1941

Did this movie not age well, or was it just not good in the first place? This is a question that I often pondered throughout 1941, as my mind tried to think about anything but the strange so-called “comedy.” Looking back, I think I finally have my answer, it was never anything I would have liked, even if I was the right age back in 1979. There is a reason that Spielberg movies feel a certain way. I sometimes criticize him for using the same format for making a compelling film, however, 1941 helped me understand why he uses the same elements in all of his films. When he breaks it, he loses the magic touch of his films. 1941 could have worked. The cast is full of second city alumni, and the overall story could be engaging if it was laid out right. However, somehow, Spielberg, arguably one of the greatest directors of all time, messed it up. At the beginning, it was an enjoying piece. The constant bombardment of jokes worked at that time, however, as the film progressed, I started to realize that there was no end to this. The movie’s comedy just falls flat on its face. That’s not because the comedy itself is poorly staged, it’s because there is no set up to the joke. Even then, after the joke, there is no time to breath, it’s just on to the next joke. This is like Cats, but, instead of awful music making up for the lack of story, it’s awful jokes. The story, as I said, could have worked. However, the way that it was structured almost gave me whiplash. There were four or five (I can’t even remember) separate stories that were almost completely unrelated. The focus shifted so often that I forgot about what was happening in each separate section, which is why the film is so forgettable. There is no chance for the audience to process what they have been watching. Even when the film is entertaining, like the clever Jaws nod at the beginning, it is followed by some awful scene that just doesn’t work. The film also uses some Japanese stereotypes in these scenes that are just painful to watch. The cast of comedy legends can’t even seem to help this. Everyone is just trying too hard and going way too over the top. That being said, there was some decent music by Williams in the film. But that’s it. 1941 is a completely forgettable, unfunny, uninspired, non-stop movie. In a bad way. It’s not worth your time. It’s not even one of those “so bad it’s good movies.” It’s just bad. 3.6/10, just because it’s Spielberg.