Spielberg fails in big rambling comedy

Rating: 5/10 (26 September 2013)

This is probably director Steven Spielberg's biggest misstep of his career. He threw everything into this attempt at a broad wacky comedy. The Japanese has just attacked Pearl Harbor, and a sub is coming after Hollywood.
With Tim Matheson and John Belushi, there is definitely an 'Animal House' feel to this. But Spielberg doesn't know what to do here. He lets John Belushi loose as the crazed pilot Capt. Wild Bill Kelso, and hope for the best. Capt. Loomis Birkhead (Tim Matheson) is more concerned with the girl. And the impressive cast is just stepping all over each other.
This is a throwback to the big crazy multi-characters multi-story lines broad wild comedies. Every once in a while, Spielberg gets a funny moment out of it. But it's just a big rambling disjointed noisy mess. People need to fail once in a while to know their limitations. This time Spielberg learns he doesn't have this comedy gene.