Andromeda Strain Review

[Linkara]

I actually really love the Andromeda Strain, though Chuck's critiques definitely hold water, especially if you're not used to some of the slower sci-fi of the period. It still holds up for me and I love to watch it every once in a while, especially with how the tiny piece of paper screwing with the bell a reminder of how something tiny and normally unnoticeable can cause so many problems.

I've talked about this before, but if Chuck and I were to ever do a crossover, I'd love to cover the Andromeda Strain miniseries... because it is truly dreadful. I actually started writing up my critiques of it here but realized that it should be saved for the day when Chuck and/or I talk about it in video and save this thread for the original film.

[Thebestoftherest]

Surprised to see you do one of these linkara. Fan of your work.

[Ghilz]

I follow way too many reviewers, for a moment I was convinced Chuck had reviewed this already.

[CmdrKing]

I follow way too many reviewers, for a moment I was convinced Chuck had reviewed this already.

Chuck covered the book a month or three back, and this movie is a *really* faithful adaptation, so it's not too weird to think he already covered it.

Between the two reviews I do appreciate the original ending for the book more overall, and I'm glad Chuck devoted so much time to it. And as always I think his use of historical context for some of decisions in the story, especially Leavitt's character (and the ways the changes affect things).

[Percysowner]

I follow way too many reviewers, for a moment I was convinced Chuck had reviewed this already.

I know it was recently covered in Lost in Adaptation. It threw me for a minute until I remembered where I had seen it before.

[PerrySimm]

I love a good Chuck Norris joke. Chuck Norris can totally roundhouse kick a pandemic!

Just in case it needed to be read into the record, Walker is still walking:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/did-covid-19-kill-chuck-norris/

[FlynnTaggart]

Must of been awhile since I've seen the movie, I don't remember the monkey scene being so brutal to watch. I'm no bleeding heart PETA supporter but thats something I'm very glad to never see in another movie (or IRL) ever again.

The thing I always liked about AS was how its a movie about a disaster but it shows rather then the panic in the streets and all that normal action-y stuff its instead focusing on the behind the curtains, how to fight the disaster not with soldiers and tanks and doctors who know karate but some scientists in a lab. Be like if the Walking Dead had focused on the CDC dude instead of the survivors. I like the action-y stuff and the karate doctors but like this stuff too, its an interesting view of the disaster.

One thing that might have bothered me is just the problem solving itself, kinda anti-climatic though I think the movie did it a bit better with people still having to work to finish the solution. Kinda War of the Worlds in a way (or the Kill the Moon if you want to be insulting), where nothing people did matter, problem just worked itself out. Though I guess a microbe that kills people mutating into one that eats plastic and something people you know when it feels like it is still less odd then the moon being a giant egg.

[Senko]

As much as I enjoy Andromeda strain and other similar movies like Congo thanks to Marvel every time I see S,H,L,D I can't help but imagine this is a shield facility.

[Nealithi]

I am glad Chuck did this review for a few reasons. One is I remembered this and thought it a later 70's movie than it is. And the more important for today. That I did not know the significance of epilepsy and why it was kept a secret. I thought the character was just a little private and it hadn't come up. Not it was a ruin your life affair.
Interesting. I wonder how many other things that were just assumed in older works have sailed past me like this?

[Beastro]

One thing that might have bothered me is just the problem solving itself, kinda anti-climatic though

The very part of you that feels let down by that is the thing Crichton was criticizing in the book, and indeed, most of the rest of his work: We want to be powerful and feel in control of everything. Not only are we not, but the very desire for that is the cause of much of the needless suffering we endure in life.