Who else agrees, re: Steven Spielberg?

[Deja Q]

So many of his recent movies are so much fanwank and/or outright drivel that critics want to do to him what Darth Vader did to Han Solo:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. That's George Lucas.

But they're both washed-up hacks.

[Deja Q]

2. Oops. After the Star Wars grope-a-thon, I thought they amalgamated into one squishy gestalt.

My bad.

:spank:

[Ava]

3. i still like his stuff

but i understand that it's now cool to say he's a washed up hack and that his movies suck :P ;) :rofl:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. You liked the new Indiana Jones movie, did you?

It didn't strike you that they were making a second rate product just to separate you and your money?

[Ava]

5. i got what i expected

a goofy, campy action movie that while not a masterpiece of cinema, was enjoyable imo.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. Yet Raiders of the Lost Ark was a masterpiece of cinema.

While Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was crap.

What happened?

[curse of greyface]

10. More Lucas interference one thinks.

It was george that demanded space aliens.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

11. So can we all agree Lucas sucks? OK, great.

So what about the crap that was War of the Worlds?

Same movie. Slightly different plot.

[curse of greyface]

13. You can never agree Lucas sucks enough He is the Notre Dame of Film making.

As for Spielberg. i like Munich well enough but he has been in a slump since 1998.

And as god as my witness A.I. is the worst mainstream movie ever made.

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. Absolutely - he's completely lost it as a director. Nothing creative, original,

or challenging in his work.

Drivel, cliche-ridden pablum.

He's the Thomas Kinkade of movies - "Here, let me tell you how you're supposed to feel at this point in the story".

Pfagh.

[XemaSab]

9. And, sadly, the mood is never FREAKED OUT!

:cry:

[edbermac]

8. My take on his last 8 films. Not a bad track record.

Very good:
Saving Private Ryan
A.I.
Minority Report
Munich

Not bad:
War of the Worlds (Liked it, but the ending was lame)
Indiana Jones (a popcorn movie, nothing more)

Lame:
Catch Me If You Can
The Terminal

[cemaphonic]

12. He's the Steven Spielberg of moviemaking.

The guy has an impressive grasp of the machinery (social and logistical as well as technical), and basically sound artistic judgment, and a solid read on his audience. I don't think he could make a truly bad movie if he tried (although the last Indiana Jones was pushing it in spots).

And yet, he lacks whatever that creative spark that makes the great filmmakers great. I think the last really great movie he directed was Raiders of the Lost Ark, with most of his films since then ranging from average to good.

I think "craftsmanlike" is the word I'm looking for.