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Product Description
From the BBC comes another superb remake of a classic 'Lost' BBC SF series, A For Andromeda. Bonus features include: Another Girl, Another Planet - a documentary including Jane Asher, Richard Fell, Tom Hardy, and Paul Laugier; Photo gallery previously unseen images from the making of the programme; 24-page booklet by film and television historian Marcus Hearn.
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital Stereo ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (1.78:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Booklet, Interactive Menu, Photo Gallery, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: When a group of scientists receive a message from outer space telling them to build a computer, they follow the orders with disastrous results. The computer is far more advanced than they imagined and proceeds to build a biological robot, Andromeda, from one of their dead colleagues. ...A for Andromeda
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
After successful revivals like "Doctor Who" and "Quatermass", "A For Andromeda" was a remake too far for the BBC's mission to revive all its old sci-fi. Where other revivals were so successful, this fails on several levels.
The story is partially 'modernised' for the 21st century but partly kept true to the early 1960s original, which makes it totally unbelievable (even by sci-fi standards) and generates massive plot holes. Is this a modern drama, or a tribute to a 1960s story? Ultimately it just doesn't make a lot of sense no matter what time period it's set in.
Tom Hardy and Kelly Reilly are the stars, and they give GREAT performances. They really do. Tom Hardy's obsessive scientist whose animal energy begins to show when he's under pressure, is a brilliant turn, that makes me want to see him in other shows. Kelly Reilly's dual role as Christine and Andromeda is well-handled- Christine is warm and emotionally naive, Andromeda cold and threatening. These are two great performances surrounded by a slightly wooden supporting cast.
No matter how good their performances are, they can't escape the essential story problems. For example, if Christine is a maths genius, why does she need basic information about astronomy explained to her? Why is a telescope that's supposed to be for international espionage pointing into deep space? Why can the Americans not receive this signal even though they know where it's coming from? Why is "the MOD" and "the Government" apparently just one man? Why does a top bio-scientist think that one plastic sheet constitutes a complete bio-hazard defence? Why when Jane Asher is typing using every key on the keyboard is only binary appearing on the screen? I could go on. Anyone with any science GCSE or O-level will see several things in this film which will just make them think- "no". It breaks the cardinal rules of science fiction- no matter how incredible the premise, it still has to make some kind of logical sense on some level.
The 'making of' video actually gives some clues as to why this version is so bad. The writer doesn't seem to care for sci-fi, which turns out to be a big problem. The director doesn't seem too worried about what's going on.
A big disappointment.
The story is partially 'modernised' for the 21st century but partly kept true to the early 1960s original, which makes it totally unbelievable (even by sci-fi standards) and generates massive plot holes. Is this a modern drama, or a tribute to a 1960s story? Ultimately it just doesn't make a lot of sense no matter what time period it's set in.
Tom Hardy and Kelly Reilly are the stars, and they give GREAT performances. They really do. Tom Hardy's obsessive scientist whose animal energy begins to show when he's under pressure, is a brilliant turn, that makes me want to see him in other shows. Kelly Reilly's dual role as Christine and Andromeda is well-handled- Christine is warm and emotionally naive, Andromeda cold and threatening. These are two great performances surrounded by a slightly wooden supporting cast.
No matter how good their performances are, they can't escape the essential story problems. For example, if Christine is a maths genius, why does she need basic information about astronomy explained to her? Why is a telescope that's supposed to be for international espionage pointing into deep space? Why can the Americans not receive this signal even though they know where it's coming from? Why is "the MOD" and "the Government" apparently just one man? Why does a top bio-scientist think that one plastic sheet constitutes a complete bio-hazard defence? Why when Jane Asher is typing using every key on the keyboard is only binary appearing on the screen? I could go on. Anyone with any science GCSE or O-level will see several things in this film which will just make them think- "no". It breaks the cardinal rules of science fiction- no matter how incredible the premise, it still has to make some kind of logical sense on some level.
The 'making of' video actually gives some clues as to why this version is so bad. The writer doesn't seem to care for sci-fi, which turns out to be a big problem. The director doesn't seem too worried about what's going on.
A big disappointment.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Ahhh, a BBC film! Doesn't it make you feel all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it? What we have here, however, is a somewhat cold fish. A for Andromeda suffers from a number of flaws which prevent it from being what it's intended to be: a study of the dilemmas surrounding the creation of artificial life.
Firstly the structure is poorly conceived. Too much time is spent setting the scene and building up to the appearance of Andromeda. There's also a completely pointless subplot involving espionage that wastes valuable time. The result of this is that the important part of the story - what happens after the appearance of Andromeda - is crammed into the last 35 minutes.
Then there's the underfunding. There are some creaky effects here, notably the supercomputer, which resembles a huge disco ball. The top secret lab looks like a rundown 1960s comprehensive school. And when the MOD swoop in to take control they do so with just four men. Hmnn, I think I detect a somewhat half-hearted commitment to this project from the suits at the BBC.
Thirdly, we have some pretty weak characters speaking some rather silly dialogue. The four scientists earnestly recite lots of lengthy words while tapping furiously at their keyboards (they have to enter an awful lot of very long binary numbers for some reason). There's also some pretty clumsy symbolism going on here, but I won't go into that.
But what convinced me least was Andromeda's epiphany. Here is a super-intelligent life form with an important purpose programmed into her and it takes all of 90 seconds for her to do a complete 180. This would have been more convincing if they had time to explore the dilemma she suddenly finds herself facing.
Despite all of the above I still quite enjoyed this film. What redeems it, to some extent, is the style in which it's filmed. It shifts nicely from faux docudrama to dreamlike serenity, lulling the viewer into believing that there might be more here than meets the eye, even though there isn't. And the spare, ethereal soundtrack serves nicely to reinforce this illusion.
The original BBC series was before my time so I can't comment on that. I suspect, however, that this doesn't compare terribly well.
Firstly the structure is poorly conceived. Too much time is spent setting the scene and building up to the appearance of Andromeda. There's also a completely pointless subplot involving espionage that wastes valuable time. The result of this is that the important part of the story - what happens after the appearance of Andromeda - is crammed into the last 35 minutes.
Then there's the underfunding. There are some creaky effects here, notably the supercomputer, which resembles a huge disco ball. The top secret lab looks like a rundown 1960s comprehensive school. And when the MOD swoop in to take control they do so with just four men. Hmnn, I think I detect a somewhat half-hearted commitment to this project from the suits at the BBC.
Thirdly, we have some pretty weak characters speaking some rather silly dialogue. The four scientists earnestly recite lots of lengthy words while tapping furiously at their keyboards (they have to enter an awful lot of very long binary numbers for some reason). There's also some pretty clumsy symbolism going on here, but I won't go into that.
But what convinced me least was Andromeda's epiphany. Here is a super-intelligent life form with an important purpose programmed into her and it takes all of 90 seconds for her to do a complete 180. This would have been more convincing if they had time to explore the dilemma she suddenly finds herself facing.
Despite all of the above I still quite enjoyed this film. What redeems it, to some extent, is the style in which it's filmed. It shifts nicely from faux docudrama to dreamlike serenity, lulling the viewer into believing that there might be more here than meets the eye, even though there isn't. And the spare, ethereal soundtrack serves nicely to reinforce this illusion.
The original BBC series was before my time so I can't comment on that. I suspect, however, that this doesn't compare terribly well.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I have to agree with the reviewer who says this is a remake you can only like if you haven't seen the original. I saw this - a condensed 90 minutes version of the 7 part 60's story of a message from space leading to building of a computer that creates artificial life - prior to watching the andromeda anthology. It's certainly well paced, although sub plots do seem to disappear as a result, and it's decent and quite well acted story. The trouble is that being self contained, with no sign of a remake of the sequel, it all feels a bit flat and inconsequential in the end.
If you recall the original then this may not do much for you.
If you never saw it then start with this, and then get the andromeda anthology dvd collection. both are worth watching
If you recall the original then this may not do much for you.
If you never saw it then start with this, and then get the andromeda anthology dvd collection. both are worth watching
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not As Bad As Some Say
This is a pretty solid and convincing piece of that rare beast that is genuine scifi. Performances and production values are well up to scratch though there is a slight whiff of... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Shrewlord
A For Andromeda
read the book years ago... at that time it locked me right in! Guess this BBC production is the 21st Century version of the original 1960's 1970 plot. Read more
Published 14 months ago by andrewarms
a for avoid
The original series, now very dated, had a certain attraction and portrayed an interesting scenario. Read more
Published on 13 Nov 2009 by D. C. Raithby
Not worth the time
This a dreadful remake of the original series - in fact its not a remake at all just a cobble of a two of the original sub-plots. Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2008 by theneophyte
well done!
Ok, I know a lot of people here have been rather critical of this but I really enjoyed it. Growing up and living in the US I was unable to watch the original so I have no... Read more
Published on 25 Nov 2007 by D. Molnar
Have To Do
Perhaps this is one of those times that you can only like a remake if you haven't seen the original. Read more
Published on 22 Nov 2006 by R. J. Crossman
Complete rubbish
Cheap, superficial. Wooden acting from Jane Asher. Considering the original series consisted of seven 45min episodes followed up by another six of the same length, it's no wonder... Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2006 by Mr. S. Crook
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