at Crackle
41 out of 51 people found the following review useful: I cant understand why this movie is so reviled..., 29 June 2005 Author: goatboy500 from United Kingdom
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
1941 is considered to be Steven Spileberg's folly, a screwball farce about the Japanese invading America after pearl harbour, starring some of the greatest actors and comedians that ever lived. Some people hate it, I love it. Sorry for all you haters, but I guess the things I like are the things you dislike, but for the life of me, I can't understand why this movie is considered Spielberg's worst movie. For one, it's watchable, and for another, it's not full of Spielberg Schmaltz, (the thing i hate most about Senior Speilbergo's later movies, i.e Hook, Always, AI).Treat Williams is an a$$hole but no-one plays a$$holes better (see; things to do in Denver when your dead), Robert Stack crying while watching Dumbo when a full scale dogfight rages outside the theatre, Ned Beatty destroying his house in an attempt to fight the Japanese, Slim Pickens faking doing a sh!t while Toshiro Mifune and Christopher Lee wait to find out if he's passed a compass. I'm sorry but but those are all comedic gems. Okay, so Belushi is wasted and is seemingly in this move for no reason, but Belushi in a cockpit without a bottle opener is funnier than anything with Sean William Scott in it. For me this movie hits all the right notes, and on reflection makes some very good points (the two numbskull's who mistakenly think Belushi's plane is a German fighter...the paranoia of anyone living in a coastal town after pearl harbour).Give it another chance, then watch Jaws if you still don't like it.
47 out of 69 people found the following review useful: What do the critics know?, 8 November 2002 Author: GoIllini from Tuscola, IL
Those who can't find humor in "1941" need to loosen up. This is one of the few movies I have ever purchased for my own personal collection. The Ferris wheel scene alone is an all-time classic. This is the type of picture that is fun to watch after a hard day at work. Open up a beer and enjoy.
36 out of 52 people found the following review useful: It's gonna be a long war...., 15 September 1999 Author: George Litman from Marietta, OH USA
You can't have lofty aspirations all the time.Even the director of such powerful films as "Jaws", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "ET" and "Schindler's List" has to take a break from all the serious issues in his films and play dumb at least once. Just look at "1941".With a plotline straight out of The Three Stooges and special effects befitting a WWII epic, "1941" abandons all pretense by parodying the opening of "Jaws" right off the bat and hitting every slapstick point from there on in. Spielberg knew that even if this turned out be a flop, it would be a good-natured one.Just look at this cast! Not only are Aykroyd and Belushi at the helm, but there's talent like Matheson, Allen, Oates, Williams, Beatty, Gary (Roy Scheider's wife from the "Jaws" films), Candy, Flaherty, Stack (in his first comedic turn before "Airplane!"), Lee, Pickens, Deezen (a comic genius if ever there was one), Sperber and a whole herd of other I probably missed. All of them in the midst of the hugest battlefield of comic carnage ever seen.And no wonder. "1941" was co-written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, Spielberg protogees who went on to further success with the "Back to the Future" films, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", "Used Cars", (all with climaxes as wild as the entire running time of "1941") and the vastly under-appreciated "Death Becomes Her". Even John Milius (director/co-writer of "Conan the Barbarian") lends his pen hand. In the end, you'll be dazzled, breathless, stunned and amazed, but by no means bored. And, with any luck, amused."1941" - it was a very good year.Nine stars. And don't worry: it's all for the good of the war effort.
25 out of 35 people found the following review useful: Worth watching at least once., 19 March 2005 Author: zmanjz from York, PA
1941 is a unique movie. 1 part of it is animal house-esque lowbrow humor, 1 part is B-movie love story, and 1 part stoic war movie, and 2 parts insane hilarity.It is a weird mix to say the least.First, the problems: 1. The first half of the movie is slow. It grinds on making you wonder why you're watching this movie.2. The "Love story" subplot is poorly executed for what this movie is trying to do.3. many of the actors are not used to their fullest potential (especially Dan Akroyd and John Candy) while others receive excessive screen time. (see: The slow moving love story sub-plot) But then there are the good aspects: 1. John Belushi is hilarious. He would have been funnier had he interacted with more characters rather than appearing in many solo shots, but he was funny.2. The "Epic Battle" was great. It had me laughing as my sides hurt.3. Slim Pickens: His appearance in the movie was truly where the movie stopped being slow, and the fun really started. He was great in his scenes and between the dialogue and his visual scenes, you can't help but laugh.There's more, but in short, if you don't mind sitting through a slow build up, the payoff is worth the wait.It's not the best movie ever, but in the barren entertainment landscape that is Weekend Television: Finding this movie can be like an oasis in the desert. It's solid Saturday afternoon fun.
19 out of 27 people found the following review useful: best comedy i've seen in a long time, 18 January 2003 Author: lumpynose from near SF, California
I'll keep this short; read msa0510's review for a more in-depth review. The best part in this movie is Slim Pickens. Just thinking about his scenes makes me start laughing again.It was nice having the "Making of 1941" on the dvd and seeing the remarks by Spielberg; I knew this movie had been panned by the critics but I hadn't known that it was popular in Europe. I can't understand why we Americans don't find it funny; it's hysterically funny to me.It's a perfect 10 in my book; so few comedies these days are so over-the-top funny as this movie is.
17 out of 25 people found the following review useful: This film was made for 1% of the population. Happily, I'm in that 1%., 23 April 2001 Author: Dave Hogan from Los Angeles, Ca
Steven Speilberg once asked a friend of mine, "Why didn't anyone like this movie?" Well, I think that I can answer that - "1941" is a gigantic in-joke. The people who are in on the joke are people who, like myself, have an oversized love and knowledge of the city of Los Angeles and it's history. I think that in the vast, world-wide movie-going public, this group probably comprises 1%. For that group, "1941" has a wonderful nostalgia value. And for the people in that 1% that have a twisted sense of humor and enjoy seeing nostalgic L.A. blown to bits, this movie really delivers. By the way, the folks with that twisted sense of humor probably account for about 1% of the original 1%.I don't know why, but having grown up in L.A. and being an aficionado of it's history, I find it funny to see planes in a dogfight over Hollywood Blvd, the ferris wheel rolling off the end of Santa Monica Pier, and aircraft crashing into the La Brea Tarpits. But for non-locals and people unfamiliar with the paranoia that gripped Southern California in the wake of Pearl Harbor, this movie will likely seem confusing and silly. To the history buff with a twisted sense of humor (like me, proud member of the 1% of the 1%), the movie is not only amusing, but sometimes surprisingly accurate, historically. Robert Stack plays General Joseph Stillwell - a very real historical figure in L.A. history. Stack even bears a striking resemblance to the real General Stillwell. The whole movie is based upon a few real-life incidents of panicky anti-aircraft fire that occurred over L.A. in 1941/1942, as well as a Japanese sub that actually shelled an oil refinery near Santa Barbara. Like "Chinatown" (a film mistakenly thought to be an accurate account of L.A. water politics in the 1930s), "1941" borrows from real-life history and distorts it into pure fabrication. The difference is that while "Chinatown" is a noir drama, "1941" is an over-the-top comedy. Both films appeal to the historian, but as it is often said, comedy is much harder to pull off than drama. You either love "1941", or sit though it, saying, "huh?".
9 out of 12 people found the following review useful: Slapstick Hysteria, 3 August 2001 Author: SaraAutumn from Virginia
Teasing the audience with an opening spoof of Jaws, Spielberg's star studded cast -- from Christopher Lee and Toshiro Mifune to Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi -- take on the post-Pearl Harbor Attack hysteria of California.The slapstick is classic. The story is entertaining. The whole experience is simply F-U-N. Nothing more to be said.Spielberg surrounds himself with some favorites: actor Murray Hamilton, composer John Williams, and Frank Marshall as his second unit director.
17 out of 28 people found the following review useful: Could have been so much more, 7 October 2005 Author: galfridus73 from United States
I keep thinking that Spielberg should have let this one go. There is immense potential here, but not under his direction. If there has ever been a movie begging for a remake, this is the one.A strong cast, a decent script, a good idea all the way around.But Spielberg should have never directed this. He doesn't know how to handle such a large ensemble cast and, as we have seen from him since, he doesn't do will with comedy unless it is incidental humor in another project.Don't get me wrong: I own this movie on DVD and I watch it every now and then. But, when one looks at something like Altman's "M*A*S*H" and then compare it to this... I can't help but feel sorry for "1941."In the end the movie is worth seeing if just for John Belushi's performance as Wild Bill Kelso and for Toshirô Mifune's comedic (if, unfortunately, stereotypical) turn as the Japanese sub commander. However, do not expect this too be one of the classic comedies of all time. If you are looking for a truly good comedy poking fun at the insanity of war, then pick up "M*A*S*H."Someone: Get the rights and remake this into a truly good movie!
6 out of 7 people found the following review useful: Watch it, 11 May 2001 Author: moviemik-3 (moviemike3@yahoo.com) from New York
Any movie that features the following....:1. The Geek from "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" torturing The Mayor from "Jaws" 2. A bunch of Japanese soldiers disguised as walking Christmas Trees 3. A hilarious USO dance sequence that boils over into an inter-service street fight 4. the film debut of Mickey Rourke and the big film debut of John Candyand last but not least5. Tough guy Robert Stack crying and singing along to songs from the Disney classic "Dumbo".....CANNOT BE ALL BAD!!!!!
8 out of 13 people found the following review useful: I love this movie! CLASSIC!, 18 December 2001 Author: Lafady from Oregon
I love this movie! It's fantastic!! I don't get why it has bad ratings? Makes no sense it's fabulous! I love everything about it, characters, music, plot,special effects, everything! It's a classic! Give it a chance
Add another review
