Sometimes, Lady Luck smiles on me. I had originally made -- and copied over -- a VHS tape of this wonderful TV presentation. I was heartbroken when I realized what I had done since I had been unable to obtain a copy of it anywhere else.Recently, I subscribed to digital cable, and while searching through upcoming movies, there to my surprise was a scheduled broadcast of the movie. This time, however, I made a copy of it to DVD so there's no chance of repeating my mistake.I finally got to watch it again after eight years, and it was just as exciting and tense as when I first saw it. There is a little bit of prelude to this story in that my first contact with "Pandora's Clock" came with a live reading of the book on public radio. I just happened to tune in to the broadcasting station on my way home for lunch, and from the first installment, I was hooked. Each day, I waited with anticipation for the next chapter to be read.When I learned a few months later that the book was going to be broadcast on TV as a movie, I made sure to clear my schedule for that event.First of all, I'd like to say that the movie was very true to the book, contrary to what another reviewer had said. That, in itself, is a rare achievement for TV movies.Secondly, I agree with others about the casting. I could not imagine a better choice for Captain Holland than Richard Dean Anderson. Literally, the movie could have crashed and burned without a proper cast for this pivotal role. Anderson has never been better, and it is a shame that we have not seen more of him. In fact, all of the cast members did a superb job.My only complaint with the movie -- and the book -- was the interjection of the "terrorist plot" to arm a private business jet with air-to-air missiles and have its pilot stalk and shoot down the stricken plane. Basically, we are talking about less than 36 hours to orchestrate and execute a plan like this one, and folks, that is just not realistic at all given all the players involved. Also not realistic was how little the airliner was affected by having first one, then two of its engines blown off.That beef aside, I enjoyed the building suspense and found to be very believable how the reactions of foreign governments were portrayed in the film, as well as our own.If you have an opportunity to see this movie, do so by all means.

Based on the book, this movie comes up short because it changes some important things from the book. It doesn't make sense why they made the changes, the events in the book were more interesting. I have to say that the casting was pretty good though. Having Richard Dean Anderson play James Holland was a great choice. Its been awhile since i saw Daphne Zuniga and so it was nice seeing her again. I would have preferred another actress other than Jane Leeves to play Rachel, but I guess she did a decent job.Overall, the movie is quite entertaining. If you've never read the book, I think you'll enjoy it. For those of us who have read the book, the ending is disappointing.

I began watching a replay of this TV movie on a Sunday afternoon, thinking it was just another dumb airplane disaster flick. I was wrong."Pandora's Clock" is an intelligent political thriller that is far beyond the quality of most TV movies. It could just as easily have made its debut on the big screen.The cast is excellent, including veteran actors Richard Dean Anderson, Edward Herrmann, Robert Guillaume, and Robert Loggia. Daphne Zuniga turns in one of her best performances as a medical specialist working for the CIA, and Frasier's Jane Leeves is also very good. The dialogue is well-written and the story is compelling throughout. In fact, the final hour is so filled with plot twists and suspense that you can't leave your seat for a second. If you get a chance to see this movie, invest the time -- nearly four hours. You will be richly rewarded!

I really enjoyed watching this. It gripped me throughout and was quite believable. Good plot, interesting characters, and great pace.My only quibble would be that there was a bit of over-the-top in a couple of scenes. Also, there was much material that could have been expanded on. While the close of the movie does provoke much thought, there was much that could have been added (though it would have required another hour or two) in political matters, but that's simply my preference.All in all, a great movie. I only wish my VCR had been running.