Although Michael Crichton is best known as the author ofJurassic Park, the writer was actually responsible foranother ‘90s thrillercalledSphere. The sci-fi adventure follows a team of scientific experts who find themselves on a mission to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, where they’re supposed to locate and examine a crashed spaceship. Just likeJurassic Park, the film plays with humanity’s innate fear of the unknown and the dangers of scientific ambition. While it’s far from Barry Levinson’s best movie,Spheredeserves a little more creditfor its inventive storytelling.
Spheredoes a great job of creating tension and keeping the audience on the edge of their seats, but unfortunately, the movie never reached the samelevels of success asJurassic Parkdid. Perhaps it merely lacked Spielberg’s magic touch, but all the ingredients were there forSphereto be another great movie for Michael Crichton - it’s scary, the characters are interesting, andit’s filled with the same philosophical ideasthatJurassic Parkwas praised for. Sadly, the movie failed to capitalize on the potential of Crichton’s original story.
5 Things That Happen In Every Jurassic Park Movie
The Jurassic Park franchise is known for giving audiences a thrilling theater experience, but the movies all repeat key elements.
The Depths Of The Ocean Are Just As Frightening As Jurassic Park
Undeniably, the scariest part ofSphereis the setting: having an entire sci-fi journey take place at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean is a genius idea, as it takes advantage of the natural fears that so many people have. It’s dark, the waters are filled with unknown creatures, and perhaps most importantly, there’s nobody around to hear you scream. The premise isvery similar to movies that are set in outer space, but the fact that these horrors are actually taking place on Earth brings them even closer to home.
Crichton is a uniquely thoughtful writer, and unlike many thriller authors of his era, his books didn’t merely aim to make the reader afraid but rather to make them think. His ideas are filled withphilosophical questions about existence, evolution, and survivalthat most people don’t think about in their daily lives, which is why they’re so powerful when placed in such a high-octane, high-pressure narrative like this. Still, whileJurassic Park is frequently referencedin pop culture, most seem to have forgotten aboutSphere.
The Hollywood Stars Were Sphere’s Biggest Asset
The main draw ofSphereat the time of release was undoubtedly its A-list cast, with Dustin Hoffman and Samuel L. Jackson playing the two lead roles. The actors did a great job of conveying the severity of Crichton’s novel, bringing a real sternness to their characters that really lets the audience know how serious the whole situation is.Sharon Stone and Liev Schreiber are also standoutsin the cast, although their increased screen time makesSpheremore of an ensemble than Crichton’s story originally was.
Without [Jackson’s] dark, gripping performance and his character’s deep skepticism,Spherewouldn’t be anywhere near as effective as a commentary on science.
AlthoughSphereis rarely considered amongSamuel L. Jackson’s best movies, the actor providesone of his most interesting performancesin the project. Alongside Hoffman, he plays one of the talented scientists who quickly realizes that their fates are inherently tied to the mission they’re on, leading the film into a fascinating discussion of life, death, and free will. Without his dark, gripping performance and his character’s deep skepticism,Spherewouldn’t be anywhere near as effective as a commentary on science.
Sphere Made Major Changes From The Book And Was A Critical & Financial Failure
The Film Should Have Stuck Closer To Crichton’s Vision
The main reason thatSpherewasn’t as successful asJurassic Parkis simply because it took major creative liberties with Crichton’s source material and didn’t manage to convey the message of the story. Where the novel is concise, purposeful, and direct, Levinson’s adaptation is much looser with the plot and doesn’t include all the fine details that make these characters so interesting, instead reducing them to stereotypes based on their professions. It removes much of their backstory, and the result isa formulaic and familiar storythat doesn’t do enough to stand out from the crowd.
Conversely,Jurassic Parkstuck closely to Crichton’s story and received huge amounts of acclaim for it. It has all the complex characters, rich storytelling, and atmospheric set pieces that are lacking fromSphere, proving that the issue isn’t with Crichton’s writing, but rather how it’s presented on screen. Interestingly,Jurassic Park: The Lost Worldmade several changes from the book, and that’s arguably why it didn’t achieve the same amount of praise as its predecessor. With a tighter story and more focus on Crichton’s insightful commentary,Spherecould’ve been another smash hit for the author.
Sphere
Cast
A spacecraft is discovered on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, presumed to be at least 300 years old and of alien origin. A crack team of scientists and experts is assembled and taken to the Habitat, a state-of-the-art underwater living environment, to investigate.
