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Ichinisan

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
136
I was hyped for AI, but ended up hating it.

Today, it's even more obvious that Spielberg likes to cram aliens into everything.

One of his next films was War of the Worlds

Indiana Jones 4

You can also see his influence in Super 8 (he was a producer).
 
qliveur

qliveur

Diamond Member
Mar 25, 2007
4,090
74
91
I knew it would suck, so I never watched it.

The only train wreck films that I couldn't look away from were the Star Wars prequels.
 
Arkaign

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,379
126
It's an interesting failure. In the end Spielberg both attempted to be true to Kubrick while putting a bit of his touch on it, which resulted in kind of a muddle. There were spots of genius, but it really should have been scrapped and restarted as a pure Spielberg project if anything, complete with fresh script, casting, etc. It also hurt that Spielberg's mind was already on 'Minority Report', so it resulted in a rushed product in A.I.

It'd probably be possible to produce a pretty nice film out of it though, cutting 30-40 minutes, and ending with the craft sinking at the end.
 
Ichinisan

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
136
Arkaign said:
It's an interesting failure. In the end Spielberg both attempted to be true to Kubrick while putting a bit of his touch on it, which resulted in kind of a muddle. There were spots of genius, but it really should have been scrapped and restarted as a pure Spielberg project if anything, complete with fresh script, casting, etc. It also hurt that Spielberg's mind was already on 'Minority Report', so it resulted in a rushed product in A.I.

It'd probably be possible to produce a pretty nice film out of it though, cutting 30-40 minutes, and ending with the craft sinking at the end.
Click to expand...

I've seen a lot of Spielberg since then and haven't liked any of it. Those "Spielbergian" elements I see in AI are the most irritating parts.
 
KentState

KentState

Diamond Member
Oct 19, 2001
8,397
393
126
I started watching AI and it was about a robot kid that was lost in the world. Fell asleep, woke up and there was an alien. Talk about a WTF moment.
 
Arkaign

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,379
126
Ichinisan said:
I've seen a lot of Spielberg since then and haven't liked any of it. Those "Spielbergian" elements I see in AI are the most irritating parts.
Click to expand...

Are you just talking post-AI or Spielberg in general?

AI : 2001, an interesting failure that's solidly Spielberg's fault. Should have been canceled or totally reworked from scratch, not half-tuned and half baked while being rushed. 5.5/10.

Minority Report : 2002. A fairly good film overall, the effects still hold up well, and a lot of the tech is already starting to make its way into real life or getting much closer. This will be interesting to revisit in 2022. I'd give it an easy 7.5/10.

Catch me if you can : 2002. I rather enjoyed this a lot, chiefly due to the great sets and one of the better post 90s Tom Hanks performances. Hearing him say 'knock knock' .. 'go f*ck yourself' was hilarious. I'd give it an 8/10, but can understand how some people just don't like Dicaprio. I don't mind him, but some people just hate his guts.

The Terminal : 2004. Hrmm. It was okay, but felt kinda lazy. I remember pretty much forgetting about it right after I left the theatre, and so this is probably something like a 6/10. I know I didn't hate it, but not something I'm in a hurry ever to see again.

War of the Worlds : 2005. Just a stupid idea to remake this. It was directed well enough, and the acting and effects were fine, but the script and general feel were all wrong. I was rather displeased, and it fell short of my meager expectations. 5/10.

Munich : 2005. I'm ambivalent about it. It was very well produced, but it just didn't strike a chord with me emotionally. It felt long. On tehnical terms is wonderful, but I wasn't very interested in the characters, and won't rewatch. 7/10.

Indy Crystal Skull : 2006. Ugh. It was an okay brainless action film, but a disgrace compared to Indy 1 and Indy 3. Indy 2 was always campy nonsense, but this I think even limboed under that one, mainly due to this not being the 80s anymore, and Harrison Ford was just too old to pick up the whip again. Should have been made in 1996, and like G. Lucas, Spielberg needed someone to restrain him from his dumber impulses, like bringing aliens into the IJ universe. 5/10.

now ... as to his pre-AI work :

Sugarland Express : 7/10
Jaws : 9/10
Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind : 8/10
1941 : 6.5/10
Raiders of the Lost Ark : 9/10
E.T. : 9/10
The Color Purple : 8.5/10
Empire of the Sun : 8/10
Indy Last Crusade : 8.5/10
Always : 5.5/10
Hook : 5/10
Jurassic Park : 7/10
Schindler's List : 9.5/10
Jurassic Park Lost World : 5/10
Amistad : 6.5/10
Saving Private Ryan : 8/10

The bolded are solid all-time classics. I hope we get at least one more film out of him of that caliber. In particular watching Schindler's List is just incredible for the detail and genius in presentation. The photography and lighting in that were solidly spectacular, amidst top-notch work in every category imaginable.
 
Ichinisan

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
136
Arkaign said:
Are you just talking post-AI or Spielberg in general?
Click to expand...
Definitely talking about post-AI

I loved Jaws, Schindler's List, Empire of the Sun, and Jurassic Park. Now that I think about it, I believe Saving Private Ryan was the last Spielberg movie I found to be tolerable (though I still think it's over-rated). I've seen Catch Me if You Can and Munich, but I don't remember either of them. Haven't seen The Terminal.

I liked Minority Report, at first. now I hate it. The suicidal "you're supposed to kill me" guy just isn't believable. I don't like the part with the crazy surgeon that changes his eyes. It just seems too coincidental and takes the "reality" out of the movie.

Even though he didn't act as director, I think Super 8 needs to be added to the "post AI" list. Just because it tries so hard to be a Spielberg movie (and he was a producer). I guess then we'd have to add Transformers and True Grit too (hated the former, loved the latter).
 
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shortylickens

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,081
136
Saving Private Ryan is good but certainly overrated.

Hook was good stupid fun so long as you dont take it too seriously. They shouldnt have dicked around too much getting to Dustin Hoffman. If that was supposed to be a kids movie it started way too slow and serious.
 
Arkaign

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
20,736
1,379
126
shortylickens said:
Saving Private Ryan is good but certainly overrated.

Hook was good stupid fun so long as you dont take it too seriously. They shouldnt have dicked around too much getting to Dustin Hoffman. If that was supposed to be a kids movie it started way too slow and serious.
Click to expand...

Yeah, SPR has a lot of initial 'wow' factor, and like a lot of Spielberg films, it's just a technical masterpiece. The battle scenes still hold up as some of the best ever put to film, and the sound is awesome as well. Where it falters a good bit is the writing, and with a few supporting performances. Matt Damon kind of let the air out of the film there towards the end, and the coincidental run-in with the former German POW (mickey mouse) was cringe-worthy. I read the script, and the film unfortunately stuck right with it. I'd say combat scenes, photography, sound, and most of the acting were 9/10 or better, but the script and the final act let it down a bit. It also suffers with repeated viewings, as you just end up anxious for the next battle to start.

We can be thankful though for it being made, as it led directly to Band of Brothers coming together. :)

As for Hook, yeah it was hit and miss. As is often the case with Spielberg, sometimes he can't get all the elements to gel that he's trying for.
 
B

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
126
Ichinisan said:
I've seen a lot of Spielberg since then and haven't liked any of it. Those "Spielbergian" elements I see in AI are the most irritating parts.
Click to expand...

Spielberg's response, ""People pretend to think they know Stanley Kubrick, and think they know me, when most of them don't know either of us," Spielberg told film critic Joe Leydon in 2002. "And what's really funny about that is, all the parts of A.I. that people assume were Stanley's were mine. And all the parts of A.I. that people accuse me of sweetening and softening and sentimentalizing were all Stanley's. The teddy bear was Stanley's. The whole last 20 minutes of the movie was completely Stanley's. The whole first 35, 40 minutes of the film – all the stuff in the house – was word for word, from Stanley's screenplay. This was Stanley's vision."

I liked AI although I agree with others it was a little long.
 
CZroe

CZroe

Lifer
Jun 24, 2001
24,195
857
126
BUTCH1 said:
Spielberg's response, ""People pretend to think they know Stanley Kubrick, and think they know me, when most of them don't know either of us," Spielberg told film critic Joe Leydon in 2002. "And what's really funny about that is, all the parts of A.I. that people assume were Stanley's were mine. And all the parts of A.I. that people accuse me of sweetening and softening and sentimentalizing were all Stanley's. The teddy bear was Stanley's. The whole last 20 minutes of the movie was completely Stanley's. The whole first 35, 40 minutes of the film – all the stuff in the house – was word for word, from Stanley's screenplay. This was Stanley's vision."

I liked AI although I agree with others it was a little long.
Click to expand...

I happen to know that Ichinisan is pointing to things like the CG floating cartoon face ala Mr. DNA from JP. Inargualy SS's doing. Also, the stupid "Whooooooooah!" part with all the people in the car (automobile?).
 
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M

mcmilljb

Platinum Member
May 17, 2005
2,144
2
81
KentState said:
I started watching AI and it was about a robot kid that was lost in the world. Fell asleep, woke up and there was an alien. Talk about a WTF moment.
Click to expand...

That happened to me the first time. It was especially funny because I told someone I wanted to watch it, and he said the one with aliens in it. I'm thinking uh no aliens, robots. Then I wake up near the end and there's fucking aliens, crazy stuff.
 
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B

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
126
CZroe said:
I happen to know that Ichinisan is pointing to things like the CG floating cartoon face ala Mr. DNA from JP. Inargualy SP's doing. Also, the stupid "Whooooooooah!" part with all the people in the car (automobile?).
Click to expand...

I need to re-watch, haven't seen it in 8 years. Overall, it has flaws but I liked it, LOL to the remark "cram aliens into everything", those were not aliens at the end of the film, they were very advanced robots..
 
0roo0roo

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
84
91
yup there were no aliens. the end is mostly in the "matrix"

and yes robin williams was the biggest mistake in the movie
 
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