Before I write anything on Sphere, I want to get something straight. I have read the book by Michael Crichton. I think it is one of his best books, with a great uncertainty surrounding its plot. The book was quite long, and so not all of it could have been translated into the film version. When watching Sphere, I took my knowledge and recollection of the book and used that to fill in some of the gaps left by the screenplay. Sure, it's not a great film, by any means. But let's face it, there aren't many films that can scare people like this.

Sphere reminded me a lot of 1997's Event Horizon, which was actually a better film than this one (again, despite what critics says). Maybe I'm a little too easy on films that scare the crap out of me, but unlike those old farts who give the film negative reviews, I love to be scared. Event Horizon scared me like no other (it was scarier than Scream). It used its dark sets and surrealistic scenes effectively, leaving most viewers drained from grabbing the arms of the seat. Sphere isn't as scary as that one, but what it lacks in style, it makes up for in writing.

Okay, so it isn't great writing either. I never expected Sphere to be a great film, and that leads me to one of my several rules when reviewing a film: always try to review a film on what it is. I am guilty of breaking this rule in the past, but I am going to work hard nowadays to stop comparing a film to other movies. Let's face it: there is a lack of original ideas in Hollywood, but some ideas need retreading. Sphere can easily be compared to Alien, Solaris, and Event Horizon, but it's an original film. It only took an idea that a past film used well, and then added a unique style of storytelling.

Sphere begins as most Crichton films do: the main character is called in to investigate some strange happenings in some exotic location. The main character this time is Norman Goodman (Dustin Hoffman, who also starred in Levinson's Wag the Dog), a psychologist who wrote a report on how to respond to an alien encounter. In this report, he included references to several of his friends: Harry Adams (Samuel L. Jackson), a mathematician; Beth Halperin (Sharon Stone), a biochemist; Ted Fielding (Liev Schreiber), a brilliant astrophysicist; and Harold Barnes (Peter Coyote), a government operative. This report is the main reason that Norman is on the team--a team which is left in the dark about its mission. After arriving in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with Navy ships surrounding the area, Norman discovers that he and the rest of the team are supposed to travel to the bottom of the Pacific in order to investigate a crash site.

This crash site is home to a gigantic ship which appears to have landed on Earth some three hundred years ago. Inside the ship, however, is the real mystery: a golden, Mercury-like sphere, perfect in shape. What is this object, and where did it come from? And as the team finds out, why are humans aboard the ship? It turns out that this spacecraft is actually American, but that just brings up more questions. This team is puzzled, but a storm is brewing overhead, and the team is called back to the surface. It's not a big surprise that the team is forced to remain a thousand feet below the surface (the details of why the submarine didn't come down to get them are a little sketchy however). Actually, what forces them to remain below is the disappearance of Harry, who somehow managed to find a way into the solid sphere. The rest of the film is sort of a game of cat-and-mouse, except the mouse is uncertain, and the cat is unknown.

As good as the film begins, it gets slightly jumbled towards the end of the film. All I can say is that I have read the book, and it's very hard for me to forget all that information I received. In fact, if my memory serves me well (which it usually doesn't), the movie alters the book's plot and ending. The plot doesn't proceed as smoothly as the book did, and the ending of the film is rather annoyingly distractful. However, the film's first hour is very convincing and entertaining, while the final hour is well paced and confusing. In a film like this, confusion is usually the best method for scaring the audience.

The biggest problem with Sphere is its adaption from the novel to the screen. However, it does have some strong points, namely the cast. Dustin Hoffman, fresh off from an Oscar nomination for Wag the Dog, is a little tepid, but his strong points cover up his character's lack of dimension. Sharon Stone has proven herself to be a reliable actress, and she makes the Beth character quite convincing, though her monotone line reading became a little too suspicious. The best performance is from Samuel L. Jackson, who more than makes up for his counterparts. Jackson also adds a lot of humor to the film's dark tone. Liev Schreiber is effective, though he seems to have been thrown a shred of a character. Peter Coyote is the worst of the group, though his line reading is effectively haunting. And yes, there is Queen Latifah from Set It Off in there, though her role is mostly chicken feed.

Despite some peculiar moments, and a slow final hour, Sphere is effectively frightening, using ideas to scare viewers. The mystery of the unknown is always scary, and when it preys on our own fears, that makes it exhausting. Director Barry Levinson has crafted a thoughtful science fiction film which takes place in the present (an oddity of sci-fi). Levinson's direction is a little strange sometimes, with weird camera angles, and quick cuts, but his use of lighting and dark sets are wonderful. The screenplay is smart enough to give the flat characters witty dialogue, and the actors know that many people will not take it seriously at first (but it soon draws you in). While it certainly won't dethrone Titanic of its box office run, it will take a nice chunk to cover its costs.

Sphere is rated PG-13 for profanity, violence, some brief, partial male nudity, and some gory special effects. It may not be a great film, but as far as Crichton films go, this is one of his better ones.