close encounter of the dumb kind

Rating: 1/10 (4 December 2005)

Just rented the DVD (thank God I didn't see it in a theatre) and was surprised how brutally awful it was. On the awful scale it was even worse then "Temple of Doom" and "The Terminal", Spielberg's previous low points. It's hard to say when and where he lost his "chops", but old Stevie boy doesn't even try anymore. The first 25 minutes of the movie were really amazing and my wife and I were giving each other high fives over the special effects. From the point they got into the only car working and decide to drive it to Boston, you could just remove your brain for the next hour and a half. Nothing makes any sense. Every encounter they have with other people, or aliens for that matter, is just goofy and inane. In "Jaws", Spielberg had some top notch actors (Roy Schneider, Richard Dreyfus and especially the great Robert Shaw) in a blockbuster where they portray actual living, breathing characters. In this "blockbuster", he has capable actors (Cruise, Fanning,Miranda Otto) and dumb-ass dialogue. I felt sorry for the actors. Their director was missing in action and their performances showed it. Hey Steven, step aside and let a hungry director take on your next project. It won't hurt you to miss a few meals, so to speak. I'm waiting for the day when I'm happily standing in line again and smiling from ear to ear after watching one of your movies.