Spielberg's worst

Rating: 4/10 (27 January 2002)

"1941" was Steven Spielberg's first comedic film. It's also the Oscar-winning director's first really bad movie, and today it still stands as his worst film. Although I didn't hate "1941" as much as most people, I still don't think this is a very good movie. I always ask myself "Steven Spielberg made this?" It's hard to believe that he made this film. "1941" is a slapstick comedy of inept proportions that takes place at the time Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941. A big all-star cast is featured here (Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi are two of the big stars, appearing in this right before "The Blues Brothers") and are all pretty much wasted. The action scenes and special effects are this film's only virtue. That should come as no surprise since Spielberg is an expert at action and special effects pictures. But his attempt at comedy falls flat on its face. The comedy here is just too clumsy for it to all work. "1941" isn't awful, just not good. I'd love to know what Spielberg was thinking of when he made this.
** (out of four)