Choc mortel

This has the logical consistency of marshmallows filled with ketchup, and the overall aftertaste is just as disgusting.

Will be used in the 9th circle of Hell at recreation time. Just plain torture.

I would rather choose to watch 90 minutes of my computer going through 5400 blue screens of death than watch this appalling drivel again - ever. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible.

You know, the good thing about Swiss Cheese is that along with the holes you get some cheese: here it's ONLY holes - and the excitement factor? Well that turns watching paint dry into an adrenalin rush and an Olympic speed sport.

My brain hurts from trying to work out who OK'd this drivel, did they think about the premise? (I sincerely hope not, otherwise there is no redemption) the only consolation is they had the pleasure of sitting through the rushes. Made for TV should not be a synonym for: "Sure, let the horses bowels run loose across the living rooms! Our audience are idiots!"

I was hooked just to know how it could get any worse. This is not a good sign, folks.

Hallmark should be ashamed for releasing it.

I should be ashamed for watching it.

I am ashamed. I'm off for a long shower.

I remember when this premiered in 1999; at the time I caught the opening scene but never got any further. Now that I've finally sat to watch it in full, more than twenty years later - well, it's not bad, but the title at large operates on about the same level as the first minutes. That is to say, the plot is built on one contrivance after another of hearty suspension of disbelief, or what in purely cinematic terms is called Movie Magic. There are plenty of cliches, too, and strictly speaking some of the language is noticeably dated. One could cheekily argue that 'Fatal error' is a 90-minute public service announcement encouraging people to turn off their screens and step outside. This is enjoyable, with the caveat that viewers must be willing to engage with material that's about as realistically believable as a superhero comic.

True, definite themes present - relevant to real life - of corporate malfeasance, profit over people, the ubiquity of technology, and so on. On the other hand, we also get male and female leads, with requisite troubled backgrounds, who are destined for romantic entanglement just because they exist in the same space. A kernel of science is woven into the narrative in terms of the integration of the body's organs, and how information is processed through our optical nerves, and this is then twisted together with a proto-cyberpunk conception of technology also entering into that configuration. I'm not familiar with novelist Ben Mezrich, but the resultant story comes across as Michael Crichton-lite, wherein all that would be needed to complete the effect would be alarmist overtones decrying the evils of science. Scene writing and individual story beats launch forward with the unaware bravado of "This is how the plot will progress." None of this is to say that the writing is inherently bad, as it's all solid enough for what 'Fatal error' wanted to be, but the colloquial maxim about taking something with "a grain of salt" should in this instance be updated to reflect "a truckload of salt."

The effects, post-production visuals, and makeup that we see employed throughout to realize the death scenes are suitably gruesome to disturb the youngest of possible viewers, though it should be said that the more the camera lingers on such moments, the more over the top they appear. The feature is otherwise well made from a technical standpoint, with competent direction, sound, production design, and so on. The assembled cast are just fine. When all is said and done what it comes down to is that this is essentially B-movie sci-fi packaged inside a network TV thriller. That phrase may set off alarm bells for some, and understandably so, yet it's unfair to say this is without value. It's entertaining in the same way any second-tier motion picture can be: not particularly moving, stimulating, or otherwise rewarding, but a passable diversion. Yes, one has to accept a veritable cavalcade of gimmicky notions to have fun here, but if you can do that, then it's not a wholly deadly mistake to watch 'Fatal error.'

I didn't expect much from this TV movie. You have to set the bar lower than you would for midget limbo for any TBS movie starring Antonio Sabato Jr. Still, it managed to disappoint, failing even to be a good-bad film.

Every scene was by rote, as if someone had cut and pasted scenes from a dozen movies and tv shows dealing with big business conspiracies into the script, leaned back and said, "My work is done". It's all cliche, all predictable, and, even worse, the actors are forced to look like they're taking it seriously, (even when the plot developments are laughable).

Do yourself a favor. Watch "The X-Files" if you're in the mood for paranoia. They handle it better. Also, let anyone know that sitting through "Fatal Error" is just that.

I have read the novel Reaper of Ben Mezrich a fews years ago and last night I accidentally came to see this adaption.

Although it's been years since I read the story the first time, the differences between the novel and the movie are humongous. Very important elements, which made the whole thing plausible are just written out or changed to bad.

If the plot sounds interesting to you: go and get the novel. Its much, much, much better.

Still 4 out of 10 since it was hard to stop watching because of the great basic plot by Ben Mezrich.

I've come to enjoy some of these dreadful TV sci-fi movies. I'm not quite sure why, but stuff like this is entertaining. The plot is flimsy to say the least and includes several huge leaps of faith. Think DEEP SHOCK or FROZEN IMPACT.

The plot revolves around a mis-matched couple, the Mulder and Scully of this story, who're on the trail of a computer virus that can kill people as they watch the screen. This is off-the-box stuff, but there's no spoilers here because it doesn't actually do anything else.

Oh, and watch out for the laughably bad "server room", a room full of outdated junk in racks, with no other furniture than a water cooler. Yeah, right. Glorious!