Give Spielberg a break!

Rating: Null/10 (7 January 2001)

I freely admit that 1941 has its faults. For instance, its many plot-lines don't mesh together the way they should which results in a big sprawling mess of a film.
However, 1941 does have some wonderful moments;Robert Stack weeping his way through Dumbo, the Army vs.Navy brawl and the inspired Jaws parody opening sequence.
The huge cast each get their opportunities to shine, however brief. In particular, Toshiro Mifune sending himself up as the incompetent submarine commander is a treat, as is Christopher Lee's petty, nit-picking, bickering Nazi liason officer. Add to this some choice one-liners, stunning visuals and a fantastic score from John Williams and you end up with a film that is a great deal of fun which certainly did not deserve the roasting from the critics that it did receive.
Okay, so it doesn't add up to a completely satisfying whole, but its one hell of a funny collage.