Sci Fi twisted by religion

Rating: 3/10 (30 May 2006)

I had a chance to re-watch Contact today. I saw it originally when it was in the theaters, and I must say - I have VERY BAD memories of the movie.
Which is strange - because if you know me, you know that I just love Science Fiction. I have a weak spot a mile wide. I can ignore massive plot flaws and bad acting, for just a taste of what mankind might become in the future, or what he might see in the future.
And I admit, when I started watching, I was again captivated. A movie about first contact, and about human travel among the galaxies, and the massive complex machine that would take them there. I will tell you - the machine itself is a marvel. It was an amazing effect. The science, at least early on in this movie, is fine. Not amazing, but better than Hollywood's average.
But throughout the whole movie, the intertwining of religion and science are clumsily handled. Ridiculous soliloquies are given by the religious right, and equally clumsy rebuttals by the scientists. Which all led in the end, to Science being forced to admit to Faith, in front of the US Congress no less. It was a shameful end. A movie I could well have rated as a 7 entirely demolished in the last 5 minutes of the movie.
What a waste :(