Rounding up Spielberg, 1987-1993, possibly the grimmest run yet. Okay... Empire of the Sun (1987) Drunk on the success of The Color Purple (which, depending who you ask, was either deplorable Oscar bait, or one of his finest films to that point), an awards contender that pulled in huge audiences, Steve-o obviously now regarded himself as a director with Something To Say. So we got this, a coming of age-cum-war film. ET meets David Lean, if you will. Emphasis on the David Lean. Its certainly not a bad film, far from it, but its a repetitive one, that lacks true emotional weight. Its also rife with all the sort of tropes and cliches that you would expect from Spielberg, such as the emotionally despondent father figures, and the magical kids. I do think that it looks fantastic though, and there are a few scenes that really knock it out of the park, but its just that bit too flabby to really recommend. Grade: B Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) Ask a random sample of people on the street as to which was the best of the Indiana Jones sequels. Taking out the overwhelming majority of who cares? responses, chances are high that this one is the most common answer, and its not too difficult to see why. It returns to the lighter, more fun tone of the first film, with the return of Nazis as the villains, hunting another well known Judea-Christian artifact, and jet-setting to various locales. Personally, its a film I like less with each subsequent viewing, and Id really struggle to call it an improvement over the second film. Whilst I do still like the appearance of Sean Connery as Indiana Jones father, lighting up the screen as soon as he appears, and the ending stretch of the film is, arguably, the strongest closing sequence of the series, the rest of the film feels quite routine, watching the characters go through their plot checklist until the end. The main reason for this is, of course, that Spielbergs heart, once again, isnt really in it. Raiders of the Lost Ark felt like it was directed by a man who had something to prove, and had a great affection for the pulp material that inspired it. This feels like it was directed by a man who needed a definite hit after Empire of the Sun flopped, whose main motivating factor was breaking opening weekend records. Which it did. Mission accomplished, I guess. Enjoyable fluff, but no more. Grade: B Always (1989) This one has always stuck out like a sore thumb in the Spielberg canon. A romantic drama coming at the very end of the 1980s, lumped between two big budget bonanzas. This was the first opportunity I had to watch it, and, after doing so, Im still baffled. Surely this wasnt intended to be a prestige film? Everything about it is so slight and mealy-mouthed, the definition of a minor work from a major artist. Its a remake A Guy Named Joe, a 1943 picture that Id never heard of before, but this absolutely feels like a screenplay from 1943, with very few changes. Its got a vague pretense toward playing it a little screwball, with lines that are obviously intended to be delivered in a speedy, smart alec way. Yet its also prone to dreary sentimentality, which yanks it right up to the 80s (it actually feels like its pre-empting Ghost in places). Its not a total failure, but it doesnt work all that well, either. It lack emotional weight (noticing a pattern?), which may as well be the kiss of death for a romantic drama. Its only the inherent likability of the lead actors that sees this one through. Grade: C+ Hook (1991) If youve gotten this far, well done! Anyway, this fantasy adventure is the worst of the bunch, and its right down there with 1941 in the filmography so far. Nothing about the film really works. The Peter Pan is a grown up! thing wouldnt be awful, but its done in the most trite, stock way imaginable (Ha! He used to be Peter Pan, but now hes afraid to get on a plane! GEDDIT!?!), the film looks terribly ugly (but in a really expensive way. Which is probably worse), its filled with more emotionally distant fathers and magical childhoods, its easily the most bloated that Spielberg has ever gotten (without exaggeration, there is at least 30 minutes of pointless nonsense in the film. AT LEAST.), even the score (which I normally never have to mention) is a dreadful churner. Not to mention the performances that cover all the colours of the bad acting rainbow. I guess the set-up of the main plot of the film, that Captain Hook has kidnapped Peter Pans kids, and he has to go and rescue them, that could have been okay. Its set up quite well, at least. Thats all I can think of. I dislike this film. Quite a bit. Grade: D Jurassic Park (1993) Thankfully, I get to end this run on a relative high. Jurassic Park was Spielbergs self conscious return to something a bit like Jaws, but with more of a science-fiction and adventure bent. Its all high concept, big budget, monsters and jump scares. Its also lean, keeps up the tension and pace throughout, doesnt skimp on spectacle, and is, all round, a great example of how a good blockbuster worked in the 1990s. Which is to say, much the same way a good blockbuster worked in 1975, and now. I wouldnt quite put it in the same class as some of his 70s and 80s crowd pleasers, as some young men of a certain age may be keen to do (I may have been one of them, but the massive JP hype was lost on me, as Tim Burtons Batman films already had my merchandise heart), but there is no doubting that its a very strong film. Grade: A
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 00:34:44 +0000