Formulaic Spielberg

Rating: 6/10 (24 July 2005)

Have you had a well made meal and you knew the chef was talented, but in the end there was not anything unique or special about the meal? That was how this movie was. If it had been made in the 70's it would be considered great but there is so much Spielberg formula about it. It is like Jurassic Park but the dinosaurs are aliens this time. You had the 2 kids, the distant male father figure who was not emotionally available to the kids, the crowds going nuts scene - The same things we saw in Close Encounters; E.T., - yada, yada, yada...
I never warmed up to Tom Cruise's character; and it seems the only person trying to act was Dakota Fanning.
Is the movie worth seeing? Yes. Will you regret going to it? No. Will I buy the DVD? Definitely Not.
I would like to see Spielberg do something like Color Purple again.
Andy Smith