Shoulda taken a vacation instead, Steve

Rating: Null/10 (27 August 2004)

On the "making of" bonus feature for this movie, Mr. Spielberg says that this is the only movie he committed to making because he "had the time to make it," not because it was a movie that spoke to his heart; Spielberg also admitted that he never had a personal vision for this film.
Well, it shows.
Spielberg had his newbie writers, Bob Gale and Bob Zemeckis ("the two Bobs") shoehorn gag after gag into the screenplay. The two Bobs obeyed of course, probably being awestruck by Spielberg as well as being keenly aware of their lack of clout in Hollywood. When Spielberg nabbed John Belushi, immensely popular at the time, the two Bobs were ordered to give JB scenes, give him scenes!
Steven Spielberg's first indication that the movie was a disaster, according to "The Making Of," was at the film premiere in Dallas. Sitting in the back, he noticed audience members covering their ears halfway through the movie. He also noticed studio executives huddled together with the "hangdog" look they get when they know they're going to have to write off a loser.
Now in Millennium Three, people no longer swoon at the fact that John Belushi is in the movie. For me, Belushi brings the movie to a complete halt and so I fast-forward through all his scenes, an option not available to that poor Dallas preview audience.
My biggest complaint with the movie is that I lost the narrative thread -- who is the movie supposed to be about? Is it about the kid who wants to win the dance contest? Is it about General Stillwell and his horny aide? Is the movie about John Belushi's psycho pilot (as the movie posters would have you believe)?
What Spielberg should have done is make one movie about the dancer boy and a same-time, different-place sequel with General Stillwell, and cut Belushi out of the movie entirely.
Mr. Spielberg, instead of cutting into your free time to make _1941_, you should've taken a nice long beach vacation. And since _Jaws_ had come out recently, you would've had the whole beach to yourself.