Rating:  Summary: Only its mother could love it. Review: I began collecting DVDs recently and the only disc I regret buying thus far is 1941. You see, I was tempted by the exhaustive extras and the chance to see Spielberg's director's cut. Don't fall into the same trap, dear readers. This film is bad. I got as far as 25 minutes in and decided I couldn't take anymore. It's a film which believes that there is a goldmine of comedy to found in shouting, falling over, and then shouting again. Not funny. If sitting in front of an animated corpse was bad enough, it turns out the extras are a chore, too - the dullest being a very long, very boring documentary about the making of the film in which all involved (who should have known better) recount in nauseating detail how the film came to be. A waste of time and money - theirs and yours
Rating:  Summary: One of the Phunniest movies ever Review: I can't believe some of the harsh reviews of this movie - it's always been one of my favorites. Any movie that has 2 guys sitting with a wooden dummy in a giant Ferris wheel shooting at planes with a rifle has got to be a hit.
Rating:  Summary: A Not-So-Guilty Pleasure Review: I didn't see 1941 when it came out in theaters, because I believed the generally negative reviews it received at the time. I've been kicking myself ever since for never having had the experience of seeing it on the big screen, because that's where all this beautifully-crafted insanity would really shine.1941's brilliant ensemble cast, daring director, and hard-working crew, including special-effects wizard Greg Jein, combined their talents to take viewers back to the opening days of World War II, to a comedic fantasy California in a '41 that never quite was. It has been criticized for being fragmented (it was cut to shreds against director Spielberg's wishes), and lambasted for not being funny. Personally, I laugh my arse off every time I watch it. I'd call it a guilty pleasure, but I'm not at all guilty about loving it. This film has so many brilliant qualities in its writing, design, photography, sound, music, direction, and acting, that I think anyone who appreciates screen comedy should own a copy. Now that the special edition DVD has restored Mr. Spielberg's original intention to this film, I hope it finds a new and appreciative audience in addition to those of us who have loved it for years.
Rating:  Summary: It all depends on how you watch it. Review: I don't care what people say, I love this film. Sure it isn't in the AFI100. It won't make the AFI 200 either. But I love it. The performances of Aykroyd, Belushi, Pickens, Beatty, and others are just soo funny. The movie has so many lines that are just stuck in my head. The problem in all these reviews is how you compare it to other films. Comedy films to be exact. People have different tastes about things. I hate all of Adam Sandler's movies but some people swear by him. I would rank 1941 as a hidden gem in the same class as Airplane, Blues Brothers, Fletch, and Volunteers.
Rating:  Summary: A truly Odd-Ball look at the "home Front". Review: I don't know why this film didn't do better, because it's really a very well made comedy. Forget the hysterics about the seriousness of the war, we all appreciate the efforts of the Americans and the Allies. This, on the other hand, is a wild ride in La La Land, and the type of movie you watch again and again.
Rating:  Summary: DVD Could Have Been Better Review: I first heard about this movie when i went on a Belushi Binge. It seemed like it was going to be another classic Belushi Film(I.E.-Blues Brothers). The first time around it seemed boring and was difficult to watch with a non-anamorphic presentation(black bars taking up most of my 16X9 tv).But the second time around i watched it with my family and the humor mostly took its course.I personally believe it would have been much better had John(the man) Landis Directed it, and if Belushi, Akroyd, and Matheson had more screen time. Belushi's Patton Spoof could have been analyzed further through flashbacks etc. but all in all this is a must for any John Belushi Fan. The main thing that upsetted me was that they changed the cover artso now it no longer says collectors edition along the side which would have looked wonderful with my other belushi collector's Ed.s.This review may seem to jump around and off topic, but im sure those gifted with ADD will understand it. If any of you universal home video and DVD marketers read this, change the damn box back to what it was and i'll even splurge and buy a second copy cause my OCD conformity is so bad.
Rating:  Summary: One of the last truly great slapstick comedies Review: I first saw this movie on cable when I was in high school and I swear it just gets better and better with each passing year. Sure, there are a lot of people who will try and tell you that it's a horrible film, but DON'T BELIEVE THEM! To be sure, it's not for everyone (what movie is?). However, anyone who can appreciate broad (and when I say that I mean really, really B-R-O-A-D -- you've been warned) slapstick humor will certainly find 1941 enjoyable. And anyway, if nothing else, you've gotta see the Jitterbug Contest/Riot sequence. That whole section of the movie alone makes this worth the price. Wanton destruction of property has never been so funny. As for the DVD: The picture and sound aren't great (still better than VHS) but the 28 minutes of restored footage and the disc's extra's make it more than worth it. If you liked THE BLUES BROTHERS, ANIMAL HOUSE, and IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD you'll love 1941. 'Nuff said.
Rating:  Summary: 1941 A Funny Film Review: I give 1941 3 1/2 stars. Not quite 4 stars. The film is very funny and is still good even though it is now nearly 25 years old. It is worth viewing once every 2-3 years and is worth purchasing for under $$$$. Bulushi and Aykroyd are very funny. Good screwball comedy preying on the fears of people in California and along the western coast of a Japanese Invasion just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Slim Pickens is hilarious as the country bumkin captured by the Japanese. It is worth just seeing Slim. Worth the price of the DVD.
Rating:  Summary: Ahead of its time, but not one of Speilberg's best... Review: I had never seen the film in 1979, so I had an open mind about the film. I have to say that the worst thing that happened to this film is that Speilberg directed it and has his imprint all over the film, which should have been a darker comedy than it turned out to be. However, you wouldn't have had the cast that wound up being in the film (early appearances of Ackroyd, John Candy and Mickey Rourke in film, and Bob Zemeckis' first real break into film), a nod to Kurosawa (Toshiro Mifume is the sub captain), Speilberg's own "Duel", and to Kubrick (Slim Pickens from Dr. Strangelove shows up). Considering John Belushi did few films, it's worth having on that alone. The dance sequences and cinematography are definitely worth the awards they would wind up picking up. The film can overwhelm you a bit and confuse you, but that was the point. However, there's a lot in the film that can be applied in 2004, like Robert Stack's character (think Rumsfeld). Had Zemeckis had the pull to make what he envisioned it to be, it would have been a classic black comedy without a doubt,although in Europe it always has been.
Rating:  Summary: Oh God! Put it away! Review: I have this movie and to tell you the truth, it sucks big time. What a waste of time. I am so serious. This movie is 2hrs and 26min long! Ahhh! What a pile of mess! Even Mr. Spielberg himself said that he had no direction for this film. The acting was so cheesy. All it was, was a bunch of people going insane. Yelling and dancing, drinking, fighting, boom, boom, boom, boom, bang, bang, bang. Oh my God. Stop me. This is probably one of the worst films out there. Don't buy. If you don't beleive anything I said, then go RENT the film and see how stupid it is. Just because Steven Spielberg directed it doesn't mean its great. People do make mistakes and this is one of them.
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