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Sphere Reviews

1998 Certificate 12
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 7323 members

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 secret government agency is investigating what may be an alien spaceship that has been discovered partially buried on the floor of the .. Read more

Starring Sharon Stone, Dustin Hoffman, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Coyote
Director Barry Levinson
Genres Sci-Fi/Fantasy

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  • Critics' reviews (5) of Sphere

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    A submerged spacecraft from the future containing a golden sphere that has the ability to physically manifest the darkest fears of anyone who enters its enigmatic interior is at the centre of this cerebral adaptation of Michael Crichton's bestselling novel from director Barry Levinson. Alternating between being genuinely creepy (the aquanauts' phobias are all unseen) and overly tame through the deliberate under-use of shock effects, this underwater Solaris relies on moody dread rather than cheap thrills to weave its spell. It's a wittily scripted science-fiction chamber piece that focuses on characters thrust into an extraordinary situation rather than the situation itself.

    • Radio Times
  • Like most American science-fiction movies of the 90s, this is merely an excuse for characters to explore their own inner space in an attempt to come to terms with themselves.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • "...Acted in a no-nonsense style by a stellar cast....Mr.Hoffman's cool authority is well used here, as are Mr. Jackson's muscular intensity and discreetly mocking air..."

    • New York Times
  • Most helpful members' reviews (3) of Sphere

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  • 16 out of 19 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    could watch this film over and over,great cast, good location,5 star

    worth watching for anyone really,

      • dal#1 from SUFFOLK
  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    It's alright !!!

    It's OK and not a bad movie. Quite dissapointing at the end though. There were few suspense moments in the middle...not bad.....

      • A customer from England
  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    Okay, but nothing special

    This film gets you curious because a team finds a sphere inside a spaceship and you question why a sphere would be inside a spaceship. Those going into the sphere suddenly are affected in odd ways. They then realise why things are happening the way they are and why and have to make a decision. Its curious at first, but gets kinda boring for the most part

      • A customer from Leicester, England
  • Most recent members' reviews (2) of Sphere

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  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    It's alright !!!

    It's OK and not a bad movie. Quite dissapointing at the end though. There were few suspense moments in the middle...not bad.....

      • A customer from England
  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Love this film

    I really liked this movie I thoght it was a good thriller with an evil twist and it did show the limitaion of man if you looked beyond the movie and what it was trying to say and "only human " now has a whole new meaning.

    Great movie.

      • Lefrost from Bedford
  • 16 out of 19 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    could watch this film over and over,great cast, good location,5 star

    worth watching for anyone really,

      • dal#1 from SUFFOLK
  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    It's alright !!!

    It's OK and not a bad movie. Quite dissapointing at the end though. There were few suspense moments in the middle...not bad.....

      • A customer from England
  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    Okay, but nothing special

    This film gets you curious because a team finds a sphere inside a spaceship and you question why a sphere would be inside a spaceship. Those going into the sphere suddenly are affected in odd ways. They then realise why things are happening the way they are and why and have to make a decision. Its curious at first, but gets kinda boring for the most part

      • A customer from Leicester, England
  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    * * * This review contains spoilers * * *ShowHide

    Rated - 0 stars

    Terrible

      • A customer from London, England
  • 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    A faithful adaptation of a good story

    'Sphere' is an adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel of the same name. The plot concerns the discovery of a spaceship at the bottom of the ocean, and the team of scientists flown in to examine it. The aquatic setting is reminescent of Cameron's 'The Abyss' - they share the claustrophic atmosphere of deep-sea habitats cut off from the surface and thus left to deal with strange goings-on without communication with the outside world.

    This is an enjoyable psychological horror story with SFnal overtones; the titular sphere plays no real part in the movie save to impart certain abilities to the human characters. These abilities are what the film is really concerned with. Essentially, this is a film about people, about human weaknesses, and how these manifest destructively.

    There are many moments in this film that encourage a sense of wonder or real fear - the exploration of the crashed spaceship and the discovery of the sphere being good examples. The characters are well-played, although the imposing Samuel L. Jackson as a brilliant mathematician seems slightly odd - I was never really convinced by his portrayal of this, especially in contrast to Hoffman's psychologist and Stone's biochemist.

    This film works well and is an enjoyable watch; the only major criticisms to be made are that the apparent intellectualism of the film is mostly stylistic and has no real depth, and also that the conclusion lacks the ambiguity of the novel.

      • ShaunCG from Brighton
  • 3 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 0 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    TERRIBLE!

    complete sh*t

    DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE

      • jo0o0o0oe from Woodford Green
  • 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    psychological thriller- sphere

    very good thriller, that sets you needing to know who the bad guy really is. People are dropping like flys but your not sure who is responsible. The plot involves an alien craft with a perfect golden sphere inside it, hidden for hundreds of years under the ocean. Keeps you guessing and highly enjoyable viewing.

      • lady galadriel from Devon, England
  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    Sphere indeed...

    I watched this film when it first came out in the cinema. Having Dustin Hoffman, Samuel L Jackson and wow.. Sharon Stone must be grreeeat.

    First 15 mins was thrilling, a space craft crashed on earth in 19th century, even better when they found a coke can inside the space craft, got me glued to the film.

    As the story unfold, about 30 mins or there after I realized the plot and thought to myself, can't be that simple but found out to be.

    The film had right actors which good acting, good effects but what a simple main plot.

    Giving 1 for the film and 1 for the actors.

      • A customer from Redruth, Cornwall
  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    Sphere

    A spacecraft is found at the bottom of the ocean. The military flies in a team of scientists to examine it. In the spacecraft they discover the "sphere". "It's life Jim - but not as we know it". Good, Sci-Fi stuff.

      • 1414 from Norfolk
  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Love this film

    I really liked this movie I thoght it was a good thriller with an evil twist and it did show the limitaion of man if you looked beyond the movie and what it was trying to say and "only human " now has a whole new meaning.

    Great movie.

      • Lefrost from Bedford
  • Critics' reviews (5)

  • 3 stars out of 5

    A submerged spacecraft from the future containing a golden sphere that has the ability to physically manifest the darkest fears of anyone who enters its enigmatic interior is at the centre of this cerebral adaptation of Michael Crichton's bestselling novel from director Barry Levinson. Alternating between being genuinely creepy (the aquanauts' phobias are all unseen) and overly tame through the deliberate under-use of shock effects, this underwater Solaris relies on moody dread rather than cheap thrills to weave its spell. It's a wittily scripted science-fiction chamber piece that focuses on characters thrust into an extraordinary situation rather than the situation itself.

    • Radio Times
  • Like most American science-fiction movies of the 90s, this is merely an excuse for characters to explore their own inner space in an attempt to come to terms with themselves.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • "...Acted in a no-nonsense style by a stellar cast....Mr.Hoffman's cool authority is well used here, as are Mr. Jackson's muscular intensity and discreetly mocking air..."

    • New York Times
  • Author Michael Crichton is to science fiction what Stephen King is to horror: although his work lacks originality, his... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
  • "...Fresh....Witty...and packed with possibilities..."

    • Sight and Sound

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    • 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 ...

Rating breakdown

7,323 Member ratings
  • 100
268
  • 90
296
  • 80
810
  • 70
1,138
  • 60
1,969
  • 50
1,076
  • 40
896
  • 30
431
  • 20
313
  • 10
126

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