www.bbc.co.uk/markkermode When I interviewed Steven Spielberg last week I felt the need to apologise to him for getting it so wrong when I first reviewed AI - here's why I have revised my opinion of this film.
When Mark apologised to Spielberg for his initial response to AI, it was very moving. Spielberg was so touched, he welled up, then stripped naked and rolled around in a huge pile of money.
Can I, seriously, ask you the point of your comment? Spielberg is rich and doesn't have to worry about putting food on the table, we know this. But, what was the exact point you were trying to make? Is it that you think because he is rich he doesn't have feelings and doesn't care what people think of his work?
The early sequences where David is adopted and then finally abandoned in the woods are some of the most affecting scenes I've ever seen. The acting was... well, it doesn't look like acting it was done so well.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence is now 20 years old and, after another recent viewing, it is quite apparent that it has aged very well. An underappreciated gem from Spielberg as well as Kubrick's contribution. It explores the uncanny valley, the eternal human trait of prejudice, fear of change and evolution, and the moral responsibility in creating life and technology.
When I first saw A.I. as a younger person, I enjoyed it immensely. But, it was only after I watched it as an older person that I began to appreciate it more profoundly. The over-arching 'Mother-child' theme always resonated with me. It tugged at my heart then and now even more so since my own beloved mother passed. I'm now able to more fully appreciate A.I.'s related theme of mortality. Human lives can be short and frequently don't play out the way we wish. The little robot boy's character was able to fulfill his 'desire line', even after two thousand years. He finally got to feel his mother's love and acceptance. I know - it was a little shmaltzy. But, fortunately like the robot boy, I was lucky enough to find similar closure. My mother's very last words to me were, "I love you and I'm proud of you." Thanks Mom.
I broke down in years in the cinema watching this...and then coming out of the cinema,wiping my tears away..I bumped into a lady also with red eyes..."is your mother still alive"? she said....."no" I replied....then we both hugged...
Hook makes me cry. Robin Williams as the very grown-up lawyer who has forgotten he was once a boy - and Peter Pan no less. Loved the new set of Lost Boys, I think Ruffio was a particularly memorable new character. The food fight is lots of fun, showing Peter getting back in touch with his imagination. Dustin Hoffman and Bob Hoskins are a glorious, villianous double act. And the revelation that Peter gave up his child-like world of adventure to start a family. Pure schmaltz, works on me.
I saw this film shortly after my mother died, the ending made me weep uncontrollably. You were right to apologise, Mark. I have always thought Ai was a Kubrick film made by Spielberg. I love all of Kubrick’s films, but not one of them has ever made me cry like Ai did, and still does.
I've loved AI ever since I saw it as a kid, the only thing is I haven't seen it too often because the ending completely broke my heart & I just can't get through it without becoming an emotional wreck. To be honest the only other films that have had that affect on me were Schindlers List, Atonement & Pans Labyrinth.
Blubbed my eyes out in the cinema towards the end of AI due to the Mother/Son story. A little boy who loves his Mum so much.. well doesn't get more fundamental than that. Thank goodness for teddy saving the day!
I just watched A.I. for the first time since it first came out, and it moved me much more deeply than it did 17 years ago. I think the older some of us get, the more we're in touch with the tragedy of the human condition portrayed in the film.... the desire for love, that is brilliantly portrayed in this film. Thanks for sharing that you apologized to Spielberg with us. It's great that you did!
I saw this on DVD when it first came out. It left me cold. This evening I saw it for the second time.. I cried. It's up there with the best of Spielberg.
Raiders of the Lost Ark is literally one of the best films ever made. It's entertainment, so people don't take it seriously but is the "holy grail" of that form of cinema.
To answer the question at the end, definitely War of the Worlds, far from a perfect movie, but it has moments that put to shame any sci-fi movie that has been made ever since. Plus, the cinematography is amazing.
Personally...I love AI. And I cried when I saw it too. I'm only 23 so I didn't see it when it dropped. But man...I love this movie. Glad you came around 2 it.
A.I. has been my Spielberg 'guilty pleasure' since it was released. The final scenes are superb: For a sci-fi movie already set in the future to take another huge leap forward in time is awe inspiring. And anybody who has lost a loved one will completely, sobbingly, tearfully connect with the closing scenes... the chance to see that loved one again, if only for a day. Sentimental yes, but a deeply meaningful sci-fi that looks stunning.
I do not particularly like/loved A.I. because it's soo harshly mind altering powerful. But after one decade it's one of the few films that have haunted me intellectually and actually instilled new elements of thinking in me to this heavily technological world. A piece of Art that actually added to the way I think. An achievement befitting of the greatest works of Art.
1941 - Really funny, really silly, absolutely gorgeous to look at. Perfect from a technical point of view (design, cinematography, costumes, score), it's really well-crafted which is no small achievement, and doesn't deserve to be dismissed so easily.
I got to go with A.I - I have loved that movie since I first saw it. The emotional wallop of the mother-son relationship gets me every single time (too right about films that make you cry!) There is much I enjoy about this movie (I can still hear Brendon Gleeson a star to me, long before mad eye moody came along, growling "we're only destroying artificiality!") It is my guilty pleasure to listen to the score for the search for the blue fairy. Very glad to hear it get a reappraisal from the Dr.
I was a kid when I saw A.I. I don't know how old I was exactly but it was in elementary and while most of the story went over my head, I know it made me cry and I loved it. As for my favorite Spielburg movie. I honestly haven't seen many and it certainly isn't a guilty pleasure but probably a very obvious and common answer but there's nothing wrong with that. Jurassic Park. Back when I was a kid I liked this movie cus of the dinosaurs and nothing else even though it scared me death in some scenes. But now as an adult, it is still mostly cus of the dinosaurs still, BUT I also appreciate the practical effects used with those big loveable reptiles. And learning things like how the T-Rex head accidently fell onto the glass onto those kids so their screams are actually real terror which I find both messed up and hilarious in a dark humor kind of way.
I think ALWAYS (1989) is one of my favourite Spielberg movies which wasn't a sure fire hit but made and still makes me cry. It's very much underrated. I will also make a notable mention in AMISTAD (1999), now I haven't returned to this since the cinema. And I'm at odds to admit it's a good movie. I remember walking away from this film feeling Spielberg made a big mistake and that I felt nothing for the characters and didn't care for them. It was emotionless, a very unusual feat by Spielberg. I've yet to go back to this movie, I'm sure I will but I doubt I'll change my opinion, but I won't say never because I'm one of the few people I know of including lots of industry friends who really loved Lincoln. I thought this was an incredible achievement in every facet of production from Daniel, to the score right down to the set decoration and production design who went to great lengths to make wallpaper the same process as it was back in the day. The curtains and drapes had weight and dust. Recreating Lincoln's watch and chime from his original pocket watch. William's score. Locations. What's not to like. This is also unlike Spielberg's canon but it will be a classic in time to come if not considered now.
Dear Dr Kermode. I really liked Empire of the Sun. It has many Spielbergian elements in there: parents and children, journeys, etc. I think it's one of his most unsentimental films (apart from the reunion of course) and is one of only a few films that made me weep. Let's not forget, of course, this is the film that launched the career of Christian Bale. Why this film does not get more recognition is a mystery to me.
I never knew people shit on this movie, to me A.I. comes close to being a perfect movie. As time moves on and artificial intelligence becomes more integrated with our lives this movie will become even more relevant.
Just watched AI for the first time today. Its spielbergs most underrated masterpiece. The ending brought me to tears. Its so relevant now especially with the rise of AI and how it may impact our lives.
EI, particularly the acts of bonding with Mother, than rejecting him and leaving him to fend for himself. The turmoil of physical and emotional abuse! The scenario that I, myself, could relate to on so many levels. The realistic feel of the movie’s ending. Steven Spielberg’s is one of the best creators in filming! Since my childhood I also enjoyed ET, Close encounters and War of the Worlds. To be honest, there were too many films that took place in my era that it has been extremely difficult to choose overall. These were amazing films of our generation❣️🇨🇦
Hook. Even Spielberg doesn’t care for it, but I’ve always loved it. For A.I. I’ve always just wondered why they didn’t just create a mech of the mother, so David could have an approximation of his mother while the human lady grew old and died. I know it would invalidate the journey and what they were doing film-wise, but the imprinting concept strikes me as wrong, given the disparity of lifespans between a human and a mech.
It's too hard to call one thing of Spielberg's a masterpiece when he has made so many. If any other up and coming filmmaker made just one of Speilberg's films they'd be hailed a genius. Though he is one of the most respected filmmakers he's also one of the masters we take for granted.
Catch Me If You Can. Perhaps not the most notable, but it has an intimacy and a retro charm to it that I really enjoy. Also, Dicaprio, Hanks and Walken give great performances.
Very glad I'm not the only one who really enjoyed War of the Worlds. As far as guilty pleasures go, I absolutely loved The Lost World: Jurassic Park. I think it's one of the greatest sequels ever made, yet I seem to be the only one of my friends that even likes that film. It's entertaining, the opening scene where the girl gets eaten(still surprised my parents let me watch it as a kid) was terrifically terrifying, and builds up to an incredible 3rd act. I love that film.
Noteworthy that in the Kubrick documentary, Spielberg commented that he often found Kubricks films underwhelming on first viewing but re-evaluated them on subsequent viewings.
Munich is my personal favorite. Love the cast, the story, and the experience the characters go through. War of the World is my favorite popcorn film although the ending was so-so. Catch Me If You Can is the most sentimental film.
On a purely Nostalgic level - Temple of Doom. It's my first cinema memory. Specifically it was the bit where the bridge is cut. I remember shouting "Aiiiiiieee" as they fell. I was 5 and it was the now closed (for many years) Adelphi cinema in Dublin
A.I. is my favorite movie. I love movies that make me think. Spielberg has made a masterpiece, and John William's soundtrack if wonderful. Haley Joel Osment does a fantastic role, especially when he is abandoned in the woods by his mother. It is a heart-breaking scene.
I always loved Ai (Or, as the person in the front of me in the queue called it: "A1") but can see how people wouldn't (The advertising at the time certainly mislead a lot of people as to the tone of the film). My favourite underrated Spielberg would have to be Empire Of The Sun. An amazing performance from Christian Bale........ what ever happened to that kid :)
kermode i just want to say that every time i watch your videos i learn more and more about films, you are the best film critic, for me its got to be ''Catch me if you can" i dont know why i always for get he was the one who directed it.
I was 14 when I saw 'Jaws' in a packed summer theater. Blew my mind. Up until then I didn't know going to the movies could be so much fun. Spielberg's list of movies is so amazing you can't pick just one, it's like picking your favorite Beatles song, it depends on what mood you're in.
Empire of the Sun surprised me, I had never even heard of it which was surprising enough for a Spielberg film, didn't expect much but actually felt quite impressed. With Spielberg though it tends to be more the other way round, I like his films when I first see them but lose appreciation for them over time. I always respected his personal take on ET though, the original version of course.
I'm a child of the 90s so, I obviously love Hook, but I can see how if I saw it as an adult without the nostalgia, I wouldn't have cared for it. I also really loved Tintin, and think it was truly underrated, especially considering that it was the first motion capture film to get it right in my opinion. And, having recently watched AI I have to say it was one of the most emotional experiences I've ever had sitting in front of a screen. I remember disliking it when I was a kid, but I love it now.
A.I. is the only movie I've ever walked out of, I was that bored - but I was an easily bored 14 year old at the time, so maybe I should go back and give it a proper look as an adult. I wonder if I'll appreciate it more?
I didn't bother with this at the time. However, I finally watched it tonight and I gotta say I absolutely loved it. I regret not seeing it in the cinema at the time because films like this is what going to the cinema is all about.
A.I. is my favorite Spielberg movie. My next fave is Minority Report. Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Colin Farrell are great. But Samantha Morton is a revelation! If you haven't seen it before, do so ASAP.
1941 - Big guilt, big pleasure. Anyone who puts Toshiro Mifune and Christopher Lee together on a spy submarine that sinks and destroys the Pacific Ocean Park Ferris Wheel at the beginning of WWII has got something going that is pretty damn special.
Munich is still one of my personal favourites from Spielberg. It's a film about real life events, which I usually skip because they tend to have little substance. But Munich has some seriously deep and disturbing themes, some pretty interesting imagery, and raises so many questions about the extremes of nationalism and patriotism. There's a lot going on that I think most critics simply missed. Thankfully, I was able to stumble across it on Netflix, and I later read the Roger Ebert review, which pretty much nailed it in terms of how I felt. I'm glad he was able to see what I saw.
Ironically, A.I. was so beautiful and sad I could not bear to watch it a second time. I would recommend a first viewing. Kudos to Mark for admitting he was wrong, but how much was his change of heart was down to the revelation that what he saw as Spielberg kitsch was in fact came from Kubrick. Duel was great, too.
My guilty please spielberg film is Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The Indy films operate on their own levels of existence and Indy 4 was good at doing that
E.T. when it was 1st released it made me cry, can't think of many movies that have. Only because it was such a brilliant movie to me then I'm reluctant to watch it again, as I don't want to be disappointed. If it ever returns to cinemas, on an anniversary, that would be the best way to re-watch it.
1941 is one of my favorite spielberg films I would watch it over & over as a child I loved the madcaped frenetic pace the self depricating corny jokes It was panned in the usa as it was seen to be un patriotic and in poor tast but i loved the dads army on speed sensibilitys The film was based on real events as panic took over the west coast as it went into melt down just after pearl harbour It made a refreshing change as all other holywood films had shown how the usa had single handedly won ww2
I love AI - and always have loved it but if there is one that is more of a guilty pleasure it's Minority Report. Minority Report has a lot of sentimentality and the central premise is contrived, but I love the whole world it builds and many of the details are great. As a Swede I have to mention the fantastic doctor nurse team (Peter Stormare/Caroline Lagerfelt) that have some hilarious untranslated lines in Swedish that starts with Peter saying "Greta come out now, wipe your ass, hurry up".
1942 has some real genuine laughs in it. The scene where tough guy general Robert Stack openly weeping in a movie theater when watching "Dumbo" was hysterical.
Temple of Doom for sure. I think it is the best of the Indiana Jones movies and probably Spielberg's most "fun" to watch. I like Raiders very much be I think Temple of Doom went the extra mile and gave me even more of what I liked about Raiders, and that was great action and fast paced fun.
Catch Me If You Can, whilst certainly not a masterpiece, was a highly engrossing and fun little flick. Speilberg seems to be at his best when not dealing with weighty subject matter. Di Caprio gave a stand out performance; in that phase of his career in which he redefined himself from the soppy, romantic lead of Romeo+Juliet to become the truly fine actor we know today! The effortless chemistry between Hanks and Di Caprio alone makes the film thoroughly watchable.
Does anyone remember Steven Spielberg's "Amazing Stories"? It may not have been a film, but I loved the episode called "The Mission", about a B-17 that had its landing gear shot away, with the belly-turret gunner trapped and facing certain death. Looking back on it as an adult, the sets are clunky, and the dialogue cheese-ridden, but it still conveys the sense of horror, grim inevitability, emotional pain amongst a tight-knit "family", with possibly a little Spielberg magic to lighten the load.
I love AI first time around. My guilty pleasure is Minority Report. I like "who dunnit" books and sci fi. To have them both in one movie was the key to guilty pleasures for me.
Although A.I. received mixed reviews upon release it was widely loved by certain critics, got listed on the National Board of Review's top 10 of 2001 and was on 86 recorded top 10 lists collected by criticstop10.com. In a 2016 BBC poll of 177 critics around the world, it was voted the eighty-third-greatest film since 2000. I'm glad that it's gained a successful critical and fan following (and don't bother with Nostalgia Critics review, lol).
I was a child when ET was released. Everything about it makes me yearn to have my childhood back, right down to playing an RPG without the aid of a computer. I still love it, purely, although I like to think my taste in cinema has matured since then.
War of the Worlds. I can quite happily stick the film on and enjoy it. I wished he would have filmed it in the original English setting, but on a rainy Sunday afternoon I can stick it on and be entertained. I must have watched it at least 20 times. My go to chill out movie.
I love Minority Report and War of the Worlds. MR to me is immense, both in how accurate it's turning out to be, but also the human elements that are so engaging. I also really like The Lost World since it tapped into the exact imagination after I had seen Jurassic Park, I wanted dinosaurs unhinged, a wild island, etc. No clue why some people dislike MR though, it's one of the most well paced movies I've seen, and emotional.
I've viewed Ai as part of a Spielberg trilogy:
Close Encounters where aliens are above us;
ET where aliens are amongst us;
Ai: aliens are us.
When Mark apologised to Spielberg for his initial response to AI, it was very moving. Spielberg was so touched, he welled up, then stripped naked and rolled around in a huge pile of money.
Can I, seriously, ask you the point of your comment? Spielberg is rich and doesn't have to worry about putting food on the table, we know this. But, what was the exact point you were trying to make? Is it that you think because he is rich he doesn't have feelings and doesn't care what people think of his work?
@@davidking4838 it was a joke
😂😂😂
The early sequences where David is adopted and then finally abandoned in the woods are some of the most affecting scenes I've ever seen. The acting was... well, it doesn't look like acting it was done so well.
I was one of the few who loved AI when it came out and still do, it's a masterpiece.
Empire of the Sun...massively underrated.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence is now 20 years old and, after another recent viewing, it is quite apparent that it has aged very well. An underappreciated gem from Spielberg as well as Kubrick's contribution. It explores the uncanny valley, the eternal human trait of prejudice, fear of change and evolution, and the moral responsibility in creating life and technology.
I stayed away from Ai for years cos I was afraid of the schmaltz. It made me cry. It was a beautiful, transformative movie for me.
When I first saw A.I. as a younger person, I enjoyed it immensely. But, it was only after I watched it as an older person that I began to appreciate it more profoundly. The over-arching 'Mother-child' theme always resonated with me. It tugged at my heart then and now even more so since my own beloved mother passed. I'm now able to more fully appreciate A.I.'s related theme of mortality. Human lives can be short and frequently don't play out the way we wish. The little robot boy's character was able to fulfill his 'desire line', even after two thousand years. He finally got to feel his mother's love and acceptance. I know - it was a little shmaltzy. But, fortunately like the robot boy, I was lucky enough to find similar closure. My mother's very last words to me were, "I love you and I'm proud of you." Thanks Mom.
I broke down in years in the cinema watching this...and then coming out of the cinema,wiping my tears away..I bumped into a lady also with red eyes..."is your mother still alive"? she said....."no" I replied....then we both hugged...
then everyone clapped..?
That’s what great storytelling can do. Beautiful! (I haven’t ever seen the movie, must do.)
That’s what happened to me with Coco. I didn’t know what it was about and my mom had just passed about a year before. That thing wrecked me
The score alone is one of the most moving things I have ever heard. The film is one of my all time favourites.
Hook makes me cry. Robin Williams as the very grown-up lawyer who has forgotten he was once a boy - and Peter Pan no less. Loved the new set of Lost Boys, I think Ruffio was a particularly memorable new character. The food fight is lots of fun, showing Peter getting back in touch with his imagination. Dustin Hoffman and Bob Hoskins are a glorious, villianous double act. And the revelation that Peter gave up his child-like world of adventure to start a family. Pure schmaltz, works on me.
I saw this film shortly after my mother died, the ending made me weep uncontrollably. You were right to apologise, Mark. I have always thought Ai was a Kubrick film made by Spielberg. I love all of Kubrick’s films, but not one of them has ever made me cry like Ai did, and still does.
Conversely I don't really enjoy any of Kubrick's films but I did enjoy AI... But only the second time I saw it
I've always felt A.I. was a misunderstood Sci-Fi classic, that eventually would develop a strong cult following like Blade Runner and The Thing.
I've loved AI ever since I saw it as a kid, the only thing is I haven't seen it too often because the ending completely broke my heart & I just can't get through it without becoming an emotional wreck. To be honest the only other films that have had that affect on me were Schindlers List, Atonement & Pans Labyrinth.
Blubbed my eyes out in the cinema towards the end of AI due to the Mother/Son story. A little boy who loves his Mum so much.. well doesn't get more fundamental than that. Thank goodness for teddy saving the day!
I just watched A.I. for the first time since it first came out, and it moved me much more deeply than it did 17 years ago. I think the older some of us get, the more we're in touch with the tragedy of the human condition portrayed in the film.... the desire for love, that is brilliantly portrayed in this film.
Thanks for sharing that you apologized to Spielberg with us. It's great that you did!
I saw this on DVD when it first came out. It left me cold. This evening I saw it for the second time.. I cried. It's up there with the best of Spielberg.
Raiders of the Lost Ark is literally one of the best films ever made. It's entertainment, so people don't take it seriously but is the "holy grail" of that form of cinema.
To answer the question at the end, definitely War of the Worlds, far from a perfect movie, but it has moments that put to shame any sci-fi movie that has been made ever since. Plus, the cinematography is amazing.
Personally...I love AI. And I cried when I saw it too. I'm only 23 so I didn't see it when it dropped. But man...I love this movie. Glad you came around 2 it.
A.I. has been my Spielberg 'guilty pleasure' since it was released. The final scenes are superb: For a sci-fi movie already set in the future to take another huge leap forward in time is awe inspiring. And anybody who has lost a loved one will completely, sobbingly, tearfully connect with the closing scenes... the chance to see that loved one again, if only for a day. Sentimental yes, but a deeply meaningful sci-fi that looks stunning.
I do not particularly like/loved A.I. because it's soo harshly mind altering powerful. But after one decade it's one of the few films that have haunted me intellectually and actually instilled new elements of thinking in me to this heavily technological world. A piece of Art that actually added to the way I think. An achievement befitting of the greatest works of Art.
1941 - Really funny, really silly, absolutely gorgeous to look at. Perfect from a technical point of view (design, cinematography, costumes, score), it's really well-crafted which is no small achievement, and doesn't deserve to be dismissed so easily.
I got to go with A.I - I have loved that movie since I first saw it. The emotional wallop of the mother-son relationship gets me every single time (too right about films that make you cry!) There is much I enjoy about this movie (I can still hear Brendon Gleeson a star to me, long before mad eye moody came along, growling "we're only destroying artificiality!") It is my guilty pleasure to listen to the score for the search for the blue fairy. Very glad to hear it get a reappraisal from the Dr.
I don't think I ever wept so much from watching a film. The end was just heart breaking.
I was a kid when I saw A.I. I don't know how old I was exactly but it was in elementary and while most of the story went over my head, I know it made me cry and I loved it. As for my favorite Spielburg movie. I honestly haven't seen many and it certainly isn't a guilty pleasure but probably a very obvious and common answer but there's nothing wrong with that. Jurassic Park. Back when I was a kid I liked this movie cus of the dinosaurs and nothing else even though it scared me death in some scenes. But now as an adult, it is still mostly cus of the dinosaurs still, BUT I also appreciate the practical effects used with those big loveable reptiles. And learning things like how the T-Rex head accidently fell onto the glass onto those kids so their screams are actually real terror which I find both messed up and hilarious in a dark humor kind of way.
Lots of respect for Kermode doing this. AI is criminally underrated.
I think ALWAYS (1989) is one of my favourite Spielberg movies which wasn't a sure fire hit but made and still makes me cry. It's very much underrated. I will also make a notable mention in AMISTAD (1999), now I haven't returned to this since the cinema. And I'm at odds to admit it's a good movie. I remember walking away from this film feeling Spielberg made a big mistake and that I felt nothing for the characters and didn't care for them. It was emotionless, a very unusual feat by Spielberg. I've yet to go back to this movie, I'm sure I will but I doubt I'll change my opinion, but I won't say never because I'm one of the few people I know of including lots of industry friends who really loved Lincoln. I thought this was an incredible achievement in every facet of production from Daniel, to the score right down to the set decoration and production design who went to great lengths to make wallpaper the same process as it was back in the day. The curtains and drapes had weight and dust. Recreating Lincoln's watch and chime from his original pocket watch. William's score. Locations. What's not to like. This is also unlike Spielberg's canon but it will be a classic in time to come if not considered now.
Dear Dr Kermode. I really liked Empire of the Sun. It has many Spielbergian elements in there: parents and children, journeys, etc. I think it's one of his most unsentimental films (apart from the reunion of course) and is one of only a few films that made me weep. Let's not forget, of course, this is the film that launched the career of Christian Bale. Why this film does not get more recognition is a mystery to me.
AI is a great film. Really touching. I didn't know the critics panned it?
I never knew people shit on this movie, to me A.I. comes close to being a perfect movie. As time moves on and artificial intelligence becomes more integrated with our lives this movie will become even more relevant.
Just watched AI for the first time today. Its spielbergs most underrated masterpiece. The ending brought me to tears. Its so relevant now especially with the rise of AI and how it may impact our lives.
The Terminal is massively underrated and Hook, despite its flaws, is still a warm family movie that Spielberg is the master of.
EI, particularly the acts of bonding with Mother, than rejecting him and leaving him to fend for himself. The turmoil of physical and emotional abuse! The scenario that I, myself, could relate to on so many levels. The realistic feel of the movie’s ending. Steven Spielberg’s is one of the best creators in filming! Since my childhood I also enjoyed ET, Close encounters and War of the Worlds. To be honest, there were too many films that took place in my era that it has been extremely difficult to choose overall. These were amazing films of our generation❣️🇨🇦
Empire of the Sun - hands down one of the best (children's?) war movies ever made. And pure Spielberg from start to finish.
Hook. Even Spielberg doesn’t care for it, but I’ve always loved it.
For A.I. I’ve always just wondered why they didn’t just create a mech of the mother, so David could have an approximation of his mother while the human lady grew old and died. I know it would invalidate the journey and what they were doing film-wise, but the imprinting concept strikes me as wrong, given the disparity of lifespans between a human and a mech.
I was the same way with a I when I first thought I did not like it but after time now I really love the film way more than I originally did
It's too hard to call one thing of Spielberg's a masterpiece when he has made so many. If any other up and coming filmmaker made just one of Speilberg's films they'd be hailed a genius. Though he is one of the most respected filmmakers he's also one of the masters we take for granted.
For me, Catch me if you can is underrated
Catch Me If You Can. Perhaps not the most notable, but it has an intimacy and a retro charm to it that I really enjoy. Also, Dicaprio, Hanks and Walken give great performances.
Very glad I'm not the only one who really enjoyed War of the Worlds.
As far as guilty pleasures go, I absolutely loved The Lost World: Jurassic Park. I think it's one of the greatest sequels ever made, yet I seem to be the only one of my friends that even likes that film. It's entertaining, the opening scene where the girl gets eaten(still surprised my parents let me watch it as a kid) was terrifically terrifying, and builds up to an incredible 3rd act. I love that film.
My favorite has always been A. I. that film played on so many emotions. Haley really pulled you into his role and you felt for his character.
Noteworthy that in the Kubrick documentary, Spielberg commented that he often found Kubricks films underwhelming on first viewing but re-evaluated them on subsequent viewings.
Munich is my personal favorite. Love the cast, the story, and the experience the characters go through.
War of the World is my favorite popcorn film although the ending was so-so.
Catch Me If You Can is the most sentimental film.
On a purely Nostalgic level - Temple of Doom. It's my first cinema memory. Specifically it was the bit where the bridge is cut. I remember shouting "Aiiiiiieee" as they fell. I was 5 and it was the now closed (for many years) Adelphi cinema in Dublin
ALWAYS ...and it always makes me cry 😭
I would have to say The Terminal is probably his most underrated one besides A.I.
Always loved A.i. Its the most emotionally charged film i think ive ever seen
A.I. is my favorite movie. I love movies that make me think. Spielberg has made a masterpiece, and John William's soundtrack if wonderful. Haley Joel Osment does a fantastic role, especially when he is abandoned in the woods by his mother. It is a heart-breaking scene.
I always loved Ai (Or, as the person in the front of me in the queue called it: "A1") but can see how people wouldn't (The advertising at the time certainly mislead a lot of people as to the tone of the film). My favourite underrated Spielberg would have to be Empire Of The Sun. An amazing performance from Christian Bale........ what ever happened to that kid :)
Catch Me If You Can is probably my favorite Spielburg film, and it's often overlooked in his catalogue.
Not a pet project. Was friends movie he took over because friends died.
kermode i just want to say that every time i watch your videos i learn more and more about films, you are the best film critic, for me its got to be ''Catch me if you can" i dont know why i always for get he was the one who directed it.
My guilty Spielberg pleasure 1942. Those special effects were funny, even if some of the actors weren't.
I was 14 when I saw 'Jaws' in a packed summer theater. Blew my mind. Up until then I didn't know going to the movies could be so much fun.
Spielberg's list of movies is so amazing you can't pick just one, it's like picking your favorite Beatles song, it depends on what mood you're in.
Empire of the Sun surprised me, I had never even heard of it which was surprising enough for a Spielberg film, didn't expect much but actually felt quite impressed. With Spielberg though it tends to be more the other way round, I like his films when I first see them but lose appreciation for them over time. I always respected his personal take on ET though, the original version of course.
I'm a child of the 90s so, I obviously love Hook, but I can see how if I saw it as an adult without the nostalgia, I wouldn't have cared for it. I also really loved Tintin, and think it was truly underrated, especially considering that it was the first motion capture film to get it right in my opinion. And, having recently watched AI I have to say it was one of the most emotional experiences I've ever had sitting in front of a screen. I remember disliking it when I was a kid, but I love it now.
A.I. is the only movie I've ever walked out of, I was that bored - but I was an easily bored 14 year old at the time, so maybe I should go back and give it a proper look as an adult. I wonder if I'll appreciate it more?
The Terminal. Absolutely The Terminal! The Terminl's amazing! I love The Terminal! The Terminal. The Terminal. The Termin...
I didn't bother with this at the time. However, I finally watched it tonight and I gotta say I absolutely loved it. I regret not seeing it in the cinema at the time because films like this is what going to the cinema is all about.
A.I. is my favorite Spielberg movie. My next fave is Minority Report. Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Colin Farrell are great. But Samantha Morton is a revelation! If you haven't seen it before, do so ASAP.
1941 - Big guilt, big pleasure. Anyone who puts Toshiro Mifune and Christopher Lee together on a spy submarine that sinks and destroys the Pacific Ocean Park Ferris Wheel at the beginning of WWII has got something going that is pretty damn special.
Munich is still one of my personal favourites from Spielberg.
It's a film about real life events, which I usually skip because they tend to have little substance. But Munich has some seriously deep and disturbing themes, some pretty interesting imagery, and raises so many questions about the extremes of nationalism and patriotism.
There's a lot going on that I think most critics simply missed.
Thankfully, I was able to stumble across it on Netflix, and I later read the Roger Ebert review, which pretty much nailed it in terms of how I felt. I'm glad he was able to see what I saw.
I never understood why people thought that. Jude Law's character even foreshadows the ending, 'the only things left will be US'
Ironically, A.I. was so beautiful and sad I could not bear to watch it a second time. I would recommend a first viewing. Kudos to Mark for admitting he was wrong, but how much was his change of heart was down to the revelation that what he saw as Spielberg kitsch was in fact came from Kubrick. Duel was great, too.
It made me cry too only two films have me cry Ai and Edward scissor hands both in the final scene
My guilty please spielberg film is Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The Indy films operate on their own levels of existence and Indy 4 was good at doing that
E.T. when it was 1st released it made me cry, can't think of many movies that have. Only because it was such a brilliant movie to me then I'm reluctant to watch it again, as I don't want to be disappointed. If it ever returns to cinemas, on an anniversary, that would be the best way to re-watch it.
I love Catch Me If You Can. It's a straightforward but fun romp that I've really come to enjoy over the years.
I 100% agree with your opinion and explanation behind it, on AI. Thank you for voicing it.
Absolutely love AI and Spielberg! Just wrote an essay on the editor Michael Kahn for uni actually, both great men!
1941 is one of my favorite spielberg films I would watch it over & over as a child I loved the madcaped frenetic pace the self depricating corny jokes It was panned in the usa as it was seen to be un patriotic and in poor tast but i loved the dads army on speed sensibilitys The film was based on real events as panic took over the west coast as it went into melt down just after pearl harbour It made a refreshing change as all other holywood films had shown how the usa had single handedly won ww2
i doubt anyone would question the significance of JP but AI is certainly underrated, blade runner meets pinnochio
the minority report... I have seen it several times and would look forward to watching again and again
I really like The Terminal and Catch Me If You Can. They're just fun, pleasant all around films in my opinion
I love AI - and always have loved it but if there is one that is more of a guilty pleasure it's Minority Report. Minority Report has a lot of sentimentality and the central premise is contrived, but I love the whole world it builds and many of the details are great. As a Swede I have to mention the fantastic doctor nurse team (Peter Stormare/Caroline Lagerfelt) that have some hilarious untranslated lines in Swedish that starts with Peter saying "Greta come out now, wipe your ass, hurry up".
Good work Mark, you don't see a lot of critics in my opinion who are able to backtrack and change their opinion!
The Terminal
I was just about to write the reasons why I love Hook in respons to this video, but you did it perfectly! The Terminal is also an underrated film.
1942 has some real genuine laughs in it. The scene where tough guy general Robert Stack openly weeping in a movie theater when watching "Dumbo" was hysterical.
Temple of Doom for sure. I think it is the best of the Indiana Jones movies and probably Spielberg's most "fun" to watch. I like Raiders very much be I think Temple of Doom went the extra mile and gave me even more of what I liked about Raiders, and that was great action and fast paced fun.
Catch Me If You Can, whilst certainly not a masterpiece, was a highly engrossing and fun little flick. Speilberg seems to be at his best when not dealing with weighty subject matter. Di Caprio gave a stand out performance; in that phase of his career in which he redefined himself from the soppy, romantic lead of Romeo+Juliet to become the truly fine actor we know today! The effortless chemistry between Hanks and Di Caprio alone makes the film thoroughly watchable.
The ending of this movie.. I can't even talk about it without getting choked up.
I loved AI from the start. I thought there was something wrong with me since it was so poorly received. Glad tables are turning. Thanks Mark.
Does anyone remember Steven Spielberg's "Amazing Stories"? It may not have been a film, but I loved the episode called "The Mission", about a B-17 that had its landing gear shot away, with the belly-turret gunner trapped and facing certain death. Looking back on it as an adult, the sets are clunky, and the dialogue cheese-ridden, but it still conveys the sense of horror, grim inevitability, emotional pain amongst a tight-knit "family", with possibly a little Spielberg magic to lighten the load.
Minority Report is indeed my 2nd fav movie of all time. None of his Oscar-worthy movies come close to making the list except maybe Lincoln
I love AI first time around. My guilty pleasure is Minority Report. I like "who dunnit" books and sci fi. To have them both in one movie was the key to guilty pleasures for me.
Terminal and Catch Me If You Can.. I loved them both when they came out and feel both are highly underrated especially the Terminal
Although A.I. received mixed reviews upon release it was widely loved by certain critics, got listed on the National Board of Review's top 10 of 2001 and was on 86 recorded top 10 lists collected by criticstop10.com. In a 2016 BBC poll of 177 critics around the world, it was voted the eighty-third-greatest film since 2000. I'm glad that it's gained a successful critical and fan following (and don't bother with Nostalgia Critics review, lol).
Catch Me If You Can is just fantastic, and full of great moments. It's a shame that it's not considered among the Spielberg greats.
I was a child when ET was released. Everything about it makes me yearn to have my childhood back, right down to playing an RPG without the aid of a computer. I still love it, purely, although I like to think my taste in cinema has matured since then.
I admire Dr Kermode's honesty. Very few critics admit they were wrong.
Hook. Haven't seen it for years, but loved it as a kid and was surprised more recently to discover that it's not particularly well regarded.
War of the Worlds. I can quite happily stick the film on and enjoy it. I wished he would have filmed it in the original English setting, but on a rainy Sunday afternoon I can stick it on and be entertained. I must have watched it at least 20 times. My go to chill out movie.
Thank You.
I love Minority Report and War of the Worlds. MR to me is immense, both in how accurate it's turning out to be, but also the human elements that are so engaging. I also really like The Lost World since it tapped into the exact imagination after I had seen Jurassic Park, I wanted dinosaurs unhinged, a wild island, etc. No clue why some people dislike MR though, it's one of the most well paced movies I've seen, and emotional.
Duel. Fantastic film. Also watch out for the accidental cameo from Spielberg ;)
probably, Catch Me If You Can. Didn't think much of it when I first saw it.|Just seen it recently again and I loved it.
Interesting, and a good excuse to go back and re-watch...
Munich. The scene where they kill the assassin. The moment where she picks up her cat and strokes it as she's dying will always stay with me.
Yeah, 1942 is my fav. I can enjoy and admire many of his other films, but that's the one I *love*.