Has Spielberg lost his touch?

[Bicoastal]

For the undecided, here's a list of his five most recent movies:

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Munich (2005)
War of the Worlds (2005)
The Terminal (2004)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Need I go on?

[bigwillq]

1. Maybe he's just experimenting

with different styles and genres.


I thought Munich was pretty good.

I thought War of the Worlds was ok, but I was underwhelmed. I haven't see the other three.

[Bicoastal]

2. Maybe he's just experimenting making bad movies for awhile?

Seriously, words cannot describe how disappointing "Crystal Skulls" was, IMO.

[bigwillq]

3. Maybe so.

I have no desire to see the new Indiana Jones movie no matter who directed it.

[democracyindanger]

26. Sure they can. I got two for you.

George. Lucas.

Note to self: When directing my idiot-proof, franchise-crowning, epic adventure flick, don't let the father of Jar Jar Binks anywhere near it.

[edbermac]

14. He can afford to experiment.

Hitchcock did films like Psycho and The Birds, then followed with Marnie, Torn Curtain, Topaz which were slammed by the critics back then, but have been re-assessed in a new light today.

Spielberg has an upcoming film about Abe Lincoln, which should be interesting.

[ghostsofgiants]

4. Can't say i've ever really loved his work.

He is very good at what he does, I just don't like what it is that he does, haha.

[pokerfan]

5. It's hard to say

Remember, he followed Jaws and Close Encounters with 1941 before directing Raiders.

[Downtown Hound]

6. I liked all of those movies except for Indiana Jones

So overall I would say, no. The problem with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was that it was too cheesy, which has been my biggest criticism with the series after Raiders. They tried to take it too much in the slapstick, over the top direction, and Indy 4 was even worse than Temple of Doom was in that regard. Other than that, he's still one of the best filmmakers out there. And the truth is I blame Lucas more for Indy 4 than I do Spielberg. It has his corny fingerprints all over it.

[rockymountaindem]

7. I haven't seen the new Indy movie or WotW

but I thought Munich was pretty good (though a little too long) and I also thought The Terminal was heartwarming. I'm the only person I know who liked that movie, however. Catch Me if You Can was not good.

[elshiva]

8. Catch Me If You Can is a good movie.

Terminal is okay. Haven't seen the rest so... :shrug:

[Frank Cannon]

9. I liked "Minority Report"

I think the craptacularity of the latest Indiana Jones movie had more to do with his buddy George Lucas. Now, there's a guy that needs to be kept away from movie equipment. Not to mention sharp objects and heavy machinery.

[TZ]

10. Orrex in 3...2...1....

I do believe I can predict that he will post here and agree with you (although I have heard that Munich is fantastic)....

[Dr. Strange]

12. I did a double-take on the author...

because I just figured it HAD to be Orrex who started this thread.

[datasuspect]

11. he touched me in a way that made me really uncomfortable

[Carnea]

13. Munich wasn't that bad.... But A.I. needs to be on tha list

WORST MOVIE EVER......


:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[ghostsofgiants]

21. Yeah, of all the people that could have made a Kubrick project, Spielberg is not one of them.

[cemaphonic]

28. I don't know - I think the problem there was more that the material was unfinished

and possibly unworkable - Kubrick had been toying with the script for a *very* long time, and many of the stupider parts of the movie (like the ending) were in his script. He would have made it himself if he thought it was ready. Well, that and it had William Hurt in it. That never helps.

I thought that the first half of the movie was not only good, but very Kubrickian. And Spielberg's biggest flaw is his grating, sentimental scripts (which, as you say is a terrible fit for Kubrick) - on the technical/logistical/actor wrangling side of things, he is an excellent director (and I'm someone who thinks that Raiders was his last truly great movie)

If Kubrick had finished the script to his satisfaction, *and then* died before starting filming, I think Spielberg probably would have done a pretty good job with it. But as it was, Spielberg wound up filling a lot of holes with his own personality, and it just didn't work together as a whole at all.

[ghostsofgiants]

30. Yeah, i'm inclined to agree. But I think Spielberg would have found a way to sentamentalize it...

Even if it had been a completed Kubrick script. (But maybe I'm just really cynical about Spielberg, haha.)

[NewJeffCT]

15. I voted for a dry spell

He's made too many good movies over the decades not to rebound...

[cemaphonic]

16. Well, I'm in the "last great Spielberg movie was Raiders" camp

so I'm gonna go with option 1

[Phillycat]

17. Spielberg makes Spielberg movies.

I've never understood why people are disappointed when he makes another Spielberg movie. :shrug:

[Shell Beau]

18. But he had Letters from Iwo Jima, Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan,

Schindler's List.

I say he has his dry spells, but when he does something really good, it is really good.

[cemaphonic]

19. Iwo Jima was Eastwood

[Shell Beau]

20. It was both.

[pokerfan]

22. Eastwood directed

Spielberg was one of five producers.

[Shell Beau]

23. Hey, that counts!!

:)

[cemaphonic]

24. Well, co-produced anyway

I generally only count the director in considering something "a {personsname} film," although Spielberg may well be one of those very hands-on producers. Certainly Poltergeist and Gremlins have his fingerprints all over them, and he didn't direct either of them.

Letters from Iwo Jima feels like pure Eastwood to me though.

[PBS Poll-435]

25. I liked "the Terminal"

I like my Catherine Zeta-Jones only one way.

CRUEL and ***chy.

[Bucky]

27. Hey, I liked War of the Worlds. It really captured the mood of the book.

[DerekG]

29. WTF was wrong with MUNICH?

It was his second best film (behind Jaws), was nominated for Best Picture, and shoulda won. Most directors would sacrifice their firstborn for a movie of that quality.

[Shell Beau]

31. I didn't think it was as good as it could have been. Not bad though.

[Auggie]

32. His films have a rushed feeling as though not thought out completely.

Perhaps he's trying to do too much. Or maybe he's gotten so big there's no one with the guts to question what he does -- no system of checks and balances or oversight committee. No matter how good you are what you've done I think it helps to have peers honestly and regularly review your work and provide feedback.