Sphere: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Sphere_2492.jpg|frame]]

'''Sphere''' is the name shared by a 1987 novel by [[Michael Crichton]] and its 1998 film adaptation. Both works combine elements of two genres: [[Science Fiction]] and [[Psychological Thriller]]. The film was directed by Barry Levinson, previously known for such films as ''[[Disclosure]]'' and ''[[Wag the Dog]]''. The main stars were [[Dustin Hoffman]], Sharon Stone, and [[Samuel L Jackson]].

'''Sphere''' is the name shared by a 1987 novel by [[Michael Crichton]] and its 1998 film adaptation. Both works combine elements of two genres: [[Science Fiction]] and [[Psychological Thriller]]. The film was directed by Barry Levinson, previously known for such films as ''[[Disclosure]]'' and ''[[Wag the Dog]]''. The main stars were [[Dustin Hoffman]], Sharon Stone, and [[Samuel L. Jackson]].

The film begins with the discovery of a spacecraft deep within the southern Pacific Ocean. The thickness of coral growth on the spaceship suggests that it has been there for almost three hundred years. The United States Navy believes the spacecraft is alien in nature, sets up an underwater research facility at the site, and assigns a group of scientists and naval personnel to investigate further. They are:

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Soon the crew are contacted by a mysterious entity calling itself "Jerry," which they assume to be an alien and related somehow to the mysterious sphere. Before much more can be learned, a powerful typhoon suddenly arrives, trapping all below until it blows over. Within the following days, things go horribly wrong. Strange sea creatures menace the station, crew members die in a series of tragic incidents and communications from "Jerry" have inexplicably become irrational and hostile. As the situation grows worse, the surviving team members make a shocking revelation as to the true nature of both "Jerry" and the sphere, but has it come too late to help them escape a living nightmare?

The film was a box office flop. It earned 37 million in the U.S and underperformed elsewhere, failing to even cover its budget. It ranked 58th for the year. Fans of Crichton noted many differences with the source novel, including the character's histories and personalities, while critics dismissed the rushed-production appearance and derivative plot; similarities were noted with ''[[Forbidden Planet]]'', certain episodes of ''[[Star Trek]]'', ''[[~~2001: A Space Odyssey (Film)|~~2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' and ''[[Alien (~~Film~~)|Alien]]''.

The film was a box office flop. It earned 37 million in the U.S and underperformed elsewhere, failing to even cover its budget. It ranked 58th for the year. Fans of Crichton noted many differences with the source novel, including the character's histories and personalities, while critics dismissed the rushed-production appearance and derivative plot; similarities were noted with ''[[Forbidden Planet]]'', certain episodes of ''[[Star Trek]]'', ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' and ''[[Alien (franchise)|Alien]]''.

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* [[Clap Your Hands If You Believe]]: {{spoiler|What the Sphere gives people the power to do. It even works if the person is not aware they have this power, resulting in a lot of nightmares made real.}}

* [[Closed Circle]]: A typhoon makes it impossible to leave the underwater enviroment for a week.

* [[Drinking On Duty]]: In the novel, Petty Officer Fletcher is described as having a noticeable odor of alcohol on her breath during the first squid attack.

* [[Drinking on Duty]]: In the novel, Petty Officer Fletcher is described as having a noticeable odor of alcohol on her breath during the first squid attack.

* [[Everything's Squishier ~~With~~ Cephalopods]]: "Jerry" summons a swarm of impossible squids, and later a giant squid to attack the undersea station. The squid is a [[Homage]] to the one in ''[[Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea]]'' {{spoiler|and in-story is because the movie scared Harry as a kid}}.

* [[Everything's Squishier with Cephalopods]]: "Jerry" summons a swarm of impossible squids, and later a giant squid to attack the undersea station. The squid is a [[Homage]] to the one in ''[[Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea]]'' {{spoiler|and in-story is because the movie scared Harry as a kid}}.

* [[First Contact Math]]: In the novel, this is the way Harry manages to first make meaningful contact with the mysterious alien presence.

* [[Gender Bender]]: Of ''corpses.''

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* [[Green-Eyed Monster]]: Ted and Harry, which is mostly one-sided on Ted's part. Harry quietly tells Norman that he forgives him for everything but allowing Ted to be on the mission. "He's a pain in the ass."

* [[Hand Wave]]: The movie gets [[Helium Speech|silly voices created by the helium atmosphere]] out of the way after a brief comic relief scene by having everyone don "voice regulators".

* [[Hard On Soft Science]]: Discussed and subverted in the novel. One of the [[Jerkass]] physicists asks what somebody from such a useless field as psychology is doing on the mission. Norman, the psychologist protagonist, points out) what terrible people skills the average physicist has. It turns out the psychologist is {{spoiler|the only one mentally stable enough to handle the nigh-omnipotence the titular sphere gives without killing everyone.}}

* [[Hard on Soft Science]]: Discussed and subverted in the novel. One of the [[Jerkass]] physicists asks what somebody from such a useless field as psychology is doing on the mission. Norman, the psychologist protagonist, points out) what terrible people skills the average physicist has. It turns out the psychologist is {{spoiler|the only one mentally stable enough to handle the nigh-omnipotence the titular sphere gives without killing everyone.}}

* [[Helium Speech]]: This trope is used often in works set deep underwater and is played straight in the novel. Appears only briefly in the film.

* [[Hey, It's That Guy!]]: Queen Latifah has a bit role as a Navy dispatcher {{spoiler|who gets killed by killer jellyfish.}}