Disclosure Day is the new film from legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg. That, frankly, should be enough. No need to write the review. Go and see it. But form dictates that one must continue.

This is Spielberg’s first film since his criminally under-seen version of West Side Story, which is very much in the front rank of his movies and was clearly a passion project for the bearded master. Disclosure Day, however, is rather a different kettle of fish, and one that should excite fans familiar with his oeuvre. It is an original sci-fi film, based on a story by Spielberg and written by David Koepp, his Jurassic Park collaborator. The disclosure day of the title references the day on which all the government-held secrets about UFOs are released.

Aliens have been a significant motif throughout Spielberg’s career – from his very first film, Firelight, which he directed as a teenager, to the classics Close Encounters and ET, to War of the Worlds and the risible Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. So how does Disclosure Day stack up?

Spielberg’s new sci-fi falls into the category of a mystery thriller, with two distinct threads. It starts with the attempted capture of Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor) by a seemingly nefarious organisation headed by Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth). He manages to escape with the use of a powerful hand-held device – and we’re not talking the new iPhone. Then there’s Emily Blunt’s character, Margaret Fairchild, a TV weather-girl who suddenly develops a range of incredible abilities which include spouting an alien tongue made of bizarre clicks and glottal stops on live TV before collapsing. One must commend Spielberg for developing such a genuinely imaginative piece of original sci-fi, that, wacky though it all is, has clearly been thought through very carefully and given a cohesive internal logic.

Speaking of wacky, Fairchild’s powers are comprehensive to say the least. Blunt is excellent in making it all believable – Oscar chatter would be entirely appropriate. However, her connection to animals, which leads to foxes and deer staring meaningfully in her direction, though integral to the plot, may be a trick too far. When Blunt is filmed full face to the camera, soft, intent eyes gazing out at whatever furry critter has sat before her, her hair blowing gently back, it’s hard not to be reminded of a shampoo commercial. Nonetheless, Emily Blunt is worth it, so let’s move on.

As for Spielberg, who turns 80 this year, it’s heartening to report that his ability to create memorable, thrilling cinema remains undiminished. Disclosure Day contains at least two prolonged tour de force sequences involving the strange device. I’ll say no more than that, except that it is remarkable how well Spielberg continues to direct action and suspense sequences. There is a car chase in the movie that is far crunchier than the vast majority of modern blockbusters – one can feel the heft of vehicles crashing about at great speed.

The film looks good too. Janusz Kaminski’s cinematography will be familiar to the majority of filmgoers, as his crisp, slightly washed out colour palette has adorned Spielberg’s work going back to Schindler’s List. His distinctive style works well here and adds a precise, almost metallic edge to the atmosphere of tension which serves the story well.

Naturally, filmgoers will want to draw comparisons with Spielberg’s other UFO classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, as well as his masterpiece ET. John Williams’ score seems happy to invite such comparisons (unless my ears deceive me) with variations on those films’ classic themes threaded into Disclosure Day at various points. However, the film does not achieve the wonder of ET or the pure euphoria of Close Encounters. Indeed, Disclosure Day doesn’t quite achieve the required sense of awe, given the build-up and the subject matter, to make it an entirely satisfying experience. When the reveal finally comes, it’s less The Day the Earth Stood Still, and more The Day the Earth Stood Still…. And Looked at Their Phones. A fairer comparison point would be War of the Worlds and Minority Report which are similar in tone and occupy about the same place if one were to rank Spielberg’s body of work.

Disclosure Day is a mature original work of science fiction by one of the true masters of cinema. It may not be among his finest works but that’s far better than most.

Now, go see the movie. It’s Spielberg.