Perhaps my favourite film of all time.

Rating: 10/10 (7 February 2006)

I love a movie with brains, and this movie provides. Written by acclaimed scientist and intellectual Carl Sagan, this book is overflowing with scientific facts and philosophical ideas. I eat it up every time; this film truly challenges you to think. But that aside, it is an excellent and well-made movie, containing action (near the end), romance (here and there), suspense, mystery, betrayal. Everything but war is included. Yet it flows smoothly despite this, and the two and a half hours whisk by, at least to me.
Perhaps I'm biased; I first saw this movie when it first came out in '97, when I was 11, and it has been a family favourite ever since. It was only when I saw it again recently that I realized how amazing of a movie it is.
Jodie Foster, as usual, does an amazing job, stealing the show when she needs to. The other actors are all worthy of mention, too. The special effects are very impressive, and so far they have withstood the test of time. The music, by Silvestri, is typically beautiful and fitting. The writing and dialogue are on the mark.
I'm having trouble understanding why this film only has a 7.3 in here; its rating should be in the 8's, if I had my way. I'd recommend this film to everyone, and its tameness (rating wise) makes it largely appropriate for children. Even people who don't like science-fiction will like this, since it isn't until near the end.
And that's my three cents.