Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful second half.
Review: I remember seeing Close Encounters and later the special edition and loving them. Compared to many of Spielberg's other movies its not a ripoff of the old movie serials and many of the visual concepts were original at the time (although not anymore!).That said, this is really about special effects and if ever there was a movie that belongs in a theatre, this is it. Watching Richard Dreyfuss play with mashed potatos while Terry Garr whines is not a pleasant experience...put what a payoff in the second half!
Rating: 
Summary: Dissapointing as an adult
Review: I saw this movie when I was 10. I loved it! Must have seen it 5 times in the theater. Bright lights, spaceships, friendly aliens, action - couldn't get enough of the eye candy. As an adult, and a avid sci-fi movie-goer, I could not stomach watching it. With the FX now passe, it was a painful journey through a shallow, self-serving story with so many loose ends that left me frowning. The editing in this "restored" version is atrocious and abrupt, and the sound quality is dissapointing despite the THX/DTS rating. The premise of the story remains incredible and hopeful. The execution, however, is terrible. As a DVD this is okay for the bonus material - the ONLY reason it got two stars.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but I still want more (or "Close, but no cigar!")
Review: Like several other reviewers, I am something of a Close Encounters connoisseur, having viewed every different cut of this movie since the original 1977 release. My least favorite, by far, was the so-called "Special Edition" that was released in 1980 and for years was the only version available for home viewing. I always felt that the deletion of certain scenes from that version made the story difficult to follow and the flow of the movie somewhat choppy. The shot of Dreyfuss inside the Mother Ship killed much of the mystery and wonder that surrounded the ending in the original cut. When the movie was aired on network TV back in the early 80's, a complete version was shown, including all of the original '77 footage and the additional "Special Edition" scenes edited together. With the exception of the scene inside the spacecraft, this version would have to be my favorite. As a fan, I feel like I'm getting the complete Close Encounters experience when I watch this cut of the film. In every other version, somehow I feel cheated when a scene, or even a quick camera shot, is missing. In 1990, Criterion released a laser disc version of this film that included all the footage. My hope was that the "Collector's Edition," as this DVD edition is called, would also include the "complete" film. While the Collector's Edition is a vast improvement over the Special Edition, I still find myself wishing that a few extra scenes could have been included in the main feature. I always felt that the scene showing Neary at the power plant was necessary to explain to the viewer why he's out in the middle of nowhere looking for downed power lines. This is on Disc 2 as a deleted scene, but without this short scene included in the main feature it requires the viewer to make an a cognitive jump in regard to the story-line, and is actually quite confusing to the first-time viewer. Another deletion (that's not included on Disc 2) is where Neary "sees" the mysterious shape in a pillow at home. Later in the film he refers to this previous vision, but since the scene referred to has been deleted in this version, it doesn't have the full impact on the viewer that it could. There's a few other minor exclusions that die-hard fans will wish were on there. Fortunately, Spielberg deceided NOT to include the interior shot of the spacecraft in the main feature, so the mystery remains (not to mention the end of the film flows a lot better without this additional scene, in my opinion). I still feel the Criterion release on laser disc is superior, at least from a content perspective. You had the option of watching the original '77 cut that was released in theaters, the 1980 "Special Edition," or a complete cut of the movie with all scenes, all depending on how you programmed your laser disc player. Perhaps Criterion will see fit to re-release this movie on DVD using the same format as their previous laser disc set. In conclusion, I feel this cut (the "Collector's Edition") is excellent, the transfer seems good, and the documantary and extras on Disc 2 are a real treat. Nevertheless, truly die-hard fans will find themselves wanting a slightly more complete cut of the film.
Rating:
Summary: Great DVD but crumby packaging
Review: I thought that the DVD version of Close Encounters is a fine presentation of the film with very good extras. My only problem is with the crumby package the discs are stored in. I've only opened it a handfull of times but it's already starting to show stress points between the 2 disc containers. Simalar (but better designed) packaging used for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and the 2 disc version of "Boogie Nights" would have been a better choice all-around. So, by all means buy the disc but be aware of the flimsy packaging design.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent DVD, no matter which version you love
Review: This is one of my favorite movies, with a combination of human-story, longing for knowledge, is-there-life-out-there, and other issues rolled up into an incredibly well done storyline. The DVD version has great extra material and video/sound quality, and the documentary is a must-see to really get behind the scenes and find out why things were done the way they were. People who have fallen in love with one particular version of this movie (there were several) will probably complain that it has X scene but is missing Y scene - it seems that each version added and deleted things that were imporant. This particular version, after all of these years, contains what was distilled to be the truly important scenes. Whether you agree with each choice or not, the movie is still brilliant and is worthy of many rewatchings!
Rating:
Summary: Looks & sounds great, but Spielberg pulls punches w/extras
Review: Laserdisc collectors already have the definitive version of this movie courtesy of the Criterion Disc. Most but not all of those bonus goodies are included here. The "new" documentary/interview footage is actually a punched-up version of an old one released years ago on Laserdisc. I still have the Criterion Laserdisc version, and that will be the one I go to when the time rolls around to watch this movie again. Spielberg did the same thing when he released "Jaws" on DVD in July of 2000. What should have been a definitive release was instead an abbreviated version (I'm referring to bonus stuff, here) of the edition released as a Collector's set on Laserdisc years before. What gives, Steve?
Rating:
Summary: Along with Raiders, this is Spielberg's Best
Review: I confess: When I said that Raiders of the Lost Ark was Spielberg's best film, I hadn't seen this movie since around 9 years. I watched it recently. Steven Spielberg, maker of recent blockbuster dramas such as Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, had blessed us with a masterpiece. A.I looks very promising, I hope it is just as good as this great movie. I watched it just after 2001, and I was paralyzed; was this really Spielberg? Could it be so good? I think this is a deep movie, and a very good one at that. As I said, I have yet to see 1941 and Duel though. But this movie is, in fact even better than Raiders. This IS THE BEST MOVIE SPIELBERG HAS DONE. Personally speaking of course.
Rating:
Summary: Close Encounters of the 5th Kind?
Review: The Original, The Special Edition, The TV Version, The Laser Disc Version, and finally the DVD Collector's Version have all shown up. The DVD is done very well, with some outstanding interviews and behind the scenes info. Spielberg's segment was particular telling in his take on how he,and all of us most likely, have changed, matured, or simply developed a different slant on life. What strikes me about this version is what it is lacking. It is a well know fact that Spielberg regreted filming the inside-the-ship segment inserted into the Special Edition. But in all fairness, it should have been included in the deleted-scenes portion of the special features. There were numerous other scenes that could also have been included in the same way. Regardless of some interesting supplemental material, the Laser Disc version had so much more, and also included many versions of scenes that had been removed or changed. Don't get me wrong, CE3K is one of the top 10 movies of all time in any version, and the DVD stands very tall on it's own. Perhaps in the future we will see Close Encounters of the 6th Kind, a version that includes every feature from every version released.
Rating: 
Summary: Sony bungles packaging
Review: There is no need to rave about the release of (arguably) Steven Spielberg's best film on DVD. Video quality, while could have been a lot better, is highly satisfying with strong, non-bleeding colors, deeper black and sharper details than the Special Edition LD. Audio is wanting (John Williams' closing credit bombast sounds tinny) but who cares when by this time, the images already sweep you up to the sky..ceiling...whatever. The compelling documentary (on a 2nd disc) by the energizer bunny of DVD extra specialist, L. Bouzereau, is packed with substance. All this basically boils down to a smashing package of a techno-sci-fi geek's dream come true. Now let's talk about the carboard fold-out packaging. Thanks for listening.
Rating:
Summary: A Stellar Package
Review: Don't get confused with what seems to be a small amount of extras on this two disc DVD set. The visual and audio for the film were pretty good (especially considering how many different times this movie's been re-edited, re-shot, etc.). The documentary (over an hour and a half long) seems to squash any necessity for an audio commentary. Seeing how a lot of these physical effects were done reminded me how far film effects have gone over the years and shows how the little experiments can pay off big. Included are some deleted scenes (almost all I believe come from the previous versions of the film) and some trailers. However, the main reason for this purchase for me is the film itself. Though Steven Spielberg admits that out of all his films that "it's the one that dates him as a person now", it's one of those films that still has resonance with the little kid in me. It's a truly great film, and one of my personal favorites.
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