1941 (1979)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Pretty Good

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

As I watched this movie, I could only think that there were many individuals elements of nascent humor, that may have actually been quite funny, but none of them were in any way linked by even the most incoherent of plot lines. There were many big names in humor, and many scenes that were marvelously executed, but few ended up doing much. What's more, the cinematography was horrible. For those reasons, it was truly a dreadful movie to watch, for you dint feel as if you gained anything from it.

Why do people hate this movie? it has comedy and adventure and war spoofs and fun little parodies to a certain Spielberg film which I shall not spoil here just watch the movie! What can I say other than well done the Master of Film has made a really fun and entertaining world war 2 parody! The Master of Film does not use the seriousness of the 2nd world war he uses the fun aspects of the war he uses a lot of jokes to complement the fun of the film some of the jokes are tired and old but they make you laugh mostly John Belushi's jokes! The cast is all star there are loads of people in this movie I could waste a lot of time naming the people in this movie! John Williams's outstanding theme perfectly captures the spirit and tone of the movie, just something to bear in mind about John Williams's score for this movie even though the movie was not received well by critics John Williams still writes an incredible score for the movie even for Hook the same principle applies but I will talk about Hook when I get there! I mean I ask the same question again and again why do people hate this charming and really funny Movie? I mean the Ferris wheel scene is really funny with the characters screaming and laughing their heads off as they roll down the Ferris wheel! The Ballroom scene where the two men out for the female lead affections really escalates and climaxes into this big ballroom bash it is quite funny and really entertaining! And while all this is happening the army general is in the cinema watching Dumbo and having a ball of a time laughing and having a great time! The Script is really engaging and fun but, some people complain about the running time of this movie yes it is 2 and a half hours long but a Spielberg lover like me does not care one tiny bit! If you can find this movie anywhere please watch it! So it is not Jaws or Close Encounters of the third kind but it is a great Spielberg movie and needs a lot more attention!

If you like war-themed comedies like "Kelly's Heroes", "MASH" and sitcoms like "Hogan's Heroes" didn't tickle your funny-bone, maybe Steven Spielberg has the key to find your sense of humour. When it came out in 1979, "1941" was custom made for fans who want to avoid subtle comedy and love their comedy to be loud, punchy and over-the-top. Sadly, this movie failed at the box office, But when I got the DVD, I actually enjoyed it, not like in a life-changing perspective, sort of like a guilty pleasure.There was once a rumour that went on the before Robert Stack ("Unsolved mysteries") took the role of General Stilwell, dramatic actors like John Wayne and Charlton Heston were considered for the part. But they rebuffed at the request because of their military background, they thought this movie was irreverent to the real Pearl Harbor incident.However, setting of the story is real and the details were very accurate. In the year 1941, Americans had a look of concern after they bombed the Japanese, fearing that the Japanese would retaliate by bombing the United States, particularly California as the entire city of Los Angeles was abuzz with fear, paranoia and it showed America at war with a different perspective in their emotional stances. Not to offend anyone, but Americans have made us think that they were brave, fearless and practically laughed in the face of danger. But here we see a refreshing look that proves otherwise. American soldiers were no different from other nations as fear, insecurity and uncertainty was manifesting through the minds of millions of Americans. Japan actually got their revenge, but it was in Washington State, but it didn't last long. Americans protected themselves by setting up concentration camps towards Asian-Americans.And yet, Spielberg had succeeded to take the time to actually find reason to laugh at all the hysteria. No wonder Wayne and Heston refused to participate in the movie. Sadly for them, this movie was absolutely hilarious in a slapstick manner that works on many levels. the plot was quite narrow thin, just a plethora of gags and spoofs that carry the film in its two hour duration. It may not be for everyone, but before you make any judgments, see it for yourself, even if its for a rental.The DVD extras feature some very special tidbits, but one of my favourite feature is the "making of" and the cast interviews. There's a cornucopia of details in that relates to the scenes featured and scenes they attempted, but didn't quite work including the torpedo coming after civilians. Mr. Spielberg takes the liberty to showcase some home movies that he filmed himself as an inspiration for the making of his project.The cast is filled with top notch comical actors including the late John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, John Candy, Slim Pickens among others. Not to mention lesser comical performers like Christopher Lee, Robert Stack, Tosiro Mifune and Treat Williams.The interface can at times be quite troubling. For instance when selecting a scene, it shows sets of six per scene. Unlike other DVD's in this movie, choices are not featured unless you press ENTER. Unless you remember the scene options you will likely be lost. It's unorthodox that they refrained from automatic switching like on every other DVD. It may not be anamorphic, but it's still in letterbox.If you're into comedy especially the crazy antics of John Belushi and company as it spoofs a weak point in American history during WWII. And if you're all good sports about a comedy poking fun at a time when there was little to laugh about, then you might enjoy this movie. Even if this movie is not your cup of tea, at least check it out before you start to cast the first stone.

Hysterical Californians prepare for a Japanese invasion in the days after Pearl Harbor.Can you believe this cast? Robert Stack (in excellent makeup), John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Candy, Christopher Lee, John Landis, Dick Miller, Nancy Allen, Eddie Deezen, Joe Flaherty and the list goes on. Even if this was not a good film (and it is) you should check it out to see a performance from some great actors.While the humor is relatively low (Kubrick allegedly called the film "great but not funny"), there are some nice moments featuring parodies of previous Spielberg films "Duel" and "Jaws". Great sense of humor, Mr. Spielberg.Today, the Zoot Suit Riot is probably best known as a song from Cherry Popping' Daddies. But it really occurred, and it has never looked better in fiction than it does in this film with a wonderfully long dance and fight sequence that is the centerpiece of the whole film.