Did you miss Part 1? Click here to see #32 – 27!
#26: Amistad (1997)
Score:
7
Amistad doesn’t really feel like a Spielberg movie – there’s less visual style and showmanship. He leans into the story and makes a more straight-forward film, and it is a moving and heartbreaking story.
A group of slaves escape their chains on the sea, only to be captured by another boat and then put on trial. Matthew McConaughey defends them without even once saying ‘Alright, alright, alright!”
It’s a good historical drama. It feels authentic and the all-star cast does a good job. I guess there are some critics of the historical accuracy of the story but whatever, it’s engaging and relevant and worth a watch.
#25: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Score:
6
This is a tough film to place on this list. On one hand the plot of this movie is pretty disappointing, and the whole third act is frustrating.
There are a lot of reasons to not like this movie. However, it does have some cool action sequences, and it is a freaking Indiana Jones movie so even though some of the films lower on this list are better movies, I am still more likely to watch this one again and so it falls at number 25.
#24: A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Score:
6
Spielberg takes the director’s chair after the passing of Stanley Kubrick to bring this long gestating project to life. I saw this film in the theatre when it came out and had no desire to ever see it again which is strange because I love sci-fi movies and Spielberg movies.
For the sake of this article I gave it another spin and reminded myself of why this one falls so low on the list. It’s not a bad movie at all, it’s just that it fails to connect. The first hour or so we follow David as he tries to fit in with his new family and then he goes on an adventure as he tries to become a real boy so that he can earn his mother’s love.
The acting is good, the effects are well done, but the film gives me a sense of unease when it should be heartwarming and apathy when it should be engaging. It’s not an experience that welcomes repeat viewings.
#23: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
Score:
7
It’s Spielberg and dinosaurs again, but unfortunately the result is not as good as the original.
Most directors would kill to have this kind of blockbuster in their filmography but for Steven Spielberg it’s just a mediocre outing. It’s always amazed me how much filmmakers seem to struggle with putting together a good story for a Jurassic Park movie, but it’s still easy to forgive them for an hour or so of plot missteps for a good half hour of awesome dinosaur action. We should do an article about how the Jurassic Park movies should have progressed after the first one…
#22: The Color Purple (1985)
Score:
7
The Color Purple marked a departure from the summer blockbuster films Spielberg was known for up to this point in his career.
It was well received, with a slew of Oscar nominations and nearly universal critical praise. Watching this film today, it has aged pretty well. It’s a jolt to see a young Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey – they both do a fantastic job.
It’s a painful story to watch and the ending brings out the waterworks.
#21: Munich (2005)
Score:
7
This is the Spielberg film where Eric Bana and Daniel Craig assassinate people.
It’s a pretty good movie, but it is a bit long and just doesn’t stand out as much as some of Spielberg’s other films. Munich is based on real life events and was nominated for 5 Oscars.
NEXT: We start ranking the Top 20 Steven Spielberg movies: READ MORE >>