James Olson) they descend into the facility, where they attempt to isolate the new life form and diagnose the two survivors of Piedmont: an crackpot drunkard and a helpless infant.

Transcending into Robert Wise's feature is a prolonged pay-off, mostly focused on the procedural side of such a scenario, slowly building the story and only about midway do we finally get down to actually finding out what the titular Andromeda strain is, which in turn leads to an intense and riveting finale. Meanwhile however we snail downward the facility with five separate levels - each with scenes of progressive sterilisation. The journey to the heart of the facility, where the nitty gritty essence of the research starts, is essentially tedious, albeit serving its purpose of setting up the final act and acknowledging the relapsed tension that such an occurrence would create. Although the fate of the world being at hand, the road to salvation is slow, meticulous and affords no space for a misstep. Despite the slow unwinding there is also little in the way of character development, possibly only Kate Reid's cantankerous Ruth offering a stronger imprint on proceedings, which are otherwise dominated by the science and the crawling Armageddon.

Midway the lethargic pacing stalled my interest, but once the story unfolds all the pieces fall into place delivering a high-tempo ending within this otherwise sedentary movie. Coupled with arguably the most exact scientific jargon in sci-fi features history and a overall believable background (despite some ridiculous mumbo-jumbo by one of the scientists about the possibility of microorganisms being sentient) delivers a sombre piece that can bore most, but will engage those who offer the movie their mind and body.

They don't make movies like this anymore!

[Boba_Fett1138 · 8/10 · 14 October 2003]

These "old" science fiction movies always have a certain special tension and atmosphere like "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Capricorn One". Something I sometimes miss in todays movies.

Sure the pace is slow, especially the beginning but that's what helps to build up the tension. It certainly makes the race against time ending even more suspenseful.

The style of the movie can be called unique. Especially the camera work and editing. It's very experimental, almost Brain De Palma like and I like it a lot. It makes the movie's style special and unique and it adds to the atmosphere.

The story is good and is told in such a way that it actually becomes to some extend believable. With the exception of some clichéd moments and the ending. The movie begins slow and mysterious and builds up the tension extremely well, while the ending itself is quite spectacular and fast. This also makes the movie special and worth remembering. Some of the scene's you will never forget. The virus itself (the adromeda strain) is pretty scary and disturbing, mainly because you don't know what it is or what it does and how it can be stopped.

There are also some nice character played by not so well known actors. What's great about the characters is that they all feel very human and not perfect. I like the fact that they don't all like each other and don't always agree.

A classic science fiction/thriller that deserves to be better known.

8/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Effective Chiller But Drags At Points

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 16 September 2004]

I remember seeing THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN as a child and being terrified by it mainly down to the opening scenes of a USAF unit going into a deserted village to retrieve a crashed satellite and finding .... You'll have to watch the movie to find out what . But after re-seeing the movie again as an adult I can still say the opening sequence is heart stopping in its tension simply down to the fact that the audience is allowed to use its imagination as to what has happened to the villagers and the recovery team . This is one of the most effective openings I have ever seen in a science fiction movie

Unfortunately it's impossible for the production to keep up the tension though I will give credit for everyone involved in trying . It's just that for reasons of plot the story then revolves around a small team of uber scientists sitting in an underground lab researching something they've found from outer space and finding a way of making sure it doesn't wipe out life on Earth . The main problem is that the story then starts getting bogged down in scientific fact which makes it very difficult for the audience , then to appease the audience the last ten minutes involve a literal race against time which wouldn't look out of place in a James Bond movie . I guess a mainstream audience member who disliked the massive amount of techno-babble on display perked up at the exciting countdown at the end while a microbiologist student who understood the technical dialogue wished the movie had ended on a more intelligent note

There are one or two other slight problems . I did find Dr Ruth Leavitt , written and played as some beatnik intellectual very irritating . But I guess if THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN was remade today we'd see Hilary Duff or Lindsay Lohan as a nobel prize winning scientist so let's not complain about Kate Reid's performance too much . Unless I missed something isn't there a plot hole involving a crashed Phantom jet ? What caused it to crash ? Surely it couldn't have been exposed to the alien visitor unlike say the helicopter that brought back the satellite

But I shouldn't nit pick too much since THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN is a very effective sci-fi chiller though a more modern audience might be put off by a large amount of talky scenes and an absence of special effects

Gripping

[Spleen · 9/10 · 19 May 2000]

Easily - EASILY - the best film Michael Crichton has had anything to do with. (That is, of the ones I've seen. For the record, the rest are: `Westworld', `The First Great Train Robbery', `Disclosure', `Jurassic Park', `Twister', and `Congo', although I've never made it to the end of `Congo'.) Does this say something about Crichton's career, or the state of film-making, or neither? Can't say.

Whatever - this is pretty darned good science fiction. Sure, it has the vices we've come to expect: scientists with a tendency to act like the crew of the Enterprise, and central protagonists who begin the film by swimming through treacle and end it by leaping tall buildings in a single bound. As for the former problem, well, it's not so bad here as it usually is. As for the latter, well, it's easy to forgive, because we're put through a very tense ride before our heroes crawl out of the treacle - even afterwards. They don't make films this tense these days. Or at least, this particular film would have been less tense if it had been made these days. I don't think a modern director would have resisted the temptation to goof off at some point.

THAT'S part of the charm. The film's idea of how scientists behave is rather a silly one, but at least the scientists aren't forced to act GOOFY in order to show that scientists are really human, after all - as if there was any need to show this. And I'll say this: whatever the scientists were like, the SCIENCE is much more intelligent than a modern public has any right to expect. So far as I could tell (not that I'm an expert in anything) it only stretches into fantasy when it needs to. Wise gives us information, and plenty of it - not techno-babble.

I've heard people snicker at the thirty-year-old look of the film, but I think they're nuts. The art direction is wonderful. In a way it does the same thing as the original Star Trek: it creates a coherent, claustrophobic world by force of sheer simplicity. But to see `The Andromeda Strain' is to see it done WELL.

Must have been cool in 1971

[madonnajay · 6/10 · 3 September 2021]

The visuals are a very cool 70s high tech.

The premise is excellent.

The opening scenes are intriguing and chilling.

This must have been shocking and original in 1971.

Assembling the team is exciting, and I loved the visuals of the assembled 1970s dinner party, when one of the team is extracted.

Unfortunately once they arrive at the research facility, it starts to drag.

It's all very cool, and a fun to look at what must have been a high tech, edgy thriller in it's time.

I just kinda got a bit bored and ended up just thinking it was an ok movie.

Glad I watched it though.

Excellent, and ahead of its time.

[ptmail · 10/10 · 22 September 2004]

From the day I first saw this movie back when it first came out, it has stuck in my mind for over 30 odd years. Kind of makes you think about how many of the same facilities the government has and has had in operation doing the same functions. New military toys, area 51 and on and on.

A very well made movie that has etched itself into my mind. keeps you thinking and watching the movie keeps you glued to your seat.

I would advice anyone that has not viewed this movie to give it a shot. These same type of facilities are all over the world, the question is how many are really as secure as they were designed to be.

Just like in the movie there always could be some unknown or alien substances that cannot be contained, or might just feed on the materials used to restrain them.

Engaging and interesting film about a team of scientific investigate a deadly new alien virus from outer space before it can spread with unexpected consequences

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 10 September 2018]

In "The Andromeda Strain," a U.S. military satellite crashes in a small town in New Mexico and unleashes a deadly plague killing all but two survivors . As the military quarantines the area , a team of highly specialized scientists is assembled to find a cure to the pathogen code-named "Andromeda," . The team of scientists formed by Arthur Hill : Dr. Jeremy Stone , David Wayne : Dr. Charles Dutton , James Olson : Dr. Mark Hall and Kate Reid : Dr. Ruth Leavitt , all of them are assembled in a high-tech, underground facility to identify and defeat the "enemy" before it is too late. As the threat must be identified in time to save the population from extermination .

Based on Michael Chricton classic novel , providing thrills and chills with no much sense and slow-moving due to a excessive scientific data . This is based on Michael Chricton novel , compellingly adapted by Robert Wise with a good cast , such as Arthur Hill, James Olsen , Paula Kelly , David Wayne , Kate Reid . It deals with a strange satellite falling back to earth carrying a deadly bacteria , as a crack team experiences strong difficulties as it becomes clear that the satellite has performed its intended function all too well, and has brought back something from space . This Sci-Fi yarn hits hard in the creepy beginning when an U.S. Army satellite falls to earth near Piedmont and population being destroyed , and in the hair-raising climax , as an extremely exciting ending , in fact , it is worthy of a typical action/thriller movie . However , the tension and suspense inherent in the bestselling Chricton novel is talked down by excessive changes from original book and a decent but unknown cast , without popular stars . After a splendidly traditional opening set piece , the message about the risks of scientific research starts to loom ponderously large with banks of super-computers dedicated to investigation as well as inclusion some weird elements and fantastic bacteria or bacillus . As you'll perch on the very edge of the armchair when protagonists fight against time assailed by the Andrómeda Strain and to disarm the self-destruct device before it can trigger itself off . Acceptable support cast such as Paula Kelly , Eric Christmas , George Mitchell , Ramon Bieri , Lance Fuller , Peter Hobbs , Richard Bull , and Crichton makes a cameo appearance in a non-speaking role

Impressive production design , in fact , the Wildfire scientific lab sets were described at the time as "one of the most elaborately detailed interiors ever built" . Weird but adequate Musical score from Gil Melle is highly commendable. Colorful cinematography in Technicolor and Panavision by Richard H Kline . Filmed in 1970, not released until 1971. Being filmed on location in Shafter, Texas, Red Rock Canyon State Park California , Alamogordo, New Mexico and Universal Studios . It was a moderate box office success. Produced on a relatively high budget of $6.5 million, the film grossed $12,376,563 in North America . Financed and released by Universal and well directed by Robert Wise who never lets the action sag .Wise was a good director who made films in all kinds of genres , nowadays , some of them considered classic movies , such as : Musical : West side story , The sound of music ; SciFi: The day the Earth stood , Andromeda strain , Star Trek the motion picture ; Terror : The haunting , The body snatchers, , Audrey Rose , Curse of cat people ; Wartime : Run silent Run deep , The Desert Rats ; Historical : Helen of Troy ; Western : Tribute to a bad man ; Drama : I want to live , The Set-up , among others

Followed by an inferior TV remake, a fair-to-middling rendition , as an eponymous miniseries executive-produced by Ridley and Tony Scott and Frank Darabont, and directed by Michael Salomon . It was originally exhibited as a two-part miniseries , but has also been edited into 4 different parts intended for airing as hour long episodes with commercials . Featuring Benjamin Bratt as Dr. Jeremy Stone , Christa Miller as Dr. Angela Noyce , Daniel Dae Kim as Dr. TsiChou , Viola Davis as Dr. Charlene Barton , Other characters' names and personalities were radically changed from the novel, including making one scientist, played by Ricky Schrodes as Major Bill Keane , a homosexual.

This is one of my favorite movies.

[dwezel · 10/10 · 21 March 2001]

First of all, I must confess that I am a Si-Fi nut. I've seen lots of Si-Fi movies and The Andromeda Strain is definately in my top five. The plot is very interesting in that it deals with a microscopic organism from outer space that is brought back to Earth by a satellite. The cast is outstanding, especially Arthur Hill who plays the leader of the research team. One of the great things about the movie is that it moves right along. So many movies seem to lag, especially at the beginning as the characters are being introduced. However, in this movie, even the beginning is exciting. I've watched this movie over and over, and never seem to get tired of it. It's just plain fun.

Really fine film

[damianphelps · 7/10 · 4 October 2020]

This has lost a little bit just due to its ageing however the story and the drama still hold up very well.

This is not an over the top film which I think is why it works so well, there is a crisis but everything that is dealt with in the movie makes sense and is logical rather than 'we need to shoot the asteroid out of the sky' kind of stuff.

By staying grounded in its style it helps to keep the viewer connected as we don't have to suspend belief for the movie to work.

It should hook you right in!

Slick for the era, but very boring

[viezeric · 5/10 · 12 October 2003]

Initially this movie appears to be a pretty good sci-fi flick, if you consider the fact it is over thirty years old. The slow development of the plot begins to bore quite quickly though, and while the movie moves towards it finale, the credibility of the scenario decreases rapidly. The movie lacks excitement, and the final scene in which a drugged scientist saves himself and his fellows from nuclear annihilation is very disappointing. O, and yes, according to a insane tid-bit inserted into the scenario our brave friend also seems to have saved the planet. Good for him. The special effects are really fly for 1971, but the script writers apparently suffered from really bad cases of writers block while working on the final scenes of the movie. Maybe a good choice for the sci-fi freak, but no fun for the rest of us.