1941 (1979)

Yes, I know this is one of the more lambasted and underappreciated films of Spielberg. Even Spielberg himself doesn't really like this one very much. I can't see why. He made the godawful 'War Horse', which is only interesting if you have a severe boner for horses (which I do not). I mean, a film about a horse that wins the first World War? Thank goodness that had Tom Hiddleston in it for about fifteen minutes, or I swear I would have thrown a temper tantrum.

Sorry, I digress.

'1941' does have its problems, that much is very true. It is by far not a perfect film. It is not even a perfect comedy. But I saw this on a fairly regular basis as a child, and my appreciation for this one has grown through the years. It often gets a bad reputation, but that is wholly undeserved. The people that are responsible for this one are all great. I mean, Spielberg isn't a tiny player and with a script written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, it can't be thàt bad, can it?

'1941' deals with the paranoia, the very real paranoia just after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Especially along the Californian coast the fear of invasion was tangible. Throw into this mix a lone Japanese submarine bent on honor and some triggerhappy idiots and there's a recipe for disaster and fun at the same time.

Right off the bat, Spielberg parodies his own classic 'Jaws' and there are so many nods and winks that it's hard to keep count. Christopher Lee and Toshiro Mifune are great as the arguing German and Japanese commanders on board the submarine, especially once you realize Lee speaks German fluently (on account of him being a very real spy during the second World War). Dan Aykroyd is fun too and I love Robert Stack as the very sane and down to earth general Joseph Stillwell. Also, John Belushi is his crazy self and he steals the show every time he is on screen. But that is a well known fact and he's still sorely missed.

It's very tricky to sum up everything about this film, because there is so much happening at the same time. This is probably the biggest fault you can find. There are so many storylines and characters juggled at the same time, it tends to become a bit bloated and hard to follow. Sure, the gags keep coming, but you're not truly invested in any of ther characters. Also, there are a great deal more sex jokes than I used to realize. Not that I'm prudish about that, but they do tend to get a little stale rather fast.

Is it the best ball-slapping comedy ever? No. Is it a failure as a film? No again. This is a fun romp if you switch your brain off and I think you'll get some giggles and some loud laughs at certain moments. Give it a watch just to try it. You might like it. If not, no big loss.