Did you miss Part 3? Click here to see Steven Spielberg movies ranked #20 – 15!
#14: War of the Worlds (2005)
Score:
7.5
In 2005 Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg decided to remake the classic H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds.
To be honest, I like the 1953 film better, but that’s just because I saw it as a kid and it’s hard to beat movies you see when you are young. They get under your skin and become a part of you.
While this remake starts off really well and has some cool stuff in it, overall it left me a little disappointed. The ending falls a little flat this time around.
#13: Ready Player One (2018)
Score:
7.5
Ready Player One is one of my favorite books of all time.
To have it directed by Steven Spielberg was the best case scenario and was extremely exciting. The end result has some really good moments but it does fail to live up to the life and vitality of the book itself.
Even still, it has so many fanboy moments in it that it’s hard not to like this movie. I mean, there is a Krull reference, and the spell from Excalibur, and Gremlins and Alien and so much more. Your inner geek will jump up and down with joy. A fun to watch entry and it almost makes it to the ‘Top 10’ in our list!
#12: Minority Report (2002)
Score:
7.5
Speilberg and Tom Cruise hook up for a sci-fi action film about arresting people before they commit a crime. In a way, it’s the thought police.
Nowadays we just get canceled for having bad thoughts, but in the future Tom Cruise will hunt you down like a dog.
There are some cool moments in this film and it is dripping with Spielberg style and exciting action sequences. The bad guys figure out a loop-hole and the future seeing mutants are no longer all that trustworthy when it comes to convicting people for things they haven’t done.
Tom Cruise does what he does best, which is to stay a step ahead of the bad guys and save the day. That’s not a spoiler, because I’m sure you’ve seen this movies like 5 times already.
#11: Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Score:
7.5
What a run Speilberg is having! Great move after great movie. This is another winner with Tom Hanks chasing Leonardo DiCaprio around.
It’s funny and exciting and has a few great lines. We like to say “I concur, do you concur?” and “Why didn’t I concur?!” in my family. Or maybe that’s just me that repeats movie quotes for no reason…
Either way, this is a great movie and falls just outside the Top 10.
#10: Lincoln (2012)
Score:
8
We have arrived at the ‘Top 10’ Steven Spielberg movies of all time! How does our ‘Top 10’ list compare to your favorite Spielberg films? Let’s find out…
Lincoln is a master class at every level. Daniel Day Lewis is so fantastic as Lincoln that it is hypnotizing, and everything about this film is done to perfection. It may not be a movie you want to watch over and over, but it does rank as one of Speilberg’s best.
#9: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Score:
8
I think most people rank this one higher, and I totally understand it. I mean it’s a classic for sure – lots of action and humor and for most fans it feels like it puts the franchise back on track after Temple of Doom, but for me this entry feels safer and less interesting than the previous film. I like how Temple of Doom was out of left field.
The Last Crusade is more of a mainstream type of movie. It’s pretty good and stands up well to repeated viewings. The only knock I have against it is that there are some less than stellar special effects, but other than that this is a fantastic Indiana Jones adventure.
#8: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Score:
8
Steven Spielberg continues his winning streak with this 1977 follow-up to Jaws about aliens coming by for a visit. They steal small children and invite a chosen few to some random mountain by implanting a picture of it into their brains.
Yet another classic film and another unforgettable soundtrack by John Williams.
#7: Schindler’s List (1993)
Score:
8
I know, I know. This is Speilbergs crowning achievement. Often regarded as one of the best films ever made. Winner of Best Picture, Best Director and so much more. And it is a great film. Well made, well-acted, and heart-wrenching.
However it is not a movie that I want to watch over and over. Or ever again. There is a difference between a film we regard as ‘the best’ and films that we like to watch and think of as ‘our favorite’.
Schindler’s List is one of those movies that is painful to watch and therefore doesn’t get too many replays for me, so therefore this is as high as it goes on this list!
#6: Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Score:
8.5
Saving Private Ryan is one of the best war movies ever made!
I saw this in the theatre when it came out and it was such a jarring and emotional movie. The violence and the action left me shaken. Plus, it has Tom Hanks – one of the greatest of all time, as well as some pretty cool cameos.
This film should have won best picture over Shakespeare in Love, which was one of the most baffling Oscar moments of all time. It did garner Speilberg his second Best Director award though.
Now, this film might deserve to rank higher on this list, however this is a tough one. I like watching Temple of Doom more than Saving Private Ryan, however I probably consider Saving Private Ryan a better film than E.T. also, it’s just that E.T. is, in my opinion, more generally memorable and impactful.
Either way, Saving Private Ryan is a great movie and well deserving of being toward the top of any ‘best of’ list.
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