Steven Spielberg, who has been dazzling us with his otherworldly visions since the '70s, returns to his sci-fi roots with "Disclosure Day," in which Emily Blunt's perky meteorologist and Josh O'Connor's tech genius fight to reveal the truth about the existence of aliens.
The sci-fi thriller reteams him with "Jurassic Park" screenwriter David Koepp, who also scripted "The Lost World: Jurassic Park," "War of the Worlds" and the two most recent Indiana Jones movies.
How does it stack up with his earlier films? There's a good deal of overlap between it and "E.T" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," which may strike you as a welcome throwback or a case of "been there, done that" with our heroes running from shadowy agencies who are dead set on stopping them. Here's how we ranked all of the Oscar-winning director's 10 sci-fi movies. How would you rank them?
10. 'Ready Player One' (2018)
The movie's virtual world, OASIS, a game interface packed with pop culture references, was nirvana for gamers and pretty much purgatory for nearly everyone else. Set in not-so-distant 2045, Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) is no different from the rest of humanity, using OASIS as a way to escape the bleak present-day. Either you were strapped in for the AI-driven ride and enjoying the nods to classic video games like Space Invaders and Galaga and movies like "The Matrix" and "King Kong" or bored senseless. Wade is on a hero's quest to find the ultimate Easter Egg, hidden by eccentric OASIS creator James Halliday (Mark Rylance). After the nonstop virtual action, the film ends with Wade having gained new appreciation for the real world.
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9. 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' (2008)
Indy and aliens? It was great to see our favorite archaeologist in action again in this long-awaited sequel, but fans weren't fully on board with shifting focus from ancient civilizations to flying saucers and interdimensional beings. With the movie set in the 1950s, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is fighting Russians, not Nazis, and also throws in Area 51 and nuclear blasts. The crystal skulls of the title grant otherworldly knowledge and power, which comrade Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) wants to use to brainwash the world with Russian propaganda. She meets a similar end as the villains in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," but alien fury isn't quite as satisfying as wrath-of-God type stuff.
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8. 'Disclosure Day' (2026)
Your enjoyment of Spielberg's nostalgia-wrapped thriller will likely depend on how strongly you believe that aliens are real and the government has been covering up their existence for decades. Just like the federal agents in "Close Encounters" and "E.T." who decided that the general public wasn't ready for such mind-blowing knowledge, Colin Firth's villain will go to any lengths to keep everything at Area 51 under wraps. The action sequences, including a breathtaking train collision, are terrific, but you might feel a strong sense of deja vu as the alien empathizers fight for the truth.
Playing in theaters now
7. 'A.I. Artificial Intelligence' (2001)
Stanley Kubrick spent 20 years developing this film about an abandoned robotic boy who just wants to be loved. After the auteur's death in 1999, Spielberg, who had been Kubrick's pick to direct, took the ball and ran with it. While many of Spielberg's typical emotional cues are firmly in place, capably anchored by Haley Joel Osment's heartbreaking portrayal of lonely robot David, the film retains much of Kubrick's more detached vision. It's a fascinating blend of the two master filmmakers' styles, even if you can sometimes see the seams binding them together.
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6. 'The Lost World: Jurassic Park' (1997)
Spielberg handed off directorial reins for subsequent films in this still-thriving franchise, but he was at the helm to bring the dinosaurs off the island and into civilization in this enjoyable sequel. It can't quite match the heights of the first film, but we do get fantastic setpieces like a rampaging T-Rex in San Diego stopping to eat a traffic light and the famous "tall grass" scene in which a group of raptors, hidden by the vegetation, pick off unwary humans one by one.
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5. 'War of the Worlds' (2005)
The aliens are absolutely not friendly in Spielberg's redo of the '50s sci-fi classic. Tom Cruise stars as a divorced dad struggling to protect his kids from the invaders and from the worst instincts of their fellow humans (we're looking at you, Tim Robbins). Standout scene: The aliens' arrival is heralded by dark clouds and lightning striking the same spot over and over. Locals gather to watch the strange phenomenon and as the ground begins to split, curiosity gives way to panic as the humans realize they're under attack.
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4. 'E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial' (1982)
If you weren't alive in the '80s, it's hard to overstate the pop culture impact that E.T. and Elliott (Henry Thomas) had on the moviegoing public. The 10-year-old boy finds the lost little traveler in his suburban backyard and makes it his mission to help the childlike alien get home. Aided by little sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore), the two make a break for it after the not-at-all well-intentioned feds learn about E.T. The moment when Elliott's bike takes flight as they flee remains a touchstone of movie magic. It's also very dear to Spielberg's own heart, who made it part of Amblin Entertainment's company logo.
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3. 'Minority Report' (2002)
Spielberg's first film with Cruise gives us nifty future tech, dizzying chase scenes and a densely compelling murder mystery. Cruise plays dedicated Precrime Chief John Anderton, who is hunted by his own team after the psychic precogs predict he will commit a murder of his own. It's hard to think of a more perfectly staged action sequence than Cruise dodging robotic arms in an automated car factory, getting trapped in a car as it's being assembled and narrowly escaping being crushed, only to make an incredibly smooth escape in the now-completed vehicle. This dystopian vision of a surveillance state also features one of Cruise's best performances as the grieving father dragged into a nightmarish plot. Samantha Morton is also staggeringly good as the main precog Agatha, who holds the secret to the mystery.
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2. 'Jurassic Park' (1993)
We absolutely believe those are living, breathing dinosaurs in this box-office-smashing blockbuster, thanks to Industrial Light & Magic's groundbreaking, Oscar-winning 3D animation. Spielberg expertly ratchets up the tension, starting small with T-Rex-induced ripples in a cup of water, building to sheer terror as the humans try to escape being a dino's dinner.
The eminently quotable screenplay (by novelist Michael Crichton and David Koepp) gave us such gems as "Woman inherits the earth," and "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should." Add in a terrific cast of Laura Dern, Sam Neill, and of course, Jeff Goldblum, who can turn a simple line like, "Well, there it is" into one of the most memed movie quotes of all time. Perhaps even more impressive: "Jurassic Park" came out the same year as Spielberg's Oscar-winning Holocaust drama "Schindler's List."
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1. 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (1977)
Spielberg's first foray into the genre still gives us goosebumps nearly 50 years later. We share the same wonder, fear and joy as protagonist Roy (Richard Dreyfuss), whose life is forever changed by an alien encounter on a lonely road at night. This ordinary man, along with dozens of others who've shared similar experiences, is compelled to travel to Devil's Tower in Wyoming for reasons he can't completely understand.
Who could ever forget Roy obsessively sculpting his mashed potatoes into a likeness of the tower or when the mothership descends and plays those iconic tones of welcome? Although Roy's trek to Wyoming isn't as harrowing as what the main characters in "Disclosure Day" go through, it also feels far more urgent and a lot more like fate.
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