Steven Spielberg

Approval Rate: 78%

78%Approval ratio

Reviews 53

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  • by

    bird808

    Wed Oct 27 2010

    One of the problems when you make it big and money comes into the equation is that the hunger that once spurred you to be successful is suddenly gone and you feel you no longer have to prove anything. You see it all the time. Spielberg in the 70's, 80's and some art of the 90's was outstanding. He had a good body of work there. His name alone can still carry the weight of a film, but if you're looking for that same magic you saw in his early films it can sometimes be lacking. Don't get me wrong I still think he's outstanding and was watching a documentary about the making of "Jaws" (Spielberg was only 27 when he made that which is quite an accomplishment). People even doubted that "Jaws" would be a success as what Spielberg had in his mind in terms of the shark and movement was too ahead of his time hence us barely seeing the shark at the beginning of the film (that was due to technical glitches on the prosthetic shark that was machine operated). Overall I think if Spielberg loo... Read more

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    magneticd

    Mon Oct 18 2010

    Kids in danger or being oddly sexual seem to float 'the pedaraptor' here's boat. I HATE this guy's movies. I couldn't quite figure it out until 'Goonies' why they always made me uncomfortable. Damn empathy, I understand too much, too often.

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    jtpatton

    Sat May 15 2010

    Read Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World as a youngster and thought it would make a great movie (wasn't aware of the silent film). I pictured Orson Wells as Professor Challenger, David Niven as John Roxton, and Vincent Price as Professor Summerlee. When I heard it was going to be made into a "major motion picture", I got excited... until I was told it would be a Spielberg spiel. I shouldn't have been disappointed- it wasn't the same dinosaur story at all, they just shamelessly ripped off the title to tack onto "Jurassic Park". Boo. Hiss.

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    theman2992

    Sun Mar 09 2008

    Brilliant Spielberg is a genius in film making and with the camera. No one will be like him.

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    frankswildyear_s

    Thu Sep 27 2007

    Prolific, bankable and dedicated to a high level of quality but he hits as often as he misses as far as telling a good story and he falls short when it comes to vision. He's a pretty straight ahead director. His strength is in the big spectacle popcorn movie. Along with George Lucas he is the creator of the modern Blockbuster.

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    rikadog

    Mon Jul 23 2007

    Too many great movies to mention, he's a genius!

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    canadasucks

    Mon Jul 23 2007

    There are his Hollywood misfires. . .his emotional predictability in his movies. . .but we're talking about the mind who gave us "Jaws" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" - for those two alone he gets 5-stars. . .

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    irishgit

    Mon Mar 12 2007

    A competent, unimaginative, big budget director. He is not great, his films lose their patina an hour after leaving the theatre, he makes money, but he does not make great film.

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    virilevagabond

    Fri Oct 06 2006

    Measured by commercial success, Steven Spielberg has few if any peers as a film director; nevertheless, his tendency to over commercialize some of his films (e.g. product placement) has resulted in erosion of some screenplays and the art itself. Spielberg didn't start out with this flaw, as his first major work "Duel" (a 1971 made for TV movie that is a textbook example of getting the most out of very little). "Jaws" (1975) and "Close Encounters" (1977) were both essentially character and circumstance driven notwithstanding the monster in the former and the science fiction theme of the latter. With "E.T." (1982) Spielberg started to meander due to an eye on the dollar. (Oddly, I would say that this film was one of the last "bad government" movies of that period as the Reagan era was then getting in full swing making way for films like "Top Gun".) The first "Indiana Jones" was a great movie and remains one of my personal favorites. One could analyze each of Spielberg's works, but each c... Read more

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    doobiesnhof

    Mon Mar 27 2006

    Simply one of the top 10 directors of all time.

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    drummond

    Thu Dec 15 2005

    Puts on a great show, even when his material is fluff.

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    decalod85

    Tue Nov 29 2005

    Jaws, Raiders, ET, Saving Private Ryan, Schindlers List. All top shelf movies, all in different genres. That takes a little bit of talent, folks.

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    historyfan

    Sun Nov 13 2005

    The only two films I was impressed with were Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. Hadn't seen Jaws yet.

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    jmanltu

    Sat Nov 12 2005

    I've been impressed with his work. He definitely is deserving of his role as the standard setter among all other directors throughout the world. Yes, it is true that he uses alot of special effects in some of his movies, but there's still a quality story and quality directing on his part to go along with it. Talk about zillions of dollars huh??? How about 2.7 Billion dollars to be more specific in terms of his worth.

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    foamjack

    Tue Aug 23 2005

    Wow, sure are alot of Spielberg haters. Most people just watch movies for a couple hours of entertainment,not to sit there and try to break down every scene as to what the directors ideologies are. To me he is one of the greatest directors ever.

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    wolfie

    Wed Aug 17 2005

    Some really great stuff like Close Encounters ET and Raiders of the Lost Arc- and even War of the Worlds had a dark and interesting aura- but he has made some lackluster stuff as well.

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    phantasmagoria

    Thu Jul 21 2005

    Each subsequent film becomes increasingly more formulaic than the last. He does have a flair for galvanizing emotion in the audience, but this is offset by his need to appeal to the masses. If he didn't require big budgets for his films, he wouldn't need to focus on box office earnings. Schindler's List (I believe) is his most inspired and greatest film. He has stated in interviews director's need objectivity, but he seems to struggle with this in some films. Like a boy with his visions, but not the visions of reality.

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    guava_monkey

    Fri Apr 08 2005

    On the plus side there is the brillant low budget 'Duel', 'Jaws', 'Close encounters', 'Raiders of the lost ark' and Jurassic park'. On the downside we have interminable borefests such as 'A.I', 'Empire of the sun','Hook' , Amistad' and 'Saving Private Ryan' (wake up America, you lot were'nt at the Normandy landings on your own, though from this film you'd think it)

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    djahuti

    Fri Apr 08 2005

    Maker of sugar-coated pap.He's not without talent,but he doesn't get very deep.

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    mooselover

    Wed Mar 23 2005

    The best of the best! Update: If you need more information well he has directed the Indiana Jones series, E.T., Jurassic Park, Close Encounter, and Jaws. Need I say more?

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    iron_bear

    Wed Feb 09 2005

    More popular rather than talented. His vision (like most good directors) is borrowed from the greats at times. I wish he would let go of the Hollywood ego and just blow us away. He has come so close. One of the only celebrity directors that I would consider capable of doing something great.

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    ratemaster90

    Sun Dec 12 2004

    Speilberg is one of the definitive diretor's of this century. To those who say he is a just a big budget, special effects director look at schindler's list, and catch me if you can. It is true though that his best films are the big budget special effects movie's

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    wargamefan93

    Sun Oct 10 2004

    Good director. I liked most of his movies. He's a genius.

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    aryandan

    Tue Sep 14 2004

    He is part of a larger Zionist agenda to twist the minds of Gentiles. He has proved that he is an anti-Christian Jewish bigot bent on promulgating social conditioning. (See my comments under Amistad, Spirit, and AI). He is the biggest promulgator of anti-Aryan hate-speech to date. If he died and went to Hell, the devil would welcome him home. I wrote this over 2 years ago, but it is still true today.

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    ernesta

    Sun Jun 13 2004

    Glad he likes to honor the WWII Generation. But he is not their only spokesman.

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    darick

    Mon Apr 19 2004

    Steven Spielberg is a big-name director who makes films which more often than not fetch millions at the box office just because he made them. Granted, some of his films are top-notch (e.g, ET) but others are just plain uncreative and far-fetched (e.g, AI, Hook). His directing is OK but not great.

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    freebird_0128

    Sun Nov 16 2003

    I love Steven Spielberg's work because he is so adept at creating these worlds that just take you in. He is the king of fantasy and happy endings and yet has a real, touching view with history in such masterpieces as Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. He is truly one of America's most beloved and innovative directors.

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    ladyshark4534

    Sun Oct 12 2003

    Steven always has made the most genius blockbusters and the best of films. No other director could be quite like him. He's made so many good movies and he's one of the most recognizable, renoun, and respected directors today. From "Empire Of The Sun" to "Jaws", He knows his audience. Talented and intelligent. A good mix.

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    kolby1973

    Sun Oct 12 2003

    Just go watch the movie titled, E.T. One of the biggest blockbusters of the 80's, and the movie proves just how great of a director Steven Spielberg really is. I love almost all of his movies, and the ones I don't like have nothing to do with his direction whatsoever.

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    stanuzbeck

    Mon Sep 15 2003

    Spielberg is one of my least favourite directors. Everything he produces seems scientifically calculated to have the widest possible demographic appeal, and his foreshadowing and moralizing are about as subtle as a brick to the face. He also seems to hate German people. I'm not German, but I'm getting a little sick of seeing them portrayed as the sum of all evil. Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List would be the most obvious. I know that Germany was the enemy at the time but those movies depicted ordinary Germans as sadistic and without any redeeming qualities. Not every citizen was a hardcore anti-semitic nazi murderer, you know. The Germans were also villains in the Indiana Jones movies, and even in Jurassic Park II: The Lost World, the most evil character in the movie was named Dieter. WWII is over, Steven, can you possibly think of another large subsection of humanity to completely villify? With that off my chest, his films otherwise bore me, so that is another strike ... Read more

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    pikachan

    Sun Aug 10 2003

    This man has a lot of talent in directing his movies. whether it's suspense, action, or emotion, Spielberg knows how to make good movies. A few of my favorites are E.T. and Jaws. I agree with Molfan that he really should have won oscars for his movies. A great director.

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    molfan

    Sat Aug 09 2003

    He has immense talent. Some of the movies i have liked best are done from him. He has a wonderful imagination. I loved E.T., The Color Purple, Jaws, Close Encounters of the third kind, and Schindlers list won him his well deserved Oscar. He should have won one before that. It seems he had a lot of years being snubbed by the often snobby Hollywood. I expect he will continue to direct some more great movies for years to come.

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    moosekarloff

    Wed Jun 25 2003

    The most overrated film director of all time. When you look at his movies today, letting the passage of time filter their qualities and put them in a relative perspective, you have a lot of trivial populist pap and kidstuff. "ET" was a ridiculous, maudlin bit of nonsense; "The Color Purple" was one of the most boring and adrift films I've ever seen; "Jurassic Park" was just another special effects film with a $29.95 script supporting it; "Jaws," with that totally unrealistic shark, was the most unfrightening thriller ever made; "Close Encounters" was a tepid and tentative effort that really didn't know what it was after, so it never found it; "Saving Private Ryan" was totally ludicrous. All of these films were based on ridiculous or relatively inconsequential premises, so as a result, none of them rang true. Spielberg's magnus opus, his one film irrefutably aimed at an adult audience, "Schindler's List" has the look and feel of a made-for-TV movie. He has a very heavy-handed storyte... Read more

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    redoedo

    Mon Jun 02 2003

    Mr. Spielberg is one of the most talented and influential moviemakers of our times. Film after film, his directing talents have made him the standard by which most of today's directors are judged. He has redefined the entertainment industry, there's no doubt about that. Let's review the masterpieces that he has produced throughout his careers that I have seen: "The Indiana Jones Series", "ET", "Jaws", "Schindler's List", "Poltergeist", "The Color Purple", "Jurassic Park", "Saving Private Ryan"... the list goes on and on. Each of his movies are different (see Wiggum's comment for a detailed analysis). Horror, drama, science fiction, you name it, and Steven Spielberg has done it. It saddens me, however, that Steven Spielberg seems to be losing his touch. I wasn't too big a fan of "AI" or "Minority Report". He really hasn't produced anything of his normal caliber since "Saving Private Ryan". However, even his few recent stinkers cannot ruin his firmly established place in the annals of th... Read more

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    erik_hendriksen

    Tue May 27 2003

    If i was not influenced by Speilbergs movies at such a young age, i wouldn't be the thriving young director if am today. He has influenced me and many other directors in the feild all over the world. His movies are insperational and fun to watch. He is great in every aspect imagionable. From Cinimotagraphy to CGI. I love to watch Spielberg movies because i know every movie will be fun to watch.

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    jeanmachine1

    Sat May 17 2003

    Ok--I am so sick of Hollywood getting exactly what they want alllll the time and the commoners and blue-collar workers get their social views. Yes, Spielberg has made some incredible films...but as a person I think he sucks. Like all Hollywood people, he's not faithful to anyone but a material item called money. Religion is only a means to create an identity. I think he is a bad man inside and because he's the at the top of his game no-one will ever know it until he's dead. What's he done for humanity besides create some good 2 hour zone-out experiences. Thank God for freedom of speech because I don't want any of his followers--his die-hard imitators to come after me...after all I am just little 'ol me. Hollywood creates low-self esteem in women--women who have to be perfect to get anywhere (and a slut for that matter)...Spielberg is the complete epitome of current day hollywood, should we be thankful for anything he has done?

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    liquidlen

    Sat May 10 2003

    ALL directors manipulate the audience, but few show it as shamelessly as Spielberg. He loves his work, though, and is probably a good husband (WTF? Caffeine...) and father, so he gets a 3.

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    crowbar

    Thu Dec 12 2002

    Was the director when it came to movies. Nowadays has slipped off the deep end. Needs to do something quickly to regain my "5worthy" respect

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    jason1972

    Tue Nov 26 2002

    Considering he was actually a movie school dropout, he's given us many great movies. Of course, he's had a few stinkers (A.I., Amistad), but he's given us plenty of movies that has sparked the imagination of many moviegoers, even myself.

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    lukskywlkr

    Thu Oct 17 2002

    Made some great movies, no doubt. However, he continually gets credit for Raiders of the Lost Ark when it was George Lucas who created the character. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CHARACTER, YOU CAN'T DIRECT IT!!!!!Also, most of his movies, at least the early ones, were special effects driven, and who do you think he should thank for that???Why, Mr. Lucas of course. If George hadn't brought forth the amazing technology used in Star Wars, Mr. Spielberg might not have ever reached the level he has. I'm not against Spielberg, I just want George Lucas to be given his proper credit.

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    onegis88

    Thu Sep 19 2002

    Creative, and keeps tackling new things, his films are almost always enjoyable

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    the_blue_dinos_aur

    Mon Aug 05 2002

    What can I say? It's Spielberg!

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    kedian3

    Fri Mar 22 2002

    Ok, so I can't stand the hype.Let's look at some of his movies: Amistad, Jurasic Park, The Indiana Jones series, ET, Shindler's list, Saving Private Ryan...they are all about good vs evil, adventures and special efects. Are they all made by a teenager??.... When he is serious he is very serious (you know, the holocaust... 2 movies about the holocaust!!!!....didn't we know who the bad people were to make the movie, on top of that, in black and white ....didn't we know the "message" prior to see it??). That's his "complexity" ...and in the rest just take away the fx and what's left: nice music (John Williams should be killed!!!), smart money-making story choices that people like. Where's the risk, the boldness???...

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    thornvv

    Wed Mar 20 2002

    Over-rated. Read Julia.

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    ontopoftheworl_d

    Thu Feb 28 2002

    The greatest film director of all time, and that's a fact!

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    137218685

    Sat Jan 26 2002

    Spielberg is more or less responsible for creating a culture of emptiness and shallowness. His movies plunged America (and the world) into a society of moronic drones. Speilberg was on the path of greatness with the extraordinary thriller Jaws. But hasnt done anything since his tender age of 27, perhaps his first large paycheck numbed his sense of greatness. The decline of a great American culture started with ET winning the Oscars back in 1985 (or wheneve it was) Doubly responsible for his support of the unfathomable syrupy acting of Tom Hanks. Spielberg has done more damage to America than I care to think.

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    chaotician23

    Tue Jan 22 2002

    Steven Spielberg is without a doubt the greatest movie director of all time. He has created the best films ever, including Jurassic Park, Lost World, Jaws, Indiana Jones, E.T., and Back To The Future.(Some of which he produced).

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    joeawaz

    Mon Sep 03 2001

    A director of the highest caliber. I think Steven Spielberg is probably the only director that can be compared to a wizard, based both on his films on his physical apearance! He is the master of our fantasies and our dreams and on rare occasions does he deal in the dark side of human nature. (SCHINDLER'S LIST, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN) Although some of his films are horribly cliched (JURASSIC PARK, THE LOST WORLD JURASSIC PARK) every Spielberg film, whether good or bad is immensly entertaining. Truly modern cinema's answer to Alfred Hitchcock.

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    wiggum

    Tue Jun 26 2001

    Regardless of the criteria you use to judge a movie director, it would be extremely difficult to claim that Spielberg is any less than "great." Do you need a masterpiece to be considered great? Spielberg has several movies that might qualify, but I'd point to "Schindler's List." Do you need a large body of quality work? Few other directors match Spielberg's resume. Do you need to prove that you can direct movies in different genres? Spielberg gave us a horror movie (Jaws), a sci-fi movie, (E.T.), a war movie (Saving Private Ryan), a special-effects action movie (Jurassic Park), and a serious, powerful drama (Schindler's List). Maybe you can make a case that Spielberg hasn't done anything truly ground-breaking, but that argument is questionable and not nearly strong enough to prevent him from earning five stars. I agree with CastleBee - Spielberg is one of the most talented and prolific directors of our time.

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    captain_bal

    Sun Apr 15 2001

    This guy is INCREDIBLE!!! There isn't one movie that he has directed, and I have seen, that I haven't liked.