Many funny little moments that don't quite add up.

Rating: 6/10 (19 November 2006)

Though it's not quite the disaster that many would claim, 1941 is certainly not one of Steven Spielberg's finest moments. The film is a grand scale collection of bit parts and physical humor that just don't quite add up to a winner.
The film centers around the paranoia of the people of southern California in the days immediately following the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. The characters in this film all seem to think that an attack on the US mainland is inevitable. Some of the characters even think the Japs are already here! Maybe this wasn't such a good idea for a comedy from the outset. The attack at Pearl Harbor was a terrifying and devastating day in the country's history. It would be understandable if it put the citizens on the west coast on edge to some degree. It hardly matters however. The laughs this film generates mostly come from the continuous and at time extremely elaborate physical gags and property destruction. There are a lot of things that get destroyed as this film plays itself out. Gas stations, cars, planes, houses; even an amusement park gets destroyed. The ferris wheel actually goes rolling down a pier and into the ocean! There are too many characters and subplots to list. Most generate at least a few chuckles. The one involving Slim Pickens is probably the best. The crew of a Japanese submarine sneak ashore and take him prisoner. He swallows the only working compass on board, and their attempts to get it out of him are truly hilarious. Robert Stack, as a general whose biggest concern is making sure nobody disturbs him while he's attending a screening of Dumbo, is also very good. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi pretty much play themselves, but unfortunately share little screen time together! The musical score by John Williams is terrific, though. It's too bad that since this movie failed at the box office, many people have probably never heard it. The director's cut that Netflix sent me is almost two and a half hours long, and that's just too long for a comedy. There are some good visual payoffs, but the story just takes too long to get where it needs to go.
Call this one a "nice try" from Spielberg. Much better things would come in the years immediately following this film for him. I would not for a moment discourage anyone from seeing this film, but you will probably not consider it a classic in any way. If you want a great comedy involving property damage, stick with the Blues Brothers instead! 6 of 10 stars.
The Hound.