Grimerlana Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Kinley This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

moonspinner55 Brilliant computer scientist (George Segal) has been involved in an auto accident which left "a pressing" on his brain; uncontrollably angry and violent, he has nearly killed two people. Diagnosed with paraepilepsy, he's now become the willing subject for a new surgical procedure to the brain...but the 'rewiring' which takes place may prove to be no cure at all. Intentionally clinical and cold, this adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel has been directed by Mike Hodges with barely a trace of personality, stray levity, energy or irony. Many of the doctors and nurses on-screen have been erased of their individuality; the one doctor who disapproves of the operation (Joan Hackett) has to get her compassion for the subject across by using her eyes (and by calling out his name, "Harry!", repeatedly). Hodges, who also penned the script after Crichton himself was removed from the project, seems to frown on frank verbal exchanges. Everything is muted for an effect. The supporting cast is filled with excellent character actors who ultimately don't get around to doing much, while the star of the picture seems curiously misplaced. Segal can be a fine dramatic actor, but when he's on the loose here (in an ill-fitting wig) he just looks silly. The style of the film (or rather, the look of it, as 'style' gives the production unearned prestige) has attracted latter-day admirers, this despite the pretentious artistic flourishes. Stanley Kubrick was reportedly impressed with the picture, although this could be legend (there's an attack on a locked bathroom door which is amusingly similar to "The Shining"). However, the narrative isn't gripping, the jaundiced bits of dried-out cynicism are kept bubbling under the surface, and the finale dribbles away instead of packing a punch. *1/2 from ****

dariuslanghoff It is an engaging, if cold hearted 1974 science-fiction movie penned by Michael Crichton, the doctor-turned-author responsible for such successes as THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN, WESTWORLD and COMA.George Segal stars as an computer scientist who has an electronic pacemaker inserted in his brain to prevent him from having epileptic fits. But something malfunctions and the device transforms him to a robotic killer.This is a fascinating story, well photographed by Mike (GET CARTER) Hodges. Unfortunately, it disintegrates at the end with a disappointing climax. Still, it is a good movie.

raypdaley182 Segal plays a man who has had an accident and suffered some sort of cranial injury (I'm sorry Micheal Crichton, It really isn't explained well enough in my opinion). He is then subjected to a pioneering new medical treatment previously only ever tried on monkeys.This is where the film falls down. Has Micheal never heard of all the testing, trials and licensing procedures that drugs and medical procedures have to go through. So basically the entire idea for the plot is scuppered right away before the movie even really gets a chance to start.The film pursues the idea anyway, and Segal has a micro implant into his brain to control impulses that cause him want to kill.Yep, of course it fails and the implant starts giving him the impulses. Segal escapes the hospital after his operation (how is he even able to do anything after major surgery on his brain?) he starts having attacks and kills his girlfriend and runs off on a frenetic killing frenzy. his implant is being monitored and the scientists are able to predict when he will strike but not where. (surely the nuclear implant would have been traceable?) finally after killing a priest Segal thinks about killing himself and finds himself in a cemetery (didn't understand how he got here either) and falls into an open grave but is carrying a pistol. he has a seemingly fatal fit but is near catatonic - not dead. the police kill him despite the fact he has dropped his gun (the marksman would have seen this through his telescopic sight and LEGALLY could not fire his weapon so he committed murder) and the end is very bad and totally impossible to understand.are they planning to try this procedure again with another prisoner? weird but strangely watchable like THX-1138.

wilbrifar I was looking for a bit of trivia about this film and made the mistake of reading the reviews here. My jaw dropped when I saw the overwhelming opinion that this movie is worthless because it's too slow. Has everyone been too brain-deadened by recent Hollywood thrill rides to appreciate a patiently unfolding story? The Terminal Man is very creepy, very scary, and is acted with amazing skill by even the smallest of bit players. Each one of the doctors involved in the experiment, for example, carries his or her own personal baggage, and it's that baggage which clouds their reason and makes true progress impossible. The message of the film seems to be that no matter how advanced science becomes, people will still be people, and our petty prides and jealousies will tear down every accomplishment. That's the brilliance of this movie; it takes a broad sci-fi theme yet reduces it to its most unpredictable element: the personalities of the persons involved. There are so many amazing scenes in this film where a line or two of casual conversation reveals so much about the power games being played between the speakers. On the outside, these scientists are titans of technology; on the inside, they're closer to the befuddled old men of the comedy "BALL OF FIRE". The only one who thinks with heart as well as head is the Joan Hackett character, and the clash between her and the good 'ol boys of science is both profound and heartbreaking.I urge anyone with an IQ larger than their shoe size to ignore the negative comments and give this film a chance. Viewed with an open mind and a little patience, this movie becomes quite an exiting experience. It's one of the greatest sci-fi/horror films of all time, and has never gotten its due respect. It's the kind of film we could use more of, and the fact it's considered boring by today's audiences is very sad proof of the dumbing-down effect of Hollywood clap-trap. We're used to movies that ask you to set back while you're force-fed the story. The Terminal Man requires that you watch what's happening, listen to what's being said, and think about what's between the lines. If you can't do that, stick with Vin Diesel films.