The Terminal Man

Based on Michael Crichton’s “Terminal Man” (1972), Hodges’ film (he also wrote the screenplay) succeeds in effectively translating the main sources of scientific angst prevalent in the famous American novelist’s works:

1. The fear of dizzying technological evolution outpacing any ethical counterbalance;
2. The inherent risks of increasingly placing unconditional faith in computers and machines in general;
3. The pernicious consequences of an egotistical scientist convinced he can handle the complex aftereffects his discoveries will unleash (in this regard, the elderly scientist’s tirade against the ambitious neurosurgeon eager to operate on Benson is particularly cogent).

In short, this is classic Michael Crichton, with a story characterized by two well-defined parts: a first half with an almost documentary vibe in which the operation and post-surgical tests are shown with a wealth of details in a sterile, clinical environment (similar in many ways to Robert Wise’s “The Andromeda Strain“), followed by a decidedly more “movie-like” second half showing the inevitable consequences when the situation spins out of research team’s control and the patient’s tandem psychophysical collapse leads to his demise.

George Segal turns in a convincing performance in the role of the robotics expert obsessed with machines.