Sphere

PG-13

Released Feb 13, 1998

2 hr. 13 min.

Sci-Fi

List

13%

55 Reviews

Tomatometer

38%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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 Pacific Ocean, Norman finds that the plan he outlined is being put into effect and that the team he named in his report has been assembled.

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Critics Consensus

Sphere features an A-level cast working with B-grade material, with a story seen previously in superior science-fiction films.

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Gareth T

Spoiler Alert!! Space craft is discovered on the sea floor that been there 300 years, team of scientists enter said spacecraft and find fresh footprints on the floor- missed opportunity to add to the tension but story goes nowhere... 2 of the scientists finding the spacecraft's bridge finding a very old dead person and ships log so what do they do as scientists they look at the last log entry... which tells them it was a unknown event, and then they do nothing further, I'm not a scientist but if it was me I'd be looking through every log entry to get more answers, however these scientists don't seem to have any clue about anything including logical decision making!! And this is nub of the entire film... childlike decisions throughout from apparently some of the best scientific minds of the time. The whole thing makes no sense and descends into something low budget, A-list actors in a movie with a B-list if not C-list story. Do yourself a favour if you want something that is actually entertaining and is along the same theme, go watch Event Horizon!!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/08/24

Full Review

Willian M

This movie is phenomenal. Something unidentified that makes dreams, desires and thoughts come true. This film only reinforces the thesis that humans are self-destructive and that is why the heavenly Father has forbidden any profane knowledge that exists to fall into human hands. I really like this type of movie. Recommended.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/21/23

Full Review

Emilliano Jr S

Great casts but no jurrassic park magic as Crichton was'nt able to effectively adapt his film.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/10/23

Full Review

Jack O

When it comes to Barry Levinson doing a film based on a novel by Michael Crichton when they did Disclosure which is a box office success, Sphere was a downfall but this is not the first time that the film from Warner Bros in 1998 did bomb at the box office. Fallen became the first bomb that year but aside from that, those film by that studio'll get a cult following. Now that Sphere came into my attention even though that I've been thinking about that it's scary and boy, was I right. Considering the fact that it's a sci-fi psychological thriller with a few scares. A team of experts, four doctors, Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, Samuel L. Jackson and Liev Schreiber and a U.S. Navy Capt., Peter Coyote are assembled and taken to the Habitat near the spacecraft which is been there for nearly 300 years. Norman believes there's been a plane crash but later said there was no plane crash and Barnes said it's a spacecraft crash through underwater. So they got the Habitat, went underwater to look inside the ship and they found a sphere inside it. OK, so I don't mind this movie as such. It's just not as not as good as I thought it would been. It has it's moments like when after Harry went inside the sphere and wakes up, he eats the squid which he hates and then he started choking it out and the scene where the Habitat is on fire caused by an alien intelligence from the sphere "Jerry". They realise that Jerry is able to see and hear everything that happens on the Habitat. Of course the film had some scares like I said and yeah I found it to be an okay film so I guess that's it for me.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/19/23

Full Review

Tammy H

The effects are great in this movie. The problem with this movie was the storyline was not that good. It will pass the time for you if you have nothing else to watch. Stars Dustin Hoffman, Samuel L. Jackson, Sharon Stone and Liev Schreiber.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/24/23

Full Review

Michael E

You know, if this website is teaching me anything, it's that sometimes it's not worth listening to reviews. I've seen this movie several times, and does it have its flaws? Of course. But it's still one of the most chilling films in my memory. Do yourself a favor, ignore the rating, give it a watch, and form your own opinion. Better yet: I just learned it's based on a book. I'm off to read / listen to that, too!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/16/23

Full Review

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Barry Levinson

Director

Dustin Hoffman

Dr. Norman Goodman

Sharon Stone

Dr. Beth Halperin

Samuel L. Jackson

Dr. Harry Adams

Peter Coyote

Captain Harold C. Barnes

Liev Schreiber

Dr. Ted Fielding

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Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Ultimately, the explanation we've been waiting for turns out to be just that: an explanation.

Jan 8, 2018

Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: D

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Todd McCarthy

Variety

An empty shell.

Aug 5, 2008

Full Review

Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

An undersea, sci-fi, paranoid thriller which packs tension but cannot release the powerful payoff we have a right to expect.

Rated: B-

Jan 19, 2023

Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Adding to the downfalls is the unavailable chemistry between the leads, Hoffman and Stone. No sparks seem to fly in this relationship and we don’t feel a kinship to either.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jan 18, 2023

Full Review

Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

It pays to be incredibly suspicious of a movie where nearly all dramatic tension is drawn from characters standing around bleeping computer screens and commenting on how bad things look.

Rated: 1.5/5

Aug 7, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

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 Pacific Ocean, Norman finds that the plan he outlined is being put into effect and that the team he named in his report has been assembled.

Director: Barry Levinson
Executive Producer: Peter Giuliano
Screenwriter: Michael Crichton, Kurt Wimmer, Stephen Hauser, Paul Attanasio
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Baltimore Pictures, Constant c Productions, Punch Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Startling Images|Sci-Fi Action)
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 13, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $37.0M
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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