A Complete Review of Steven Spielberg's work

Cast : Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano

What was it about?
Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth.

My two cents:
The cool thing about this movie is that I saw it with my mother who is also a major movie buff and she was the one who introduced me to the movies more than 30 years ago. Anyway, to be honest, I had actually a hard time to judge the damned thing after all. I think that the biggest issue I had was that I actually really loved so much the first 15 mins. Indeed, it was just so awe-inspiring to see this little kid watching a movie and getting his mind blown in the process. This sequence was just so identifiable and pretty much pitch-perfect and, for a moment, I thought this movie could turn out to be an amazing masterpiece. Unfortunately, it seemed that this movie delivered its climax right at the beginning and even though everything else was interesting enough, I never became really much more than that and it never reached the level of awesomeness displayed during the opening scene. The basic idea was to show how his parents' divorce would greatly influence his work but, eventually, I thought that none of them (his mother, his father, Uncle Bennie) as an individual really influenced him as a film maker after all. The fact that none of them was really intriguing as a character probably didn’t help either. It is interesting that, even though everybody involved claimed that all these memories were accurately portrayed, Spielberg did modify something crucial. Indeed, for maybe a couple of decades, he actually blamed his father for this separation but, in this movie, he actually completely changed his point of view for something more nuanced (in fact, in this movie, you could say that his mother was more the one to blame). Eventually, whether you like his work or not, there is no denying that Spielberg's impact on Cinema as an Art has been huge but I'm not so sure if his life was so fascinating after all.

My rating: 7/10

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Cast : Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler

What was it about?
An adaptation of the 1957 musical, West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.

My two cents:
When I first heard that Steven Spielberg was coming up with a remake of this legendary classic musical, I can’t say I was really excited by this idea. However, even though it was a box-office flop, it turned out to be a huge critical success, I thought I might as well check it out after all. Well, even though the original ‘West Side Story’ is one of the very few musicals that I really enjoyed, to be honest, I really struggled to care about this remake though. Sure, there was no doubt that it was technically fine, the whole thing was visually very well done and Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler had a solid chemistry. However, it still felt rather pointless to come up with another really faithful adaptation of the famous stage musical. Indeed, the 1961 version was already quite faithful but above all it was already pretty much downright amazing. Of course, they tweaked some elements, the most obvious and welcome one was to have a completely Latin cast to play the Sharks and other Puerto Rican characters. However, even in this case, they could have gone further by casting some actual teenagers as, except for Rachel Zegler, all the actors were still much older than their respective characters. Anyway, even though the critics were super enthusiast, as far as I was concerned, this new version felt rather redundant and the fact that this movie (and the older version) are really long probably didn’t help. I can understand the appeal for Spielberg to finally direct a musical, one of the very few genres he never tackled yet in his career but imagine if, in 2060, some heralded director would decide to remake the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy just because he loved it so much back then when he was a kid?

My rating: 7/10

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Cast : Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Simon Pegg, Mark Rylance, Hannah John-Kamen, Letitia Wright

What was it about?
When the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune.

My two cents:
Well, to be honest, I have to admit that I was actually quite positively surprised and, as far as I’m concerned, it was Spielberg’s most enjoyable movie in years. Indeed, first of all, the damned thing was visually really impressive and I wish I actually saw it in the movie theater when it was released (at least, I did see it on Blu-ray). I was also surprised that most of the movie was actually CGI animated but, in this genre, it is easily one of the most satisfying movies I have seen so far. Indeed, the story was quite entertaining and while watching the damned thing, I was thinking that ‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ could have been also a box-office hit if Luc Besson didn’t write such a half-baked plot. On the downside, it’s too bad the whole thing was too long though. I mean, with 140 mins, it wasn’t exactly a very long movie but they could or should have removed 30 mins as the whole thing especially lost some steam during the 3rd act. Furthermore, even though the potential was pretty much limitless with this concept, they didn’t take much risks after all and, like pretty much everything else directed by Spielberg, it was too light-hearted and sentimental for my taste. Anyway, even though it was maybe not a masterpiece, it was still a really fun and gorgeous blockbuster.

My rating: 7/10

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Cast : Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep

What was it about?
A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between the press and the government

My two cents:
First of all, I must admit that, since it was about 'The Washington Post' during the 70's, I thought it would be about the Watergate but it was in fact about another story preceeding this other scandal and, in fact, this movie was pretty much a sequel to 'All the President's Men', especially with its end scene. Anyway, eventually, even though it didn't turn out to be anything really groundbreaking, it was still an effective historical thriller and, at least, I thought it was better than 'Bridge of Spies' which was rather overrated in my opinion. With such historical thrillers, it is always rather tricky to keep the viewers on their toes since the outcome is pretty obvious from the very start but it was still entertaining enough. As usual with this director, it was also technically a very well made movie, especially visually speaking. Concerning the actors, Tom Hanks was not bad but I was above all impressed by Meryl Street who is still one of the very best actresses at work nowadays which is so impressive considering how long she has been in this business. To be honest, like most the of other work from Spielberg, it was still slightly too upbeat for my taste and it was even borderline cheesy towards the end but it wasn't a big issue. Anyway, even though it was nothing really amazing, I thought it was a decent watch.

My rating: 7/10

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Cast : Mark Rylance, Rebecca Hall, Bill Hader

What was it about?
A girl named Sophie encounters the Big Friendly Giant who, despite his intimidating appearance, turns out to be a kind-hearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because, unlike them, he refuses to eat children.

My two cents:
Well, I didn’t care much about the damned thing, even less than ‘Bridge of Spies’. Basically, I thought it was in fact seriously boring. First of all, I have to admit it, I always had a hard time with Roald Dahl’s work and, except for a few stories he made like ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ or ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, all his tales just really bored me and this movie was not different, I’m afraid. At least, the whole thing looked really neat and Spielberg definitely delivered some State-of-the-Art CGI. Indeed, those giants were quite amazing and Mark Rylance delivered once again a solid performance. Eventually, even though I thought it was seriously tedious, I guess it is still worth a look, especially if you like the genre or if you are interested in Steven Spielberg’s work but I can't say I'm really surprised it turned out to be a flop when it was released.

My rating: 6/10

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Cast : Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan

What was it about?
During the Cold War, an American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

My two cents:
To be honest, I thought it was actually slightly disappointing. I mean, sure, Spielberg knows how to direct a movie so it was technically well made and visually appealing but I actually had a hard time to really care about this story. First of all, the first half, when Donovan was first fighting for Abel’s rights felt rather pointless and hypocritical. Indeed, I thought it was pointless because the movie was never about if Abel should have more rights or not, it was about exchanging him with an American spy. It felt also hypocritical because it is really easy to point fingers about how the American people used to be intolerant 50 years ago. Then, the 2nd half about the actual exchange was better but still not really amazing. In this case, the issue was that the outcome was already obvious from the start and even though they tried to convince the viewers that everything might go south at some point, I never felt any real danger at any point.

My rating: 6/10

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Cast : Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Tommy Lee Jones, John Hawkes, Jackie Earle Haley, Tim Blake Nelson, Lee Pace, Gloria Reuben

What was it about?
As the Civil War continues to rage, America's president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield and as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves.

My two cents:
At first, I was a little bit skeptical with this movie. I mean, would it be like 'Schindler's list' or more like 'War Horse'?. Fortunately, I must admit that it was almost as good as 'Schindler's list'. Indeed, I thought it was a fascinating historical picture but not only was it fascinating from a historical point of view, it was also a spellbinding policitical intrigue. Of course, as usual, Daniel Day-Lewis was just amazing and the only thing that stands in his way to win the Academy Award is the fact that he has already won two of those. So, it was a very good flick, one of Spielberg's best, but still, there were a few things that bothered me. Above all, I thought that the characterization was rather simplistic. Indeed, you had the good guys, the bad guys, some inactive helpless black folks standing on the side line and on top of that, Lincoln who was some kind of half-god but I'm sure the whole thing was a little bit more complicated back then. Still, even though it is not a perfect feature, it is still a very good movie, the best made by Spielberg since 'Munich'.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch

What was it about?
Young Albert enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. Albert's hopeful journey takes him out of England and to the front lines as the war rages on.

My two cents:
Basically, it was a decent WWI feature but nothing really mind-blowing. I mean, it was visually really impressive but I wouldn't expect less from Spielberg. I also really enjoyed the way they managed to make the horse shows his feelings and communicate with the other characters. I mean, it never felt phony but rather genuine. Still, even though it was pretty uplifting, I thought the story was rather pedestrian. It was not bad at all but many events were really far-fetched, especially the ending, and I never really cared about the whole thing. Furthermore, even though the events take place during the hell of one of the worst wars, there is still place for a happy ending and some fluffy sentimentality but that's unfortunately a trademark inherent to Steven Spielberg's work.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Gad Elmaleh, Toby Jones, Cary Elwes

What was it about?
Intrepid reporter Tintin and Captain Haddock set off on a treasure hunt for a sunken ship commanded by Haddock's ancestor.

My two cents:
Oh boy! I would have love to watch this movie when I was a kid!!! Back then, I read all the comic-books and I still have them, as a matter of fact. First of all, I was rather impressed how gorgeous the whole thing looked. Indeed, even though it was really realistic and beautifully detailed, it still had a nice cartoonish feeling. It was very well done, some of the action scenes were even downright amazing and I must say that Robert Zemeckis with his 3 stop-motion animated flicks never reached such a high quality level. Concerning the 3D, it was ok but I'm pretty sure the movie would have been fine without it. To be honest, I didn't expect they would change the story so much but I guess it was a good thing since I wasn't sure about what would come next every 5 seconds. If I would have been a kid, I would have enjoyed it even more but, honestly, when you think about the it, the story was nothing mind-blowing whatsoever but it was entertaining enough.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent

What was it about?
Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.

My two cents:
I found it really difficult to judge this flick.... I mean, they waited 20 years after the 3rd Indiana Jones movie was released to come out with a new installment and it would have been really surprising if the whole thing would have been a masterpiece. Still, I thought it was fun to see Indiana Jones again and this guy remains one of the best characters ever created. The directing was solid (With Spielberg, would you expect something else?) and the action sequences were pretty spectacular. There were some good ideas (Shia Lebeouf portraying Indiana's son, the communist as the baddies instead of the Nazi) and , of course, some other stuff that just didn't work (Indiana VS some aliens ?!? that was a really bad call....) Still, as a blockbuster, it was pretty entertaining even though it would have worked better if they made the movie 10 years earlier.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciarán Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Lonsdale, Mathieu Amalric, Moritz Bleibtreu, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Marie-Josée Croze, Yvan Attal

What was it about?
Based on the true story of the Black September aftermath, about the five men chosen to eliminate the ones responsible for that fateful day.

My two cents:
Even though I'm far from being a fan of Steven Spielberg, I still watch all his movies and I was rather curious about this flick but I didn't expect it to be so good. In my opinion, it's probably the most underrated movie directed by Spielberg and it's a real shame it never got the credit it deserved. Indeed, I thought it was spellbinding and it tells also a very important page of history. On the other and, it was just a very well made and fascinating thriller dealing with the psychological turmoil lived by many spies. Furthermore, contrary to the most movies directed by Spielberg, the whole thing was really dark, relentless, never over-sentimental which is one very annoying trademark in Spielberg's work. There was also a pretty good cast and they all delivered some solid performances. I don't know why it was a flop, maybe the film was too dark for his fan base, maybe nobody wanted another movie about such a complex conflict.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto, Justin Chatwin, Tim Robbins

What was it about?
As Earth is invaded by alien tripod fighting machines, one family fights for survival.

My two cents:
Even though it might seem surprising, I must admit that I was actually rather pleasantly surprised by this movie. Of course, it was not a masterpiece and it was not even a really good movie but I thought it was actually damned entertaining. Indeed, the visuals were great and there were some awesome special effects, something that can be expected with Steven Spielberg. The best about this movie was that it was really suspenseful, almost scary. There was a great mood and I was completely on the edge of my seat during the whole thing ... until the end which was unfortunately really weak. The first time I saw it, it felt rather weird because the rest of the movie was very well balanced and quite spellbinding to watch, whereas the ending felt rushed and really half-baked. Still, in my opinion, you should just sit back, have some popcorn, enjoy the show, and if you don't expect Bergman, there is a good chance you end up actually enjoying it.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci, Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana

What was it about?
An eastern immigrant finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there.

My two cents:
To be honest, the more I think about this movie, the more I believe I should lower my rating. Basically, it has been a while since I have seen it and maybe I should re-watch it to make up my mind. The point is that it was actually based on a rather fascinating true story but, unfortunately, Spielberg decided to make a light comedy from this subject and, as a result, it never really reached its full potential. Eventually, it felt like a minor effort from Steven Spielberg, one of those movies he makes like ‘Always’ or ‘War Horse’ to fill in the gaps between his more ambitious projects. On top of that, Tom Hanks gave his usual nice guy act which was fine but it felt like a really safe choice and, with an interesting tale like this one, it would have been more rewarding if they had taken some more risks, something I very often miss in Steven Spielberg’s work.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams, James Brolin, Jennifer Garner

What was it about?
A true story about Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars' worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor.

My two cents:
Beforehand, I was expecting a fun flick but I wasn't expecting to be blown away like that. Fist of all, the true story on which the movie is based is just really amazing. Of course, I'm well aware that they must have made up a few things but it still is an amazing story. Personally, I thought it would be a typical Spielberg effort, you know, very well made and entertaining but rather shallow and no really deep. So, I was really amazed when I realized that they devoted a lot of time and energy in developing the psychological torment lived by the main character. It was just fascinating to behold. Furthermore, there was a great cast, above all, Christopher Walken was, as usual, completely stealing the show every single time he was on the screen. Surprisingly, it has actually become my favorite Spielberg film. Yeah, it is that good, in my opinion. It is so fun and so sad at the same time.

My rating: 09/10

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Cast : Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton

What was it about?
In a future where a special police unit is able to arrest murderers before they commit their crimes, an officer from that unit is himself accused of a future murder.

My two cents:
I remember, when this movie was released, there has some huge buzz about it. I mean, it is quite understandable since the biggest movie star and the biggest movie director were finally working together and we all expected some fireworks. Eventually, it was definitely a solid SF feature, no doubt about it. Indeed, the visuals were awesome, Spielberg managed to create a really intriguing vision of the future and, for once, the whole thing was pretty gloomy which is something you don't expect in his work. Furthermore, the original concept was really interesting and created some neat moral dilemmas. Finally, you can say whatever you want about the guy but Tom Cruise can deliver and he gave here a solid performance. Unfortunately, I thought the ending was rather convoluted with too many annoying twist(s) for my taste. The point is that if you deal with future, present, premonitions and stuff like that, they will be plot-holes without a doubt, but the last 30 minutes made this even more obvious and this last act was rather weak in my opinion. Still, even though I don't think it is really amazing, it remains a visually fascinating SF feature.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Haley Joel Osment, Frances O'Connor, Jude Law, William Hurt, Robin Williams, Ben Kingsley, Meryl Streep , Chris Rock

What was it about?
A highly advanced robotic boy longs to become "real" so that he can regain the love of his human mother.

My two cents:
Being a Kubrick fan, I was really anxious about seeing this. Eventually, there were definitely many things to enjoy here. First of all, the whole thing looked great, I was rather captivated by the story and the cast was pretty good. But unfortunately, it wasn't that great at all, I'm afraid. Indeed, basically, you miss the Kubrick touch, which means going the extra mile into the human psyche making this movie a real masterpiece. Instead, you may remain in the Spielberg comfort zone, with some great visuals but also with a weak, over-sentimental fluffy story. I guess, my mistake is that I went there expecting a Kubrick feature but I got a Spielberg movie so it was rather unfair from me. Still, I have to admit that even though I was rather disappointed, it remains a very well made and intriguing SF flick.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeremy Davies, Matt Damon, Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti

What was it about?
Following the Normandy Landings, a group of US soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.

My two cents:
Even though it is supposedly a huge classic, in my opinion, it is actually the most overrated movie directed by Steven Spielberg. I mean, the movie is not awfull, absolutely not. As a matter of fact, the opening is one of the best (the best?) intro I have ever seen. You start up with the best war scene ever made but, then, the rest of the movie has nothing to do with this. Basically, they send a whole platoon to save 1 guy... I really didn't care about this story and, basically, in my opinion, it is just some kind of Disney version of 'Apocalypse Now' and it just didn't match with the greatest depiction of the D-Day. Of course, it is not a bad movie, the directing and acting are really solid and it is worth a look but I really don't see why it is such a great movie and it is definitely one of the most overrated movies I have ever seen.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Morgan Freeman, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, Pete Postlethwaite, Stellan Skarsgård, Anna Paquin, Chiwetel Ejiofor

What was it about?
About a 1839 mutiny aboard a slave ship that is traveling towards the northeastern coast of America. Much of the story involves a court-room drama about the free man who led the revolt.

My two cents:
Even though it must have been at first quite an ambitious project for Steven Spielberg, eventually, it turned out to be one of his most forgotten movies. I think it's too bad because it is actually pretty good. Indeed, I think it was a great story and it deals with a very important subject but, unfortunately, the movie itself was not really amazing. Indeed, the story was quite intriguing and there was an impressive cast but I thought that the whole thing tends to be way too much theatrical for its own good. It’s like having Spielberg gently whispering in your ear all the time ‘Don’t worry, it is all very depressing but it’s still just a movie after all’. Years later, he would come back with another movie slightly about the same subject (‘Lincoln’) and he would definitely nail it this time.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Pete Postlethwaite, Richard Attenborough, Vince Vaughn, Peter Stormare, Camilla Belle

What was it about?
A research team is sent to the Jurassic Park Site B island to study the dinosaurs there while another team approaches with another agenda.

My two cents:
After the smashing success of the first installment, it wasn’t really surprising that they would come up with a new sequel and since Steven Spielberg was back in the directing chair, there was some hope that it would be a pretty good blockbuster. Well, eventually, I really didn't like this flick and I really had a hard time to care about the damned thing. I mean, of course, there were some impressive action scenes but, in my opinion, it was such an idiotic story. To be honest, I don’t think that the plot was already the strongest aspect of the first installment but there were many elements which compensated this resulting in something really entertaining. It wasn’t the case here and I thought that the whole thing was big, loud, kind of stupid and most of the time rather tedious to watch. Eventually, even though it might sound surprising, I actually prefer the 3rd installment and I don’t think this first sequel was any good but you might end up enjoying it more than I did.

My rating: 05/10

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Cast : Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Embeth Davidtz

What was it about?
In Poland during World War II, Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

My two cents:
Even if Spielberg has definitely made many very entertaining flicks in the past , I have always been kind of annoyed by his movies because they are most of the times not challenging enough, or too "nice" for my taste. However, with this movie, Spielberg finally displayed his skills showing a terribly bleak and dark tale. Of course, you could say that Schindler is a little too heroic but you can't argue that Amon Goethe is one of the most despicable and yet fascinating bad guys seen on the silver screen. The directing was great, the cast was awesome and the story was completely heartbreaking. It was so good that the Academy finally HAD to give Spielberg his Oscar which he had been denied for so many years. It is a great classic and a must see for any decent movie fan.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Samuel L. Jackson

What was it about?
During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major power breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaur exhibits to run amok.

My two cents:
I must have been 13 or 14 years old when I saw this flick in the movie theater and, I must admit, I was quite blown away by its visual aspect. I mean, back then, there wasn't such an overdosis of CGI like today, back then it was something new and it was just downright impressive. Anyway, this movie definitely belongs to the biggest classics directed by Spielberg and it was the highest grossing movie ever made until 'Titanic' came out. Still, even though the whole thing was very entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat, the story was still nothing extraordinary and all the characters were all really stereotypical and none of them was remotely interesting. But, damned, it was still awe inspiring to see for the very first time ever such realistic dinosaurs on the silver screen.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith, Phil Collins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Glenn Close

What was it about?
When Capt. Hook kidnaps his children, an adult Peter Pan must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy.

My two cents:
I must have been about 11 years old when this movie came out and, back then, it was in fact a big event. Eventually, I had a good time watching this and I thought it was pretty good when I saw it at the movie theater but it did receive some rather poor reviews and it was not a real success at the box-office. Eventually, 20 years later, I watched it and, honestly, I still enjoyed the damned thing. Indeed, basically, it is one of those typical huge Spielberg productions with some breathless action scenes, some great set-pieces and a really impressive cast. In my opinion, Robin Williams was basically born to play this part and the whole thing was indeed tailor-made for him. Obviously, like most of the features directed by Steven Spielberg, it worked fine as some popcorn entertainment but it was not really deep whatsoever and it tends to drag a little bit. Still, even though it is obviously a minor Spielberg effort, I think it remains an enjoyable family feature.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Audrey Hepburn, Marg Helgenberger

What was it about?
A romantic adventure about a legendary pilot's passion for dare-devil firefighting and his girl.

My two cents:
Well, even though it was certainly not that bad at all, it was still easily one of the least interesting directing efforts coming from this guy. I mean, it was rather well done and the cast was pretty good but even though it was a sweet story, eventually, I thought it was rather boring. I mean, during the previous 15 years, Spielberg single-handedly created the concept of the blockbuster (a concept still ruling the box-office nowadays) and, with each movies, he would push the limit of this concept each time around. Well, at some point, he decided to become a ‘serious’ director and we ended up with movies like this one which was cute but, not much more than that, I’m afraid. Eventually, it is pretty much a minor effort and you can feel that, at this point, Spielberg was still struggling with the drama genre and it all remained way to fluffy and over-sentimental to become really memorable.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, John Rhys-Davies, River Phoenix

What was it about?
When Dr. Henry Jones Sr. suddenly goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, eminent archaeologist Indiana Jones must follow in his father's footsteps and stop the Nazis.

My two cents:
Ever since I saw this movie as a kid, it has never ceased to fascinate me. By now, I have seen it so many times but it has never lost its charms and it is easily my favorite Indiana Jones movie. The first masterstroke was to cast Sean Connery as Professor Henry Jones. The second masterstroke was to pick up the ultimate archeological artifact, the Holy Grail. The Holy Grail is one of the most fascinating myth in the whole human history and it was just awesome to see Dr Jones Jr and Sr chasing it around the globe. Finally, there were also loads of cool action scenes which kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning until the end. Basically, it is just damned entertaining and I think it is a great classic.

My rating: 09/10

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Cast : Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Joe Pantoliano, Ben Stiller

What was it about?
A young English boy struggles to survive under Japanese occupation during World War II.

My two cents:
It seems to be one of more obscure features directed by Steven Spielberg. However, I think it is actually one of his best dramas. Indeed, even though it was again focusing on a young boy, like in ‘E.T.’ , the whole thing still remained pretty bleak which was something rather unexpected with a Spielberg feature. Furthermore, there was this impressive performance by Christian Bale who was just only 13 years old back then. Even though Christian Bale has become one of the most dependable actors of his generation, we tend to forget that the guy has been around for already 25 years. Eventually, even though his performance in this movie was praised, he never become what you could call a ‘child-star’ and it took him 17 years to really breakthrough with ‘The Machinist'. Anyway, even though it might not be a masterpiece, I really enjoyed this flick.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey

What was it about?
The life and trials of a young African American woman.

My two cents:
Recently, I saw ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ with my wife, I was seriously blown away by Viola Davis and while watching this TV-show, I was thinking that ‘The Color Purple’ could have been a really great movie if they have had an actress of this caliber to play the main character instead of Whoopi Goldberg. Sure, when it was released, it was critically heralded , it was even nominated for 11 Academy Awards (it won none eventually) but even though it was loved by many viewers, I thought that the whole thing was actually rather disappointing. Indeed, basically, I thought it was a decent drama but nothing really amazing and, in my opinion, it was pretty obvious that it was Steven Spielberg's first attempt at this genre. Indeed, it tends to get pretty cheesy and it downplayed some important aspects in this story such as the lesbian relationship which was reduced to a chaste kiss whereas, in the book, it went a little bit further than that and in full details. Still, for a first drama, it was not bad at all and, like I said before, many people really love this movie.

My rating: 06/10

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Cast : Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Dan Aykroyd

What was it about?
After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone. He agrees, and stumbles upon a secret cult plotting a terrible plan in the catacombs of an ancient palace.

My two cents:
One of the (very few) really positive aspects of the 4th installment is that many people now actually appreciate this flick. As far as I'm concerning, even though it might not be indeed the best installment, it was still a very enjoyable blockbuster. First of all, the biggest critic was the fact the tone became too dark but in fact, this way, it made the movie actually stand out from its predecessor. Still, I have to admit that they really pushed it though with all these scenes involving some mistreated chidren. However, I have to admit that some elements indeed didn't really work. For example, sure, Kate Capshaw was really cute back in those days and I can understand that Steven Spielberg would eventually hook up with her but, seriously, she was the most annoying and underwhelming female interest in the whole franchise. Furthermore, the whole scene with the exotic food was just so misguided and rather cringe-inducing to watch. Anyway, even though it wasn't really flawless, Indiana Jones was still completely badass and they were so many impressive action scenes so it still worked fine for me.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Scatman Crothers

What was it about?
Four horror and science fiction segments, directed by four famous directors, each of them being a new version of a classic story from Rod Serling's landmark television series.

My two cents:
It is another movie I have been tracking down for many years mostly because it was one of the very few movies directed by Steven Spielberg that I hadn't watched so far. On top of that, I have always been a huge fan of 'The Twilight Zone' so this anthology involving 4 major directors sounded pretty amazing on paper. Unfortunately, it turned out to be only a decent watch at best. Indeed, out of the 5 parts (4 segments and a prologue), 4 were not bad but nothing really amazing and one was just seriously weak. The 2nd segment was directed by Steven Spielberg and, to be honest, it was pretty much the worst thing Spielberg as ever done in his career. Indeed, the whole thing was just lifeless, boring and the connection with the TV show was just really thin. Apparently, Spielberg had been so affected by the tragic helicopter accident during the shoot of John Landis's segment that he didn't care much for this project anymore and he shot his part in just 6 days just to fulfil his contractual engagement which might explain why the damned thing was actually so weak.

My rating: 06/10 (for 'Twilight Zone: The Movie') / 04/10 (for the 'Kick the Can' segment)

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Cast : Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Drew Barrymore, C. Thomas Howell

What was it about?
A meek and alienated little boy finds a stranded extraterrestrial. He has to find the courage to defy the authorities to help the alien return to its home planet.

My two cents:
Even though I grew up watching many movies, this flick was not one of those that I saw thousand times like many other people from my generation. I mean, I did see it back then when I was very young and even though I thought it was pretty neat, it didn't really blow me away like the other movies I mentionned earlier. Eventually, I saw it again not so long ago and it remains a pretty good flick, no more no less. In my opinion, it is a rather typical Spielberg picture, with its positive and negative aspects. The positive aspects are that it was very well done with some great shots and special effects and even though it is now almost 30 years old, it is still entertaining from the beginning to the end. Some of those scenes or the score have become just really iconic. On the other hand, the negative aspect is that it tends to be overly sentimental in my opinion, it is a very moral tale and it has a rather black and white psychology about the good guys and the bad guys. To be honest, I actually think it is more enjoyable if you watch it very young, between 8 and 13 years old, then it is definitely a great watch. Anyhow, in spite of all this, I have to admit that it remains a huge classic.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Alfred Molina

What was it about?
Archeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis.

My two cents:
Since I'm a huge fan of Indiana Jones, of course, I just love this flick. Even though it is not my favorite one in this franchise (that would be the 3rd installment), it is still quite awesome. Indeed, when I was a kid, I saw it so many times with my father but even twenty years later, I keep watching it from time to time and it is still so damned entertaining. Basically, with this movie, Steven Spielberg set up the golden rules for this mighty franchise and he introduced to us one of the greatest most iconic characters in motion picture history. Indeed, even though Harrison Ford was not even their first choice, he completely nailed this part and managed to create a character who was even more awesome than Han Solo which was quite an achievement. By the way, the big difference with this movie and 'Star Wars' is that, when I watch again nowadays this other classic, I find it slightly childless while it is not the case at all with this great flick. Anyway, not only it is technically pretty much flawless, it is also just a plain fun movie and it is completely entertaining from the very first minute until the very last seconds.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Christopher Lee, Toshirô Mifune, Treat Williams, Nancy Allen, John Candy, John Landis, Mickey Rourke

What was it about?
Hysterical Californians prepare for a Japanese invasion in the days after Pearl Harbor.

My two cents:
Basically, it is arguably the only real flop in Spielberg's otherwise prestigious career. And indeed, it was not really good, I’m afraid. I mean, even though it was not a total disaster (there is always something intriguing when a movie shows this level of chaos), it was indeed a very average flick. It is also interesting to note that it is actually the only real comedy directed by Spielberg, maybe one of the few genres he didn't master. Basically, the whole thing was just really messy and not really funny at all. Somehow, even after watching ‘Animal House’, I always wondered why people thought that John Belushi was such a hilarious actor and this movie definitely didn’t change my mind on this subject. Concerning Spielberg, this failure didn’t scare him much and, following this failure, he directly went on directing such major classics called ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and ‘E.T’, further establishing in the process his already impressive reputation.

My rating: 05/10

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Cast : Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut

What was it about?
After an encounter with UFOs, a line worker feels undeniably drawn to an isolated area in the wilderness where something spectacular is about to happen.

My two cents:
To be honest, I have to admit that I was expecting something more from it after all these years, especially since it has such a stellar reputation. It is an intriguing movie though, not doubt about it. Indeed, basically, back in those days and up until 'Schindler's List', even though Spielberg's movies were massively popular, they were all still pretty much some kind of theme-park attractions. However, here, he truly tried for the first time to deliver something more grown-up, even meditative, and you could really feel the influence of Stanley Kubrick. Sure, most viewers are still raving about the special effects which were quite ground-breaking for the time period but I was mostly intrigued by the tone which clearly stood out from the rest of his work. Furthermore, I have to admit that I really loved this ending. Seriously, it must be one of the most soothing endings I have ever seen. However, I also thought that it was rather bewildering that everyone would celebrate Roy Neary leaving with the aliens when, in fact, he had a wife and 3 kids he left behind. Seriously, it was really messed-up for them and I don't really get why the writers didn't pick instead Jill Guiler and her son or Lacombe. Anyway, except for this fascinating ending, to be honest, nothing much really noteworthy happens during the rest of the movie. I mean, basically, you have a bunch of mildly interesting characters constantly running around with a look of bewilderment on their face and not much more than that after all. Anyway, even if I did end up with some mixed feelings, it is still a classic.

My rating: 07/10

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Cast : Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss 

What was it about?
When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.

My two cents: 
It is obviously the first masterpiece directed by Steven Spielberg. I saw it again recently and even though it is almost 40(!) years old, it is still quite amazing. We all know the story by now, Spielberg didn't have such a huge budget back then but managed to make one of the most thrilling flicks ever made. Every year, you get similar movies but none of them reach its sheer awesomeness. It was only Spielberg's 3rd directing effort but it became the highest grossing movie ever made at the time (he will beat his own record in 1982 with 'E.T.' and again in 1993 with 'Jurassic Park'). Already very early in his career, starting with this movie, he had a huge influence on the movie world and introduced to us the summer blockbuster, if you like it or not, and it is still going strong almost 40 years later.

My rating: 08/10

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Cast : Goldie Hawn

What was it about?
A woman attempts to reunite her family by helping her husband escape prison and together kidnapping their son. But things don't go as planned when they are forced to take a police hostage on the road.

My two cents:
Even though 'Duel' is nowadays considered as Spielberg's directing debut, this movie was in fact his official first theatrical feature film. Anyway, even though 'Duel' was a pretty cool flick, I thought this one was rather disappointing, to be honest. First of all, it all depends where you stand concerning Goldie Hawn. Basically, she played here the same character she has portrayed in most of her movies, her typical hysterical whining rather annoying chick, so if you have a weak spot for her gimmick, you will probably enjoy this movie for than I did, otherwise, it might not work for you. For Spielberg, I think it was a rather interesting attempt to deliver a dark comedy but it wasn't nearly dark enough to make it really entertaining, at least, as far as I’m concerned. Eventually, it is one of the most obscure movies directed by this director and even though it is not really a must see in my book, I thought it was still a decent watch .

My rating: 06/10

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What was it about?
A business commuter is pursued and terrorized by a malevolent driver of a massive tractor-trailer.

My two cents:
What was supposed to be a rather small TV feature became a surprising success, one of the most heralded directing debuts and the start one of the most impressive career in motion picture history. Honestly, the plot was rather thin and you can't say that the characters were very well developped but the directing was just really impressive, especially when you realize that it was Spielberg's debut. Back then, he didn't have such a huge budget as nowadays but it does give his first feature some kind of purity, a simplicity which sometimes lack in the movies he made later on in his career. To conclude, it is a very solid directing debut and it is definitely worth a look.

My rating: 07/10

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