Spielberg isn't what he used to be
Bet this will be mediocore.
shareI'd rather honestly have that Blackhawk movie than this.
share
MovieChat Forums > West Side Story (2021) Discussion > Spielberg isn't what he used to be
As a devout fan of the old, original 1961 film version of West Side Story, I looked at the trailer of Spielberg's upcoming film version of West Side Story, did not care for it at all, and I will vote my pocketbook and not go to see it when it comes out in mid-December of this year.
share"...I will vote my pocketbook and not go to see it when it comes out in mid-December"
Ouch!
I bet that made them tremble.
Seriously, quit threatening people as if you have that much clout. It's nauseating.
Besides, hardly anyone believes you anyway. You'll watch it when it becomes expendable.
BOTH versions rely on an implausible story with great music and immature characters doing stupid things which eventually get them what they deserve.
Oh, come on, will you, HaroldBut! I have no more clout than you or most anybody else when it comes to movies, but when I really don't wish to see a movie, I will NOT go to see it....period, and Spielberg's film version of West Side Story is no exception. I've seen a couple of trailers of Spielberg's upcoming film version of West Side Story, and a number of photographs, and I don't like what I've seen.
I'll also add that Ansel Elgort, who's playing the lead of Tony in Spielberg's film version of West Side Story who has groomed and sexually assaulted underaged girls sounds like a dangerous, disgusting and gross human being. My resolve to vote my pocket book and not go to see Spielberg's film version of West Side Story has been stiffened as a result. As a woman, regardless of what anybody else says or thinks, I"m inclined to believe that the girls who said those things about Elgort are telling the truth.
Besides, remakes of older classic films very seldom, if any, come out well, either, plus I find YOUR attitudes rather nauseating!
"Groomed and sexually assaulted. girl(s)"
Ok, try to stick to the facts. The "girl" said she was 17 in an anonymous tweet that was quickly taken down. She said it was rough sex the two times they went out (why would you go on a second date with someone who supposedly raped you?). He said he ghosted her and made a public apology. She never said anything again. End of story. This is why some people have trouble buying some of Me too. It's like Salem or McCarthy out there.
Hate to burst your bubble, ScottR, but, as a woman, I'm inclined to believe that these girls who accused Ansel Elgort of grooming and sexually assaulting them were telling the truth, and that belief, on my part, has stiffened my resolve not to see Spielberg's film version of West Side Story, at all, when it hits the movie theatres next month.
shareLook, you #MeToo fanatic--You will find no sympathy for your antidemocratic witchhunt here. Ansel Elgort has had ONE sex assault allegation from a single unstable girl. We do not "believe the woman" just because her jaws are flapping that she was victimized. Don't watch the goddamned movie. We have heard your grievances all over the West Side Story 2021 board. Stop soiling this board with your wild accusations about Ansel Elgort for which you have no proof other than that which you read on Twitter.
shareI stand by everything i've said! Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it, Metatron1970!!
shareThat's because you're a dumbass. I'm still getting a big laugh on how you purport to speak with authority on Spielberg films and yet thought he directed the Superman movies. That is NOT a simple mistake.
shareGet lost, Metatron1970! I stand by everything I've said on here. Over and out!
shareI look forward to reading more of your #MeToo fictions on Ansel Elgort so I can make fun of them. You talk about him so much, it almost looks like you have a crush on him.
shareHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! back at you, Metatron1970! Your attitude is the one that's laughable, because you're such a bigot that you have to resort to flinging insults at people who openly differ with your opinion. Go f**K yourself.
shareSpielberg definitely isn't in his prime. I feel like the last "great" movie he made was Lincoln. That was almost a decade ago and even then, that film isn't on the level of films like Jurassic Park or Close Encounters. Before that I'd say his last great film was Munich in 2005.
Since Lincoln, I'd say that Bridge of Spies, The Post and RPO were all pretty good, but certainly not great. The BFG was kind of lame.
The trailer for West Side Story didn't do anything for me.
You've made a good point, primeMinister. I never saw "Lincoln" or "Bridge of Spies", but I do agree with you about The Post, but I'll also add Schindler's List, Munich, Raders of the Lost Ark, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, as well as Superman I and II to that list. The trailer of Spielberg's upcoming film version of West Side Story, however, gave me an idea of what it would be like, and my resolve to vote my pocketbook and not go to see it, or to let anyone treat me to it, has been stiffened.
shareWell I was focusing on his recent, post-prime films. I would say that Raiders, Schindler's List and Close Encounters were all in his prime.
Munich could perhaps be said to be the close of the prime of his career. If not Munich, the Catch Me If You Can, but I think I like Munich in that spot.
I thought Bridge of Spies was great.
shareI'd call it pretty good, not great. I'd give it a 7.5/10.
shareAround 8/10 is where I would start my "great" range, anyway, so pretty close to where I'd be ranking it. You're giving it a B+ and I'm saying A- (roughly).
Now, if you mean, is it one of "The Great Movies", like the kind that should be preserved forever, studied by film students, and deserve a part of the iconic library of Film-As-Art, I might agree with you that it doesn't belong there, but I'd have to ponder what "should" go in that category for awhile, anyway.
Germane to the larger message board conversation, though, is that I think Spielberg might not be churning out his best work anymore, but he's still doing some really good films, as opposed to OP implying that he's into pure mediocrity.
I'll agree that a movie doesn't have to be among The Great Movies to be a great movie. It's kind of like how there have been a lot of great boxers, but only a handful of legends like Tyson, Ali, Marciano, Joe Louis, Mayweather and so on.
I'd say that Spielberg has made some of The Great Movies. Jurassic Park is one. He also has made some great films that aren't in that class, like Catch Me If You Can and Munich.
In regard to his recent output, the last movie that he did that I felt was worth getting really enthusiastic about was Lincoln, and that was almost a decade ago now. Sadly I am in no way hyped for West Side Story--in fact, after seeing the trailer I'd say I have anti-hype for that film--and none of his announced projects interest me in any way either. Considering his age, it seems entirely possible to me that he will never make another truly great film, or even another film that interests me unless he lives long enough to be like Eastwood and work into his 90s.
The boxing analogy is spot-on; there is greatness and Greatness, excellence and Legends.
Spielberg's Great Movies, to me, are probably Jaws, ET, Saving Private Ryan, and I feel like I'm supposed to put Schindler's List in there, but the fact that I'm "supposed" to gives me pause. Raiders might be in there, too, as an exemplar of the Adventure genre. Weirdly, I don't think you're wrong for saying Jurassic Park, but I wouldn't put it there myself. I agree with CMIYC and Munich.
I still haven't seen Lincoln. For all my defence of the man, I'm not a big Spielberg fan, although I admire his work and I can't think of a film of his I've seen that I haven't at least lightly enjoyed. I really did like Bridge of Spies, which was after Lincoln, but to each their own.
I'm not hyped for West Side Story, either, but I'm not somebody who gets jazzed on musicals (although I enjoy them, but I don't usually get stoked for them - I'm not a Broadway person).
I had to look up his announced pictures. The Fabelmans does interest me, since it's more personal, and he often seems to make "commercial" stuff, even when it's also personal. It might be nice to see him go after something closer to the heart, as it were.
Eastwood really cranks 'em, doesn't he? I really enjoyed The Mule. It was a really good movie. It's inspiring seeing somebody clearly still so dedicated to his craft even in his ninth decade of life.
I would definitely say Raiders is one of The Great Movies, and in fact I'd say The Last Crusade is too. It's very rare for any franchise to have one such film, much less two!
I rewatched ET a while back and honestly think it is overrated. I'd call it very good, but I hesitate to call it great. However, one Spielberg movie that you left out that I WOULD say is among the legends is Close Encounters.
Lincoln took me two watches to really know how I felt about it, but after seeing it the second time I realized it was indeed a great film. It's long and somewhat deliberately paced, but very well made. Check it out.
As for Eastwood, I thought The Mule was good but I thought Richard Jewell was even better. Sadly he followed it up with Cry Macho, which is a misfire. I really hope he's able to make one last film and go out on a higher note than that.
I forgot about Close Encounters! Yeah, absolutely that one. I think it got overshadowed by Star Wars, since they're both '77 sci-fi but Star Wars became a phenomenon.
How cool would it be if they made a movie where the aliens travel so fast they go back in time and take Richard Dreyfus a long time ago, and to a galaxy far, far away... Then, it turns out, Dreyfus is the reason all those Corellians look like humans. The aliens in Star Wars that look like humans are all descended from various and sundry "crops" of humans that the Close Encounters aliens have been bringing back to their worlds.
I'll try to check out Lincoln sometime, and soudns like Richard Jewell might be worth a viewing.
I love Spielberg but his ‘lighter’ films don’t really work for me - this looks like one of those. War Horse was way too harmless and saccharine.
I also find it distasteful when he tries to smuggle political propaganda into his films. The Post was a woeful attempt to claw back some respect for the scumbag mainstream media, The Terminal stank of pro-immigrant propaganda, and it looks like this will too.
I admit that there are a number of movies that Spielberg made that I really have liked. He does best when he does movies based in historical events. As a devout fan of the old, original 1961 film version of West Side Story who has seen the official trailer of Spielberg's upcoming film version of West Side Story, and did not like what I saw, and read some rather creepy stuff about Ansel Elgort, who's playing Tony in Spielberg's version (i. e. sexually assaulting underaged girls), and who looks rather creepy, to boot, I will vote my pocketbook and not go to see it when it hits the movie theatres in mid-december of this year!
I guess it depends on how we're defining "lighter."
E.T., Hook, Catch Me If You Can and even the Indy trilogy could all be said to be on the lighter side and I'd say all are great films.
The Indy trilogy is full of jeopardy, peril and even horror.
Catch Me If You Can has a light touch and is somewhat amusing, but it’s kind of a cold film, and mediocre at best in the Spielberg canon.
E.T. is a rare example of a good, light Spielberg.
It's not "pro-immigration" when Puerto Ricans are born American citizens.
And we should be looking up to Der Sturmer Fox/NewsMaxx?
>> I love Spielberg but his ‘lighter’ films don’t really work for me - this looks like one of those. <<
I grew up in the 80s and 90s, so I have a soft spot for his 'lighter' films because they worked well for kids. For example, the critics hated Hook but I was a kid when it came out and I loved it at the time.
Spielberg doing 'West Side Story' doesn't really work for me though, because its an iconic musical from Hollywood's golden age. You might as well try to get an A-list director in modern Hollywood to remake Rebel Without A Cause.
I recently saw Jaws for the first time, and I have to say, I don't know what the hoopla was about. Raiders was a good movie though, I'll give him credit for that. I do think there have been way too many remakes lately, but I guess that's Hollywood's version of buying bonds.
shareJaws was a cult movie, and it's kind of overrated. People do like that sort of thing, however.
shareJAWS was never a "cult" movie. It became the top-grossing movie of all time in '75 but was eclipsed two years later by STAR WARS. Yes, "people do like that sort of thing" because it's a superlatively made action thriller. But I wouldn't trust anybody with an opinion on Spielberg's works who thought that Superman 1 and 2 were directed by him.
shareSpielberg is an odd duck. One finds few filmmakers with such a chip on their shoulder about wanting to be taken seriously who so resolutely refuses to treat his work seriously (or even artistically unseriously). Spielberg began as an immensely talented filmmaker. Unfortunately, he then made E.T. and learned all the wrong lessons from it. And--for the most part--that was that.
shareMore than likely, I think. Having seen the official trailer of Spielberg's upcoming film version of West Side Story, it looks rather mediocre, at best.
shareYes, and you don't like Ansel Elgort because you heard he was #MeToo'd by ONE golddigging unstable girl. And seeing him partially naked in a pic released for charity for COVID victims made you feel he was "rapey" and "cringy". Suffice to say, none of us really cares about your opinion of the new West Side Story which you bave endlessly boasted you won't see anyway because it looks "mediocre".
share