Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

The main problem with the film watching it today is that it's almost four decades old as I write this, thereby having quite a dated quality to it. The story itself is a pretty good one with an element of suspense supported by the idea that maybe something like this could actually happen. If you think about it, the ebay for body parts concept is in full play today for important organs like the heart, liver and kidneys, so who knows if in the deep, dark recesses of medical malpractice something like this might be going on even now.What will really blow you away is when the story moves over to the Jefferson Institute and you get to see all those comatose bodies suspended in mid-air waiting for who knows what. That was just the absolute worst stuff of horror one could imagine if you were somebody like Dr. Susan Wheeler (Genevieve Bujold) investigating the sudden 'deaths' of patients coming out of Operating Room #8.So with all the possible nightmare conspiracy thoughts going through Wheeler's head, I was rather surprised that the story reverted back to a 'keep it simple' strategy by the outlaw doctors running this little medical scam. The carbon monoxide strategy filled that bill perfectly, but gee, wouldn't you think Dr. Bellows (Michael Douglas) could have just burst into the operating room when his girlfriend was on the table instead of taking the long way around through the labyrinth of storage rooms and duct work? At least he made the save, for a while there I thought he was in on the whole body parts business himself.Like any job I guess, one gets somewhat blasé about the work conditions and every day boredom that might set in, so that scene of the pathology residents, (one of which was Ed Harris) discussing 'complete squash rot' and 'total gomer' to describe their autopsy patients was a bit of comic relief for this viewer. If this film had been made about thirty years earlier, you might even have seen them lighting up a smoke as they went about their business.

This threw out the possibility that at some point, when money talked loudly enough, those who could afford it could bypass the the organ transplant protocols and simply buy their substitute organs. That's a possibility, but like the grave robbers of the 19th Century, with a shortage of lungs and hearts and livers and kidneys, perhaps one needs to harvest them in a whole new way. Genevieve Bujold plays a young doctor who comes to realize that healthy people in her hospital have a high incidence of coma. When she investigates, it becomes obvious that she is being kept from the truth; more than that, her life is probably in danger. This movie was controversial. Robin Cook's book was a big bestseller. Certainly provocative but not as good as it could have been.

Coma is one of the greatest films of all times. Robin Cook is such a wonderful writer. His years of training as a physician makes for an intriguing plot and non-stop action. This movie still evokes a visceral response. The movie is captivating from the opening scene until the end. This complex movie is both captivating and action packed. I still watch the movie at least once a year. I love all the characters and find Dr. George just as great today as in 1978. This move is a must see in my opinion. Great lines and unforgettable scenes will make this a favorite for many people for years to come. Coma is one of my favorite films and Mr. Douglas played the part so well. Wonderful movie in 78 and in 2014.

Plot : Geneviève Bujold investigates shady goings on in a Hospital and finds her life in danger.Acting : Serviceable, Richard Widmark was my fave performance, big fan of his movies from the 50's. Geneviève Bujold was not entirely likable throughout and i kind of wished Michael Douglas was lead character as his natural charisma shows here. saying that i thought Bujold did well and blame the writing more than her for how her character turned out.Action/Suspense : An unintentionally hilarious assassination aside i really enjoyed the few chase of hide and seek sequences in second half of movie. Best being a scene in the morgue, felt like a slasher movie. The Jefferson institute scenes were also compelling and the final few minutes offer great tension as Michael Douglas races against time to save his lady on the operation table.Cameos : Lois Chiles looking lovely as a soon to be unfortunate victim. Tom Selleck rocking an awesome pre Magnum mustache and Ed Harris in his first role with a fine head of hair looking like a young Will Patton. Nudity : A surprising amount for a PG movie including Geneviève Bujold having a shower,Music : The score doesn't kick in till second half of movie but Jerry Goldsmith music helps the suspense brilliantly and improves the film as a whole.Cinematography : Depressing hospital interiors aside there is a sequence in the middle of movie where Bujold and Douglas go on a day out and it looks all soft focus and inconsistent with look of the rest of movie.Directing : Unremarkable but solid.Overall : Saw this as a kid and always had a fondness for it, revisiting it twenty years later i am happy to say i still thoroughly enjoy it, an intriguing plot, suspenseful chases and a satisfying climax make for an entertaining and solid thriller.