Indeed, you can’t fault its dedication to accuracy as it digs deep into how an investigation like this would be carried out and the scientific process of studying an alien lifeform.īut this is also its biggest flaw, as Gidding’s script prioritises the scientific process over any kind of drama or character, and the bulk of the movie which details this process can seriously plod. Those who appreciate The Andromeda Strain praise its adherence to Crichton’s bestselling novel and its scientific depth. A crack team of scientists is assembled and locked in a high-tech underground base their mission is to investigate this germ, identify why the two survivors resisted it, and find a way to protect humanity from its spread.Īnd what this results in is a divisive movie. The science types called in to investigate come to believe that an alien germ somehow latched itself onto the satellite. The story begins shortly after a US government satellite has crashed near the town of Piedmont, New Mexico, and all but two inhabitants of the town have died instantly. Another of Crichton’s sci-fi novels, The Andromeda Strain, was adapted to film in 1971 by The Day The Earth Stood Still director Robert Wise and screenwriter Nelson Gidding this movie is now getting a DVD re-release courtesy of Australian distributor Umbrella. The name Michael Crichton is best known among genre fans as the novelist whose works were adapted into the Jurassic Park series, or as the man behind the classic sci-fi movie Westworld.

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