2001 for 90s!?!?!? Blasphemer!

Rating: 1/10 (5 January 1999)

Contact is Hollywood cheese. The only good part was the very beginning shot starting above the Earth...brilliant. From there, this over-rated, predictable, and insulting movie went downhill.
I couldn't stand Jodi Foster's character, as if the only justification for not believing in God must be some traumatic childhood event. Mac-what's his name was pompous and boring, his role as a spiritual advisor was wholly unbelievable. If this guy is supposed to be a 'thoughtful' religious person, that doesn't say much for the movie's view of Christianity! His 'deep philosophical insights' were hilarious!
The movie used the same, worn-out 'reality' techniques of showing 'real' CNN newscasts, morphing president Clinton, Larry King, etc...like Armageddon and ID4. The purpose, I assume, is to generate this pulling-us-together, patriotic momentum. I just ended up getting tired of it...it was fluff that wasted vast portions of the movie.
The borrowing from the great '2001' was blatant. But where 2001 is a powerful, unique vision and a great movie, Contact attempted to Hollywoodize a compelling concept--Forrest Gump meets 2001, stock characters and formulaic relationships. People who liked this movie got caught by the same ol'bag of tricks. Contact was no deeper than Armageddon or ID4, despite its trying to tackle a serious issue. Watch 2001 for thoughtful sci-fi!!!