Disclosure Day suckered us in again
In point of fact: it has been no less than 25 years since Steven Spielberg helmed a quantifiable, undisputed, world-wide mega blockbuster. That movie was Saving Private Ryan and it graced our screens in 1998. There have been a few notable movies since, sure (Minority Report, War of the Worlds). But the last movie in his unmatched career that your humble Average Dude would consider an annual watch was nearly a decade ago (Ready Player One, a marvelously original geek-fest). Since that last W, Spielberg has brought us a mere trio of movies: The Fabelmans (yawn), West Side Story (don’t even get me started), and Disclosure Day. Here then, is my unvarnished review. As one of the greatest cinematic villains of all time said…
Kind of like Edward Snowden
Disclosure Day promised to be the ‘story’ of how an everyman of great conscience threw off the shackles of secrecy to bring truth to the people regarding one of the biggest questions the world has had since before I was born…are we alone in the universe? Dr of cybersecurity David Kellner, working for a shadowy government agency, steals evidence of E.T. existence and skedaddles out of town, intent on spilling all the beans. Somewhere along the way, he is granted mathematical super-powers by the aliens. Powers that allow him to interpret their language, which manifests in a series of guttural throat clicks.
Speaking of that…
For reasons unexplained, the aliens have decided to imbue a weather announcer from Kansas City (GO CHIEFS!) with some level of empathic super-powers. One of those abilities seems to be speaking in their tongue (if indeed they have that appendage). I won’t go into any further detail on those powers. That’s for you to discover on your own. If so inclined.
Disclosure Day hits hard, but not how you expect
So, why such a meager score? I mean, this is Spielberg! His bona fidas are well-established. He is the GOAT. He’s the Tom Brady of blockbuster movies. Do I even need to list them? That was rhetorical, I do not. There are no less than 10 of his movies on my annual watch list. That’s why this very ‘meh’ offering hits hard.
We are all wondering the same
The short list of problems with Disclosure Day: it is a muddled, meandering chase story with a villain posessing all the technology known to man (and some definitely NOT known to man) and yet seeming totally inept. I mean, come on. They let their greatest secrets sneak out the door and their private army is unable to capture a lone rogue scientist who is pretty much on foot. The ‘why’ of so much that happens never get answered in this WAAAY overlong mess. I have been heard to liken Disclosure Day to a Junior in High School student writing a screenplay that is part Close Encounters and part E.T. Brutal but accurate, I think.
The elephant in the room
There are some of us (myself included) that believe Steven Spielberg’s very public comments – that Disclosure Day will make you question your faith – to be nothing more than an attempt to get people talking about his movie. And perhaps to get a few people looking to find out what the heck he is talking about. Oh, and to spend their money. That’s what your humble Average Dude thinks.
The alternative is that Spielberg is so completely unknowledgeable about the core tenants of Christianity that he thinks the suggestion that a movie about aliens existing is going to shake it’s foundations. Its as if the concept wasn’t done (and done much better) in 1977 by little movie titled Close Encounters of the Third Kind. If true, that would actually worse than using social media to gin up controversy and interest.
Nah, I think it’s the former. Certainly the architect of some of the most beloved cinema in history – and that includes two movies where the existence of God and the divinity of His son are primary elements – knows something about our faith. So yeah, I think it was a marketing tactic. In the end though, it’s not going to win him any fans. And neither will this movie.
The big reveal
So, in utter disappointment, I am revealing that Disclosure Day deserves only a 2.2 out of 5. At best, it’s a slog. A yawner. Lackluster and uninspired. At worst, it’s a desperate attempt to relive his past glories.
And no. It does not shake my faith in God. Not one jot or tiddle. If that helps you to decide whether or not to spend your money, time and corn on it, then my job here is done.
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