Review of Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) by Jeremy S — 13 May 2010

-After looking through the added material in the special edition, I regret watching this version-some scenes shortened (the wrong ones) and some scenes made longer, also the wrong ones. I almost feel like I missed out on the experience of this movie.

- That, however, is impossible because this film is quite an amazing journey.

-The casting of Richard Dreyfuss is also great-his persona shines through as child-like, yet confidently determined, and capable of solving an elaborate mystery---presence of aliens.

-Some of Spielberg's direction is shamelessly manipulative: the dinner table scene with the mashed potatoes is ridiculous. This is the first scene where we really see Dreyfuss "deteriorate," and it is handled poorly. It starts off fine, the camera studies Dreyfuss as he molds potatoes into the figure of his imagination, but the next shot is all wrong. His son sits staring at him from the corner of his eye---crying. This single image stopped the momentum of the scene because it felt so forced-I don't believe the kid would just cry like that, number one, and then to have that stupid single tear fall down the kid's cheek. Come on.

-Spielberg has a habit of manipulating his audience using kids (sometimes well done, mind you): Sean in Minority Report, Cruises son; that annoying, screaming Dakota Fanning in War of the Worlds-one of our links to Cruises character (his daughter). And E.T.,-but that movie was all about kids so the "manipulation" had its place.

-Several great scenes: when Dreyfuss first has his encounter and the car shakes-awe inspiring, much like the rest of the film.

-One classic scene: the aliens come for the kid, the mom shuts all the doors, closes the windows-but the alien light shines through, the house shakes, and then the kid opens the door to a red-orange outside. It's beautiful, scary, and exhilarating.

-While this movie is likeable, and entertaining, it's not at all smart in the traditional "science fiction" sense; it's all popcorn, no substance.

-Scientifically, the movie does not hold up-nothings explained: Why does Dreyfuss and all the others have that image implanted in them-things like that are not explained, and is left up to the imagination-works in other aspects of the film, but not for the little, technical details.