Director Steven Spielberg's followup to Jaws was the critically acclaimed science fiction epic Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The film follows characters from across the United States and the world who have had various levels of alien contact and are inexplicably drawn to a mysterious event in Wyoming.

1. "Is Close Encounters better or worse than Star Wars?—that's the boring question this morning. It's neither one. It's different, an achievement on its own."—Vincent Canby, The New York Times, 1977
2. "Although the film appeared during the post-Watergate period and exhibited an obvious distaste for government intervention, its optimistic, loving portrayal of alien encounters was unusual, and set it apart from most science-fiction alien-encounter films of an earlier era."—Tim Dirks, GreatestFilms.org

• Variety: Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review
  • "...there's no denying that the climax is an absolute stunner, literate in plotting, dazzling in execution and almost reverent in tone."
• rogerebert.com: Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Special Edition Review (4/5)
  • "The changes Spielberg has made in his original 1978 film are basic and extensive, adding up to essentially a new moviegoing experience."
• Parent Previews: Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review (B)
  • "Debuting in 1977, the same year as George Lucas' Star Wars, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind is an earthly version of interaction with space life and includes some equally impressive special effects as the Lucas film, despite the fact that Spielberg was saddled with budget restraints and scheduling problems which forced him to eliminate several shoots from the first version of this movie."
• Movie-Vault.com: Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review (10/10)
  • "...pure cinema is first and foremost used to complement Neary's personal journey for the meaning behind his vision, a journey that culminates with the physical and metaphorical flight inside the alien mothership into the night sky and an unknown (perhaps unknowable) destination."
• Cinema de Merde: Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review
  • "Man's marriage is so bad he kind of wishes he could go live with the aliens, and whaddya know, maybe he can."
• FilmCritic.com: Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review (4/5)
  • "Close Encounters is really such a simple movie that it doesn't warrant a helluva lot of discussion."
• Yahoo! Movies Movie Mom: Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review (A)
  • "This is a thrilling adventure story and a brilliant example of the art and craft of movie making."
• TV Guide: Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review (5/5)
  • "Steven Spielberg proves decisively that a special effects-dependent film need not be cold, mechanistic, or simpleminded."
• Entertainment Weekly: Close Encounters of the Third Kind DVD Review (A-)
  • "This Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Collector's Edition incorporates elements of both cuts but wisely lops off the underwhelming Special conclusion."
• Greatest Films: Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review
  • "Although the film appeared during the post-Watergate period and exhibited an obvious distaste for government intervention, its optimistic, loving portrayal of alien encounters was unusual, and set it apart from most science-fiction alien-encounter films of an earlier era."
• eFilmCritic: Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review (5/5)
  • "The dozens of awestruck faces at the climax could just as easily be witnessing the burning bush, or the resurrection of Christ, or the face of God himself."
• Apollo Guide: Close Encounters of the Third Kind Review (84/100)
  • "Close Encounters of the Third Kind is thrilling and fascinating and succeeds in inspiring wonder in its audience."