By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
If you count “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” as well as the feature he made when he was a teenager in 1964 called “Firelight,” this is now Steven Spielberg’s sixth film that focuses on extraterrestrial beings. “Disclosure Day” is a sci-fi epic that won’t become an instant Spielberg classic like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” or “E.T.,” but still delivers the mystery infused entertainment value people have come to expect. The story is very timely, considering the treasure trove of declassified government information this past year pertaining to UFO investigations, but it does get a little silly without proper explanation.
Dr. Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) is on the run from his former employer with a backpack full of classified documents and video files, along with a powerful alien artifact. Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) is a local TV meteorologist who finds herself neck deep in the middle of this chase after her odd abilities surface when she speaks an alien language on air. Assisted by Hugo Wakefield (Colman Domingo), who is spearheading this operation, the two try to stay one step ahead of Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth) and his operatives, who are desperately trying to prevent the explosive information from reaching the public and potentially causing a violent panic.
When it comes to combining a very topical subject with a dressing of imagination, no one does it better than director Steven Spielberg. He manages to harness that sensation of mystery and intrigue like he did with “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” but he also adds the “Indiana Jones” element of adventure to tickle his audiences’ brains while keeping them on the edge of their seats with heart pounding action. A perfect example of this is the train scene, which is the best scene in the film. The intensity and suspense of the main characters suddenly thrust in a death-defying situation, and the resulting emotional fallout in the next scene is brilliantly captured, leaving viewers gasping for air as they realize they were holding their breath during that entire sequence. Spielberg amps up this feeling with sound and cinematography that has his distinct cinematic style, immersing viewers completely into these action scenes. He increases the stakes by wrapping the plot in a backdrop of an impending World War III situation that also serves as a reflection of current times.
Unfortunately, whatever momentum Spielberg gains from these action-packed moments he squanders amidst the repetition of the cat-and-mouse routine, the lack of plausibility, the introduction of too many pointless characters, and the clumsiness of the climax. This results in a bloated, overly long production that makes its many flaws even more obvious. The most significant plot hole is Spielberg’s inclusion of this mysterious alien device that never gets sufficiently explained and acts almost like a magic wand of various powers, like invisibility or possession, whatever the user needs at that moment. Then there’s the antagonist, who knows the exact individuals that are behind the information theft, yet he doesn’t immediately pursue them until much later for no discernable reason. The sloppiness extends to the editing room as he makes blatant oversights, such as a car tire being shot, only to be magically reinflated in the next frame. It is also strange that the same director who brought dinosaurs to realistic life in “Jurassic Park” presents simple woodland creatures so poorly with CGI. Finally, he goes overboard with a climax that seems to completely negate the purpose of the first two hours of the film. This may not be the worst effort from the three-time Oscar winner, but it ranks among the bottom of his impressive filmography.
One thing that cannot be denied is the fact that Emily Blunt is exceptional in the leading role. Even though the sudden appearance of her superpowers seems pretty farfetched, she sells the transition into these moments so well that she makes believers out of the entire audience. The way she subtly shifts her mannerisms and facial reactions as she receives clarity and insight when looking into someone’s eyes is incredible. Making her performance even more authentic is her ability to shift mid-sentence from speaking English to fluent Russian or Korean like she’s been doing it her entire life. Blunt elevates her character even further with a surprising emotional depth, taking viewers by surprise with explosive moments that are simply riveting and impactful. It is her performance alone that stands out above the rest and makes it worth watching.
If you go into this expecting a fulfilling, tremendously entertaining Spielberg classic, then you will be sorely disappointed, which is likely what is fueling much of the film’s backlash. “Disclosure Day” has plenty of flaws, but it is not nearly as bad as what you may be hearing. The sci-fi conspiracy thriller lacks the memorability factor, but there is enough cinematic appeal to make it worth seeing despite the inconsistent pacing.
This movie earns:
