No doubt Robert Wise appreciated the realism attempted by Kubrick with 2001: A Space Odyssey. This movie combines the talents of Michael Crichton (based on his book) and Nelson Gidding (screenplay based on the book) and Robert Wise. 2 of those 3 are certified geniuses. Wise's resume includes: The House on Telegraph Hill; The Day the Earth Stood Still; The Haunting; The Sound of Music; The Sand Pebbles; etc. Basically he was Kubrick before Kubrick existed. Crichton of course was an academic; a scientist; a writer; director. Basically a renaissance man. Wise was clever to present the movie as a pseudo-documentary. It's not a movie but a historical document that wasn't supposed to be released. The movie deals with a top-secret military program that potentially has a pure science application. Without posting a spoiler let's just say that weaponizing the Milky Way is terrifying enough. Once you venture beyond our little neighborhood the surprises can be beyond human imagination.

Based on a Michael Crichton novel, and directed by Robert Wise, "The Andromeda Strain" opens in the town of Piedmont, New Mexico, where locals have been killed by an extraterrestrial pathogen. The film's creepy opening scenes watch as members of the US government investigate Piedmont's corpse-strewn streets, their hazmat suits and telescopic lenses suggestive of overwhelming danger and invisible menace.Nothing else in "The Andromeda Strain" approaches the unnerving brilliance of its first act. Instead the film follows a group of scientists into an underground research facility. Here they attempt to identify, categorise and neutralise the alien virus. Unfortunately, like Wise's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979), such scenes eventually get bogged down by lingering, Stanley Kubrick inspired shots of gear, computers and high-tech machinery. All superficial techno-details - Kubrick, in contrast, always blended metaphysics with the prosaic – Wise's aesthetic eventually sabotages what was once a promising premise.Wise directed "The Day the Earth Stood Still" in 1951, a scifi classic which reflected then contemporary fears of nuclear annihilation. A product of a different era, "The Andromeda Strain" (1971) plays like one of the decade's many anti-establishment, conspiracy thrillers. Paranoia becomes a survival mechanism, Nixon-era government officials conspire to drop bombs, and it is ultimately a secret military mission which delivers death on America's doorstep; whilst civilians nonchalantly go about their business, microscopic monsters scheme.7.5/10 – Worth one viewing. See "Contagion", "Day of the Dead", "Carriers", "The Crazies", "Rabid", "The Happening" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1978).

Believe me, not that I'm anybody special, but I don't give out '9's very often. I just now finished watching the new Blu-ray and it is frigg'n AWESOME!My Dad took me to see this at the theatre when I was about 12 and I remember VERY vividly that I laid awake all that night, absolutely TERRIFIED that some nasty virus was assuredly going to kill us all. I don't remember just how long I was traumatized by this film, but it was a while. Heh, my poor Dad; there was no way that he would have known the impact that this film would have had on his extremely imaginative and impressionable little p\/ssy of a son.Since then I have seen the film a couple of times, but it has been quite some time since the last time I watched this, but let me tell you, even as an adult now some 40 years later, I can attest to the fact that this is one of THE most effective Science Fiction Thrillers of it's type. Now of course, I can much more fully admire the wonderfully serious and precise way it was put together. I think that this film has probably evoked the most respect for Robert Wise from me so far, even though he has directed MANY excellent films. The structure, pacing, direction, bloody EVERYTHING was perfect. I think that this is probably one of THE very best examples of how when done properly, a film can create the maximum amount of tension, suspense, and an oppressive mood, BUT... without having to resort to graphic violence or anything obvious. The way Wise ratcheted up the unease and tension was nothing less than masterful. And even so... I must admit that at least for me, there was maybe ONE or TWO moments in the film that actually called up feelings of genuine Horror, even though nothing was even close to being overdone or explicit in any way. I WILL say though, without going into too much detail so as to be a Spoiler or anything, but there IS a scene with a monkey that is most disquieting. I DON'T think that they would allow such a scene to be filmed like that now (remember, then they did not have computers to simulate things like they do now) I love animals, but I'm not a PETA activist or anything, and let me tell you that that one scene was really intense. And that is pretty much the bottom line of this film. Robert Wise used EVERY method available, in the most artful way, to elicit the most powerful effect on the audience. But again, WITHOUT resorting to low-denominator crassness. TRUE quality and talented film making at it's very best.After seeing so many films, many from around that time period, I feel that this one stands out above most of the other supposed Sci Fi Classics around that time, building a palpable sense of dread and realism. I think it was the sense of realism that made it work so well; and usually I am one of the LAST people to extol 'Realism'. Usually I am scornfully denouncing it in movies, and particularly the people who can't get into a film unless it is totally 'Real' or 'Believable' to them. Usually I spit venom in the direction of their Mothers, Grandmothers, and various other female family members as I smugly look down scornfully on what, I feel in my superiority, is their less than pitiful imaginations.However...In THIS film, Wise very shrewdly ramped up the 'Realism' in order to draw us firmly into the situation as it was happening, and it damn well held you there in it's Death Grip until it was done with you. Needless to say, in this case, I will quite humbly make an exception.As you can likely tell by now, I hold this film in the HIGHEST regard. Although I am usually quite put off by an overly 'Realistic' style when it comes to film making, especially when such 'Realism' eschews any imagination or suspension of disbelief or stretching yourself a little because it has to be OH SO 'Believable', I was fully held in the spell of this near-Documentary approach to a Science Fiction Thriller. And, of course the introduction at the beginning of the movie sets the tone beautifully.I would say that IF you are the kind of person who appreciates the simplicity of just DAMN good film making, and doesn't need a ton of special effects (although the ones incorporated here were quite ahead of their time and VERY effective) or if you don't require a boatload of sadism and gore, then you should very much enjoy this excellent and powerful Classic film.

I have known "Andromeda Strain" my whole life but I can't believe I have never seen the film until now, thank you Roku. Without interruption, I watched this film in HQ with all its glorious technocolor splendor. To me, a film HAS to have great cinematography or I'll not like it - perhaps hate it. Any time a scene is closer that 3 feet it is unnatural (wrong perspective). And, let us get rid of shaky cam forever. Why do I wan to see a film shot on a Iphone. With that said, I loved this movie. It had great sound, camera work, acting and I honestly had no idea how it would end. I found myself trying to figure out the chemistry to save the lives too. Take a trip back to 1971 to enjoy this classic and some popcorn. Long live film.Bonanza