Close Encounters of the Third Kind"—A Monumental Bore Disguised as a Sci-Fi Epic

Copyright (C) 1977 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. 

Michael R. Grigsby, Editor: Friday, June 20, 2025, at 10:11 AM EST

Somerset, Kentucky- Steven Spielberg's “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” may be hailed as a genre-defining classic. Still, despite its praise, the film is a ponderous, overindulgent misfire that confuses spectacle with storytelling and ambiguity with depth.

Let’s start with the pacing — “glacial” would be generous. The film dawdles through scene after scene of inexplicable events, cryptic symbols, and long, silent stares without ever offering meaningful momentum. The mystery that drives the plot is stretched so thin that by the time we get to the alien encounter, it feels less like a revelation and more like a relief—we’re finally nearing the end.

Richard Dreyfuss's character, Roy Neary, is another major mistake.  What should be a compelling descent into obsession ends up feeling like a series of increasingly erratic behaviors without emotional payoff. His journey is frustratingly one-dimensional: a man who ditches his family to pursue a vague feeling, with almost no reflection or resolution. The film presents this as transcendent, but it feels hollow and emotionally bankrupt.

The supporting cast is forgettable, with characters introduced only to disappear or serve as exposition devices. Even François Truffaut, a giant of cinema, is wasted in a role that amounts to little more than bureaucratic curiosity with a French accent.

Visually, there are standout moments—yes, the mothership sequence is a technical marvel for its time. However, style alone cannot save a film weighed down by its self-importance. Spielberg leans heavily on awe and wonder but offers little substance behind it. The five-tone musical motif might be iconic, but repetition does not equal profundity.

And the ending—“endlessly protracted and painfully indulgent”—is so obsessed with being “mysterious” that it forgets to be emotionally satisfying. Viewers are left with more questions than answers, not because of deliberate ambiguity, but because the film lacks the narrative structure to carry its ideas to a coherent conclusion.

In short: Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a plodding, overhyped experience whose occasional visual charm cannot compensate for its hollow characters, incoherent pacing, and bloated sense of importance.    Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.

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This article was written by Michael R. Grigsby, one of the news editors for LCTI, LLC. Michael is passionate about the outdoors, photography, combat sports, bodybuilding, and powerlifting. He provides accurate and insightful news reports on a wide range of topics. He loves connecting with readers and is always happy to answer any questions you may have. Comments can be posted here (requires account login) or by sending an email to LCTILLC@outlook.com.

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