King of the Hollywood blockbusters. If you like epic, sentimental and easily digestible big budget cinema then Spielberg is absolutely the man. He's been at the top for years and has consistently wooed audiences from around the world.
Worthy but flawed
One of the best things Spielberg has done. Lots of the charm comes from Mark Rylance's voice work and the giant's quirky dialogue. Barnhill is annoying though and the whole episode with the queen isn't very interesting. Still, some nice bits to be enjoyed, just not enough for 2 hours of film.
Dubious filler
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Plain forgettable
A rushed cry for freedom of press, as a reaction to the behaviour of president Trump. The film lacks relevance though and the execution is so dusty and uninspired that you have to wonder who Spielberg thought was his target audience. There's some core quality here, but both as a film as well as a political statement, this was a complete failure.
If Spielberg has one real skill, it's turning something decent into something hellishly boring, especially when he tries to make a serious film. The acting is below par, the film looks professional but lifeless and the story never really managed to get interesting. Just bland and boring Hollywood film making.
Big nopes
Spielberg's remake of the famous 60s musical. It's not much of an update though, Spielberg keeps the setting and songs pretty much identical. Apart from some slightly more contemporary technical achievements, it's just the same old thing. As someone who didn't care one bit for the original film, that's not great. Two rival gangs fight for their turf in the poorer quarters of New York. When Tony (of The Jets) starts dating Maria (part of The Sharks), all hell breaks loose. Tony wants out of The Jets, but that doesn't calm the situation down. Maria forces Tony to try and stop the fight, which only seems to make things worse. Basic stereotypes, a drawn out romance and a handful of familiar songs. The cinematography could've been better, the music feels very dated, and the performances are mediocre at best. Two and a half hours is way too long for a simple film like this, a very poor update of a terrible original.Read all
A full-on wankfest for fanboys, filled to the brim with references of crappy pop culture. I'm sure the film was expensive, but the CG and styling looked poor, the camera work was bad and the score was atrocious. But oooh, look at how many references I spotted. Was that a real Battletoad?
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Very early Spielberg. Duel was a decent thriller, sadly Something Evil is a big step down. Its TV roots are way too apparent, the horror bits are laughable, the acting is dull and emotionless. There's not much positive to say here, apart from the fact that it's rather short, but even then that time isn't spent very well.
Irritation overload
