It's Science Fiction, not Star Wars . . .

Rating: 10/10 (13 October 2001)

Talk about miserable batting averages. Hollywood is way below the Mendoza line when it comes to SF films that compare well to the books that they are "based" on. Classic books like The Puppet Masters, Fahrenheit 451, Starship Troopers, 2010, and Dune all swung and missed. It's just stinking hard to capture a great book on film.
Well, Contact pulled it off. This movie defines SF of the 90's like The Godfather was the penultimate 70's drama.
The effects, the story line, the lack of cinematic "extras" that detract from the book, they all add up to a great presentation.
A great movie, like a great book, makes you walk away thinking "that could really happen!" Contact is such a film.
You hardcore SF readers that haven't been to a movie adaptation of a book since De Laurentis gave Baron Harkonnen the disgusting skin condition way back in 1984: read Contact (like you haven't already) and then enjoy the film. You'll be glad you did.