Really Surprised!

Best movie ever!

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

I am surprised that no one has noticed that this film may have inspired 24 series, that's my own opinion at least. I appreciated this TV movie, very well paced but unfortunately too much foreesable, predictable. Good job anyway, no problem.

E.G. Marshall is a political activist who intends to release nerve gas into San Diego, where the Republican national convention is being held. Ben Gazzara and his team are assigned to capture him and stop the gas from being stolen.Written and directed by Michael Crichton, this was a low-budget TV movie, though it deserved better. What's always interesting about any films with a political slant -- even back to 1930 -- is that politics haven't changed, and most of the time, the speeches and situations remain timely. This movie is no different. Just listen to what E.G. Marshall has to say.It was wonderful to see Ben Gazzara, William Windom, Joseph Wiseman, and a baby-faced Martin Sheen in this - all of them were very prevalent in the TV of my youth, as was Jim McMullan, who had dark hair then.Very suspenseful.

The good: From a historical perspective, very interesting to see all the classic elements of a Crichton story taking shape: medical mystery, technological danger, and a literal on-screen ticking clock. Big fans of Crichton's work (like me) who seek out this movie will definitely be able to appreciate it. And you can also see how Michael got better over time.The bad: Yes, I realize this was done for TV. And yes, I realize that watching in 2010 I have the benefit of seeing many slicker productions. But the camera work here could only be described as "70s cliché." Zooming in to a character while they deliver an important line is overused (there couldn't have been that many commercials right?). At the end, there is a wrap up discussion done in a long shot that drains all emotional impact from the lines. The Netflix DVD I watched was not remastered in any way, so there were jumps in the film and audio quality was abysmal.Gazarra and Marshall are fine actors, although I feel that Marshall was a bit miscast here. He seemed like he could play a good leader/planner but not so much a doer. Martin Sheen played his part very well, but was under-used.Maybe it's mainly a budget issue, but consider that WestWorld was just made a year later - what a better made movie that is! A few simple tweaks (and more money?) would have made this OK movie great.

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** I had been waiting to see this movie since i saw most of it 3 years ago while on vacation in myrtle beach, s.c.Was it EVER worth the wait!The subject of chemical weapons terrorism could be taken out of todays headlines. Perhaps that is why no network im my area has shown it. I was lucky enough to come across a used copy on e bay. I can't stop watching it!!Michael crichton's influnce is obvious here, with a plot that begins quickly, and builds to an unexpected twist in the climax. Though some of the early digital technology shows it age,(the control unit with lots of blinking lights and switches, as is the case with most early computer technology in the movies), this does not diminish from the suspense that this movie carries. An on screen digital countdown appears frequently, further alerting the viewer that SOMETHING BIG IS COMING.The cat and mouse action between ben gazzara and e.g. marshall is very intriguing. Every time gazzara thinks he is one step ahead, marshall surprises him.Near the end of the movie, marshall is caught and the nerve gas bomb is disarmed. ,or so it appears. Just when it seems that the good guys have won, crichton throws in one more twist. It is a race aginst time for a federal agent to find a hidden bomb that is a fail-safe, designed to release the gas onto san diego if the primary system is defeated.A heart-stopping sequence occurs when the agent has to race down many flights of stairs to get a bomb-sniffer, and then back up again ,because the elevators in the apartment building where the gas is at have been disabled. Of course ,the agent is able to save the day in the end.As I write this on september 10, we here in the U.S. are at orange alert as a result of terroristic threats.This movie was made 30 years ago, but with its plot of chemical terrorism ,it could have been made yesterday.If you like techno/political thrillers, and can find a copy of this movie, it is well worth your time.I rate this movie at a 9 out of 10!!!!!