Read the book.

Rating: Null/10 (29 November 2002)

This poorly scripted and often contrived adaptation of Carl Sagan's masterpiece about a *group* of explorers *sharing* an incredible experience is something that really should be bypassed in favor of the original novel. Everything from the old Hollywood stereotyped female lead who can only be related to a male lead sexually (an old and unnecessary contrivance) to the writers of the movie almost literally putting words in Dr. Arroway's (Jodie Foster) mouth, to coin a phrase. By the same token, it was visually quite interesting, the acting is very good and the casting was well-thought and also very good. If they stuck to Carl's original story, the cheap lines and cut corners one witnesses here would be *WHOLLY* unnecessary.