Featured Audience Ratings

• Emil K

  
  Somehow Sphere has remained as a criminally overlooked sci-fi film while it is actually one of the most interesting ones of the past three decades. This is a film with truly ambitious ideas and philosophically it throws some truly puzzling questions to us in the audience. It is also… More
  Somehow Sphere has remained as a criminally overlooked sci-fi film while it is actually one of the most interesting ones of the past three decades. This is a film with truly ambitious ideas and philosophically it throws some truly puzzling questions to us in the audience. It is also the best film that director Barry Levinson has made so far in his career. So why all the hostile criticism is beyond me? For me Sphere has always remained as a fascinating film experience. I love the way it toys with certain ideas and i like the way it goes beyond any genre definitions. While it is closest to science fiction it still has some elements of psychological thriller and even a supernatural horror in it. If there is a flaw in here it quite obviously is the fact that it takes a bit too much time from this film to get where it is heading to. There are some pointless elements that excist only to distract us. With more trimming from Levinson and his writers and they could have a masterpiece in their hands. Sphere is still two of the thirds great film and i do admire it. It is not often to see film this ambitious coming from a major studio. The way this film toys with our expectations and how it misleads us is downright genius. As it goes along the plot gets more complicated and it all becomes resembling more like a feverish dream. "What and who can we trust?" is the main question in the heads of the film's characters and we in the audience sense that same feel of paranoia brilliantly. Barry Levinson surely knows how to toy with his audience and at times he shows true mastery here. Sphere has stood time very well and it still is effective film with fantastic effects. Elliot Goldenthal also composed one of his best scores for this film, and with his contribution to this film casts a spellbinding atmosphere that never let you off the hook. When it comes to acting Sphere is a blast. Leading trio, Dustin Hoffman, Samuel L. Jackson and Sharon Stone, are all brilliant and especially Hoffman give us one of his best performances ever on a screen. Liev Schreiber and Peter Coyote must be also mentioned from their strong supporting roles. There is one very interesting aspect in Sphere and that is it's resemblance of film called Event Horizon, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson in 1997. They both share same ideas and elements, but it is important to know that Michael Crichton's book, Sphere, which Levinson's film is based on, was published in 1987. So while Event Horizon may have got released earlier it still seems that director Anderson and his writers were possibly borrowing material from Crichton and not vice versa. But to even mention Sphere and Event Horizon in a same sentence feels a bit odd. They are completely different kind of films in the end. Sphere challanges you to actually think while Event Horizon is pure entertainment and is much more closer to an pure horror-film. Overall i find it quite a sad that film this good got so negative reception from critics and audiences. I think Sphere is a little gem among the science fiction films and deserves to be seen. Maybe in future it will find more followers and even gains more reputation as a one of the great sci-fi films which it truly is.

• Jens S

  
  For a while in the 90s, it felt like there was a space horror film out every week. This one, based on a Michael Crichton novel takes the issue down into the sea, where a team of scientists tries to find out the secret between a crashed spaceship. Thankfully, the film cares about its… More
  For a while in the 90s, it felt like there was a space horror film out every week. This one, based on a Michael Crichton novel takes the issue down into the sea, where a team of scientists tries to find out the secret between a crashed spaceship. Thankfully, the film cares about its characters and keeps their stupidity and the death list to an absolute minimum. Whether you like the film or not depends much on how people take the reveal and its consequences. Viewers expecting Event Horizon-like horror might be disappointed, people who think it's always much scarier when you can't see the enemy should get a kick out of this, though. It helps that the protagonists are actors who know how to deliver the goods. The result is exciting, claustrophobic and actually quite smart, even if not as spectacular as it might make you believe.

• Joe M

  
  They seriously screwed up a great book.

• Steven C

  
  I am really confused as to why "Sphere" has the reputation it has. Sure, it's narrative can get clunky but the film has some intriguing ideas. Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, Liev Schreiber and Peter Coyote are all good here and the visuals and… More
  I am really confused as to why "Sphere" has the reputation it has. Sure, it's narrative can get clunky but the film has some intriguing ideas. Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel L. Jackson, Liev Schreiber and Peter Coyote are all good here and the visuals and atmosphere are essentially claustrophobic and creepy. "Sphere" is no where near grade-A filmmaking but it's consistently interesting and gripping. If you are looking for science-fiction pulp of higher caliber you really can't go wrong with "Sphere"... or maybe you can judging from the critics...

• Mike S

  
  Why does everyone bash this movie so much? Granted that I'm an incurable sci-fi addict, and therefore more forgiving, but this film hardly deserves the bad reputation it has. Yes, it has its flaws (especially in its last 30 min) and it can be a little slow sometimes, but the… More
  Why does everyone bash this movie so much? Granted that I'm an incurable sci-fi addict, and therefore more forgiving, but this film hardly deserves the bad reputation it has. Yes, it has its flaws (especially in its last 30 min) and it can be a little slow sometimes, but the plotline is very intriguing and I love the cast. It's a bit like the movie <i>The Abyss</i>, except more dark and horror-toned. An overall decent sci-fi flick, that altough far from excellent, held my interest all the way through.

• Cassandra M

  
  When the military discover what they believe to be a spaceship at the bottom of the ocean they bring in Dr Norman Goodman who had once written a report on the protocol for an alien encounter. His report had named a team of experts ? this team is also assembled. The team descend to the… More
  When the military discover what they believe to be a spaceship at the bottom of the ocean they bring in Dr Norman Goodman who had once written a report on the protocol for an alien encounter. His report had named a team of experts ? this team is also assembled. The team descend to the craft and begin to find some astonishing things about the craft. However when they find a huge golden sphere they begin to experience problems. Problems that become worse when a storm traps them at the bottom of the ocean. With a cast like this ? you gotta have high hopes. With a director and a writer to match you deserve something fantastic! And for the most part this delivers. The build up is dark, mysterious and exciting. However once the sphere is found it goes downhill. It still has some really good moments ? the jellyfish bit is scary and other actions bits are cool. But it gets all muddled up in what the sphere is and who is doing what on the base. It almost manages to hold together until the final half hour then it all just collapses like a flan in a cupboard! It's a shame because for the most part it felt like it was building to something much better, but no. The cast promised much but didn't deliver. Jackson was great, but I don't think he can be bad ? even in a bad movie. Hoffman stutters around like he doesn't know what he's doing. I know he's meant to be playing a character that isn't used to heroics, but he doesn't bring anything. Stone is OK but at times looks like she reading her lines off a board. Coyote is good and Schreiber is understated by his own hammy standards. It's also cool to see Queen Latifah in a role. Overall this is worth watching as for the majority it's real good. However you notice that the film has got 30 minutes left to go ? make your excuses and leave, by then you've seen the best it has to offer.

• Sophie B

  
  The story was really good and very interesting with many twists and turns. The special effects were very good and mostly unrecognisable except for the jellyfish scene. A great cast who gave great performances. I especially loved the set which looked very realistic and believable.

• Anthony L

  
  An enjoyable sci-fi adventure that has its faults but is generally entertaining.

• Drew S

  
  Is it possible for something to be so derivative and lifeless that it actually becomes interesting by sheer force of "how the fuck did they manage this?"

• Tsubaki S

  
  I barely remember watching this snooze-fest. At least Sharon Stone still looked good in those days.

• Candy R

  
  Sci-fi movie with poor storyline. Good cast but wasted in this movie.

• Dean !

  
  A strange film but still highly enjoyable.

• xGary X

  
  Ponderous, verbose sci-fi that entertained me (or rather, I entertained myself) for as long as I was trying to figure out what was going on. There are some nice images and interestingly spooky ideas (such as the unfinished copies of Moby Dick) but the "explanation" is… More
  Ponderous, verbose sci-fi that entertained me (or rather, I entertained myself) for as long as I was trying to figure out what was going on. There are some nice images and interestingly spooky ideas (such as the unfinished copies of Moby Dick) but the "explanation" is pathetic, and the ending a total anti-climax.

• Emily A

  
  This was a really interesting premise for a movie: how a wonderful gift can turn into a weapon in the hands of the unready. I just wish they had gotten to that point sooner, instead of wading through unnecesary backstory between Dustin Hoffman and Sharon Stone. Other than that, this… More
  This was a really interesting premise for a movie: how a wonderful gift can turn into a weapon in the hands of the unready. I just wish they had gotten to that point sooner, instead of wading through unnecesary backstory between Dustin Hoffman and Sharon Stone. Other than that, this was a really good movie. Great cast and good effects. I liked the dialogue too.

• Curtis L

  
  This also only made three star because I like Sam Jackson's character, and hoffmans, and stone is hot.

• Christopher H

  
  Reminiscent of several other science fiction thrillers, "Sphere" basically follows the progression of "Event Horizon", except underwater and with far more bizarre deaths. The film is cast perfectly, with Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samuel L. Jackson showing… More
  Reminiscent of several other science fiction thrillers, "Sphere" basically follows the progression of "Event Horizon", except underwater and with far more bizarre deaths. The film is cast perfectly, with Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samuel L. Jackson showing off their range, but Michael Crichton isn't able to effectively adapt his film and it more or less comes off like a science fiction slasher film.

• Alec B

  
  It does a terrible job establishing the 'rules' of the situation everyone is trapped in, so it never really feels like anyone is in actual danger until jellyfish suddenly kill Queen Latifah. On top of the bland script is an equally bland visual environment, it just feels… More
  It does a terrible job establishing the 'rules' of the situation everyone is trapped in, so it never really feels like anyone is in actual danger until jellyfish suddenly kill Queen Latifah. On top of the bland script is an equally bland visual environment, it just feels like a missed opportunity on all fronts.

• Curt C

  
  Great cast. Attrocious everything else.

• Chad R

  
  Fairly average movie, as usual with most books turned into movies, so many plot points are left out and generally screw up the movie. May have thought it better if I hadn't read the book first.

• shane h

  
  The government brings together 4 people are with professional backgrounds to a location in the middle of the ocean heavily guarded by the armed forces. Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel L Jackson and Liev Schreiber (Sabbertooth). Turns out that an alien craft was discovered on the… More
  The government brings together 4 people are with professional backgrounds to a location in the middle of the ocean heavily guarded by the armed forces. Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel L Jackson and Liev Schreiber (Sabbertooth). Turns out that an alien craft was discovered on the sea floor and the team is assembled to be the first recon crew because they are picking up activity from the ship. They find that they are not on an alien ship at all but a American space craft from the future. When their thoughts become reality they are forced to confront their own worst fears.

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