Disclosure Day; A Non-spolier Close Encounter of the Fourth kind

[Barry]

I am not a fan of Disclosure  Day and I only really liked the last 30 minutes. The first two hours were often tedious.

I actually had second thoughts about putting up this review because I know a lot of science fiction  and Steven Spielberg fans will like this movie. And I may sound a bit like a Curmudgeon. And David will pick on me once he reads the next paragraph.

But let me explain. Steven Spielberg loves to have long Chase scenes in his movies…Duel, Sugarland Express, Jaws and all the Indiana Jones movies and so many others have long big chases. So it is here. And I really bored by chase scenes when you know who it’s going to win at the end. Well, that is most of the first part of the movie..

Second, I really like science fiction with imagination, but I don’t always like it with what I like to call science magic. Let me explain..

2001 and Star Trek, for example, may have creatures that we never thought of and things like going faster than the speed of light or transporting. These may be impossible, but seem real in these pictures. And we buy it.

Science magic is ET when three or four bicycles flying in mid air without any equipment. Or what “Q” often did in Star Trek.  Well, this movie is full of science magic, things that are probably impossible, but look great on the big screen.

Let me say that the cast is actually outstanding and Emily Blunt is terrific. This is the first time I have seen her carry a movie rather than being a very good supporting character. And there is no evidence of her wearing Prada in this movie.

I suspect that people who, in real life, believe that we have been visited by aliens will enjoy this movie as reinforcing their beliefs. I went into the movie, looking for a good science fiction story. For me, in a funny way, this might’ve made a better one hour twilight zone episode. But this is a non-spoiler review so I will not tell you what happens in the last half hour, But I suspect this is the bookend to close encounters.

[David Vaughn]

I'll wait to see it at home. My son-in-law and a good friend of mine saw it and felt pretty much the same way you do Barry, so I won't pick on you today

[bmoney]

Thanks for the review!

[Paul Heroy]

I saw it Saturday and liked it a bit more than Barry but had a lot of the same reactions. My movie buddy and his son both loved it though. He used a word that I thought was really apt - "experiential". The movie was really showing the experience of the 2 leads as they go through and experience the events, and react and navigate them while having to do things they've never done. The writing was pretty strong, and the performances also especially as Barry noted, Emily Blunt's. 

The son compared the "magic wand" to the Green Lantern's ring which bends its abilities to the wielder's will, but I don't like that in a non comic or fantasy setting. There should be some discernible "rules" around what it can do in a SF or reality based genre.  I also found it a bit tedious at times, and similarly to Project Hail Mary where I felt the humor went too long at times, I wanted some of the chase and other scenes that lingered a bit to be edited down and a little more about the actual characters and alien setup. I felt shortchanged especially on the alien side, like a monster movie that barely ever shows the monster. 

I might do a repeat viewing at some point but that's not a certainty because it's not a movie that appeals much to my wife so I'll be on my own there. (When I told her afterward that I didn't think she'd like it much, her response was a pretty dismissive "Well duh, I didn't even tell you I'm interested".)

[Barry]

Paul,
I really enjoyed your review. and I especially liked it when you wrote “The son compared the "magic wand" to the Green Lantern's ring which bends its abilities to the wielder's will, but I don't like that in a non comic or fantasy setting. There should be some discernible "rules" around what it can do in a SF or reality based genre.”

That’s exactly what I was talking about when I mentioned science magic rather than science fiction. I feel exactly the same way you do. that sort of thing kind of takes me out of the picture and I begin to see it more as a fantasy.