Sphere (1998)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:48
Fresh:6
Rotten:42
Average Rating:4/10
Consensus: Sphere features an A-level cast working with B-grade material, with a story seen previously in superior science-fiction films.
Runtime: 2 hrs 32 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: When psychologist Norman Goodman (Dustin Hoffman) wrote a report for the government on how to deal with extraterrestrial life forces, he didn't expect his recommendations to be used. Now that a... [More]
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Coyote
Director: Barry Levinson
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Reviews for Sphere
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
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An empty shell. Full Review |
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Three major stars being involved, it all wraps up happily but implausibly. Full Review |
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2/4 |
The central idea for Sphere is an intriguing one, but similar concepts have been much better executed on episodes of Star Trek, which makes one wonder why movie writing is allowed to be so bad. Full Review |
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2.5/5 |
Click to read the article Full Review |
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1/10 |
Word 'pointless' is the one that should be attributed to this whole film, one of the worst to come from Hollywood in past decade and one that would test patience and temper of the audience like few others. Full Review |
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D |
Let's face facts: Michael Crichton is a hack. He comes up with innovative concepts, but his characters are cardboard cutouts. Given the psychological foundations of the story, that's an egregious flaw, and the ending is absurdly dissatisfying.
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C |
If you want a better sci-fi film go see Dark City. A better Levinson movie? Try Wag the Dog. Full Review |
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2/4 |
Packaged as a smart psychological drama, it gradually dissolves into a badly edited action thriller, albeit one obscured by a cast of top notch talent. Full Review |
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2/5 |
For a movie of a novel written by Michael Crichton with such a capable cast, Sphere is quite a disappointment. Full Review |
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Sphere yearns to be a philosophical epic but it's final and only edict is so rudimentary as to barely exist: man is not yet 'ready' either intellectually or emotionally for the gifts E.T.'s are willing to share with us. Full Review |
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Click to read the article Full Review |
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1.5/4 |
You can't accuse the makers of Sphere of skimping on talent. If only they knew what to do with it. Full Review |
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2/4 |
The ending, though emotionally satisfying, collapses under scrutiny. This lack of payoff is a real flaw in a film pitched to a discriminating sci-fi mentality. Full Review |
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Sphere is not trashy, or silly, or exploitative; a lot of talent has been used to good effect here. But in the final analysis, fine filmmaking cannot overcome mediocre material. Full Review |
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1.5/4 |
Given its situational premise -- outer space goes underwater -- Sphere is filled with visual potential, yet Levinson can't tap it. He's just a whole lot more comfortable trying to tame the human software than the technical hardware. Full Review |
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A sci-fi thriller that presents a riveting and rounded anatomy of fear. Full Review |
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0/10 |
We snuck guiltily into the almost-empty theatre, already prepared to hate it. But we were ill prepared, all the same...We have nothing to sphere but Sphere itself. Full Review |
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2/5 |
As the umpteenth entrant in the We-Are-Not-Alone sweepstakes, Sphere feels awfully familiar because it is. Full Review |
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6/10 |
I found the film interesting and somewhat engrossing, but the characters weren't developed enough to make it a better than average film. Full Review |
CommentLatest News for Sphere
November 05, 2008:
Michael Crichton Passes Away (1942-2008)
Best-selling author, screenwriter, and director Michael Crichton has passed away at the age of 66. The medical doctor-turned-filmmaker was best known for writing... More...
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