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Rank the Spielbergs

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  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 4,089
    DoctorNo wrote: »
    As someone who was too young to see Jaws, but grew up on Indiana Jones, it was kind of hard ranking Jaws over Raiders... still watching Jaws as an adult, it’s a fantastic movie. It made Spielberg, Spielberg. I wouldn’t say Raiders is less than, it just came after.

    As for the other Indiana Jones movies, I think they get less effective with each sequel. I use to think Last Crusade was better than Temple of Doom because it has a better story, but the overall comic and family elements of that movie really undermine character, suspense and action. Raiders is tops by a wide margin and then I rank them in order as they were released. Love Temple of Doom though, just be clear, one of the best opening sequences ever.

    The opening sequence of Temple of Doom is indeed brilliant (the nods to 007 are cool) but as soon as Indy and Willie drop into that taxi and it's revealed the sidekick is a kid, the film nosedives big time.

    As for ranking Spielberg, i haven't seen all of his films (i have no interest in some of them) but i think these are his best.

    1. Jaws
    2. Raiders
    3. Close Encounters
    4. E.T
    5. Schindler's List
    6. Duel
    7. Jurassic Park
    8. Saving Private Ryan
  • FoxRoxFoxRox
    Posts: 12,525
    Newest list (rough order of preference - not objective):

    1. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
    3. Jaws
    4. Hook
    5. Schindler’s List
    6. Jurassic Park
    7. Catch Me If You Can
    8. A. I. Artificial Intelligence
    9. Lincoln
    10. Duel
    11. Minority Report
    12. E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial
    13. Bridge of Spies
    14. Munich
    15. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    16. Saving Private Ryan
    17. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
    18. Ready Player One
    19. The Post
    20. Empire of the Sun
    21. The Sugarland Express
    22. War Horse
    23. The Color Purple
    24. The BFG
    25. War of the Worlds
    26. Always
    27. The Terminal
    28. The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
    29. Amistad
    30. The Lost World: Jurassic Park
    31. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
    32. 1941
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I gave away my copy of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind to a friend of my son yesterday. Told him it was the first movie to use cgi. I loved it as a kid when it came out, but it doesn t hold up well.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Updated


    1 Schindler s List
    2 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
    3 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
    4 Duel
    5 The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn
    6 The Color Purple
    7 War Horse
    8 Minority Report
    9 Munich
    10 Bridge of Spies
    11 Raiders of the Lost Ark
    12 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    13 Lincoln
    14 Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    15 Hook
    16 War of the Worlds
    17 Amistad
    18 A.I.- Artificial Intelligence
    19 Empire of the Sun
    20 Jaws
    21 The Terminal
    22 Jurassic Park
    23 Lost World-Jurassic Park
    24 Catch Me If You Can
    25 ET



  • UnivexUnivex
    Posts: 6,710

    TOP 10:

    1. Empire of the Sun
    2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
    3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    4. E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial
    5. Jurassic Park
    6. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    7. Schindler’s List
    8. Catch Me If You Can
    9. Jaws
    10. A. I. Artificial Intelligence


    WORST of the Worst:

    War of the Worlds
    Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
    Ready Player One
    Amistad
    The BFG
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    edited October 2019 Posts: 4,089
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    Updated


    1 Schindler s List
    2 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
    3 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
    4 Duel
    5 The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn
    6 The Color Purple
    7 War Horse
    8 Minority Report
    9 Munich
    10 Bridge of Spies
    11 Raiders of the Lost Ark
    12 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    13 Lincoln
    14 Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    15 Hook
    16 War of the Worlds
    17 Amistad
    18 A.I.- Artificial Intelligence
    19 Empire of the Sun
    20 Jaws
    21 The Terminal
    22 Jurassic Park
    23 Lost World-Jurassic Park
    24 Catch Me If You Can
    25 ET



    Hook better than Jaws, Jurassic Park and E.T...? ok....
  • BondStuBondStu Moonraker 6
    Posts: 373
    I'll give you a top 5.

    1. E.T
    2. Raiders Of The Lost Ark
    3. Close Encounters
    4. Jaws
    5. Schindler's List
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 4,089
    BondStu wrote: »
    I'll give you a top 5.

    1. E.T
    2. Raiders Of The Lost Ark
    3. Close Encounters
    4. Jaws
    5. Schindler's List

    That's better....
  • BondStuBondStu Moonraker 6
    Posts: 373
    @LeonardPine - you like that? :D
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 4,089
    BondStu wrote: »
    @LeonardPine - you like that? :D

    Yep @BondStu it's the same top 5 I have albeit in a different order. 👍
  • BondStuBondStu Moonraker 6
    Posts: 373
    LeonardPine wrote: »
    BondStu wrote: »
    @LeonardPine - you like that? :D

    Yep @BondStu it's the same top 5 I have albeit in a different order. 👍

    Good stuff!
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489


    1 Schindler s List
    2 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
    3 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
    4 Duel
    5 The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn
    6 The Color Purple
    7 War Horse
    8 Minority Report
    9 Munich
    10 Bridge of Spies
    11 Raiders of the Lost Ark
    12 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    13 Saving Private Ryan
    14 Lincoln
    15 Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    16 Hook
    17 War of the Worlds
    18 Amistad
    19 A.I.- Artificial Intelligence
    20 Empire of the Sun
    21 Jaws
    22 The Terminal
    23 Jurassic Park
    24 Lost World-Jurassic Park
    25 Catch Me If You Can
    26 ET



  • UnivexUnivex
    Posts: 6,710
    Thunderfinger wrote: »

    1 Schindler s List
    2 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
    3 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

    Now that's a first!! I guess to each their own. But damn! Really? I'm still on denegation regarding that particular entry. As far as I'm concerned, there are three Indy flicks, and I love them all :-D
  • IGotABrudderIGotABrudder UK
    edited October 2019 Posts: 631
    Crystal Skull is a bit like Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, for me. Objectively both films are terrible and yet they are so weirdly watchable. Whenever they’re on tv I end up watching them.

    I haven’t see enough Spielberg to rank them. Schindler’s List is the best-made one of the ones I’ve seen, i’ve watched it twice but I don’t really want to watch it again.

    Out of the few that i’ve actually seen:

    Schindler’s List
    Raiders
    Temple of Doom (much underrated)
    War of the Worlds (ditto)
    Colour Purple
    Jurassic Park
    Minority Report
    CE3K

    <big gap>

    Last crusade (much overrated)
    Crystal skull
  • ThunderballThunderball playing Chemin de Fer in a casino, downing Vespers
    edited October 2019 Posts: 815
    I'll rank the Spielberg movies I have seen.

    1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (also my #1 favorite movie of all time. No, I'm not at all hurt that some have ranked it dead last. :-S [-( Nope...)
    2. Empire Of The Sun (glorious, moving and massively underrated)
    3. Saving Private Ryan (not my favorite WWII movie, that goes to Letters From Iwo Jima, but goddamn is it good)
    4. Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (my favorite Indy movie, chiefly because of the relationship between father and son)
    5. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (Spielberg's first foray into magical awe and wonder. It's hokum, but beautiful hokum)
    6. Raiders Of The Lost Ark (the closest thing we Americans have to James Bond. Nearly as iconic)
    7. Lincoln (watching this movie is almost like meeting the real man. The passing of the thirteenth amendment scene has the power to bring tears to my eyes.)
    8. Schindler's List (one of my least watched Spielberg movies for obvious reasons but everytime I do, I'm at a loss for words at the power of it)
    9. Jurassic Park (I loved dinosaurs as a kid, but at some point I grew out of it. Then this movie came along and brought it all back. The only time I've ever been moved emotionally by computer special effects)
    10. Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom (I'll never not defend this delightful movie)
    11. Catch Me If You Can (possibly his most fun movie. Seems not enough people talk about it and that's a damn shame)
    12. Jaws (it's frickin' Jaws, man. Nothing else need be said)
    13. The Post (Hanks and Streep bring their immense talent to a fascinating true story. I love it)
    14. Always (criminally underrated. Yes, it's more hokum, but I guess I like a little hokum. A big part of this is I love Holly Hunter and Audrey Hepburn's final appearance always brings a smile to my face)
    15. Amistad (Empire Of The Sun and Always are really underrated, but Amistad even more so. Its cut from some of the same cloth as Schindler's List so that may be why its overlooked but man it works, for me anyway)
    16. The Color Purple (damn good. Bern a long time since I've seen it but I remember enjoying it)
    16. Hook (pretty decent)
    17. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (okay. Nothing special. I like the T-Rex rampaging through San Diego despite myself)
    18. War Of The Worlds (totally unnecessary but not horrible)
    17. Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (ehhhh? Meh. But still not as apocalyptically bad as some say)
    18. 1941 (flashy but forgettable)
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    IGotABrudder wrote: »
    Crystal Skull is a bit like Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, for me. Objectively both films are terrible and yet they are so weirdly watchable. Whenever they’re on tv I end up watching them.

    Prometheus is my favourite Alien movie.
  • BondStuBondStu Moonraker 6
    Posts: 373
    Crystal Skull and The Lost World have the same problem. Spielberg was trying to please the audience. He was basically putting himself in a situation where he couldn't win.

    Spielberg works best when he's trying to please himself. When he's doing what HE wants to do, not what everyone else wants him to do.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Another update.

    1 Schindler s List
    2 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
    3 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
    4 Duel
    5 The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn
    6 The Color Purple
    7 War Horse
    8 Minority Report
    9 Munich
    10 Bridge of Spies
    11 Raiders of the Lost Ark
    12 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    13 Saving Private Ryan
    14 Ready Player One
    15 Lincoln
    16 Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    17 Hook
    18 War of the Worlds
    19 Amistad
    20 A.I.- Artificial Intelligence
    21 Empire of the Sun
    22 Jaws
    23 The Terminal
    24 Jurassic Park
    25 Lost World-Jurassic Park
    26 Catch Me If You Can
    27 ET
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Just saw another one.

    1 Schindler s List
    2 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
    3 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
    4 Duel
    5 The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn
    6 The Color Purple
    7 War Horse
    8 Minority Report
    9 Munich
    10 Bridge of Spies
    11 Raiders of the Lost Ark
    12 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    13 Saving Private Ryan
    14 Ready Player One
    15 Lincoln
    16 Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    17 Hook
    18 War of the Worlds
    19 Amistad
    20 A.I.- Artificial Intelligence
    21 Empire of the Sun
    22 Jaws
    23 The Terminal
    24 Jurassic Park
    25 Lost World-Jurassic Park
    26 Catch Me If You Can
    27 The BFG
    28 ET

  • DrunkIrishPoetDrunkIrishPoet The Amber Coast
    Posts: 156
    I grew up on Spielberg: saw DUEL on TV and JAWS on the big screen when it was first released. So I'm going to throw my list into the ring. Here you go:

    1. Jaws – almost a perfect film
    2. Raiders of the Lost Ark – the best adventure movie ever made
    3. Empire of the Sun – an underrated jewel
    4. Schindler’s List – the movie that finally proved this white boy’s got soul
    5. Duel – especially the European theatrical edition
    6. E.T. the Extraterrestrial – nuff said!
    7. Minority Report – thinking man’s sci-fi
    8. A.I. Artificial Intelligence – needed more Kubrick, but it’ll do
    9. Catch Me If You Can – surprisingly fun and funny
    10. Close Encounters of the Third Kind – I feel like I’m over-rating this one, but it closes out the Top Ten.

    11. Tintin – the late-period effort which most closely reassembles his early, better efforts
    12. 1941 – hilarious and underrated; watch the director’s cut
    13. War of the Worlds – has some good stuff in it, and doesn’t suck
    14. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – deeply flawed: a Raiders prequel without Belloq? For shame!
    15. Always – this movie has no reason to exist, but at least it’s watchable
    16. Bridge of Spies – drab and boring, but watchable
    17. Munich – just drab and boring.
    18. Lincoln – just boring
    19. The Color Purple – ill-conceived and misbegotten; laughable
    20. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – Ripoff of the Lost Ark; not as imaginative as Temple of Doom. Fail.
    21. Jurassic Park – not a good movie, but it has some cool dinosaurs. YMMV
    22. Saving Private Ryan – everything in this movie that is NOT the invasion of Normandy, sucks
    23. The BFG – WTF??
    24. Amistad – extremely boring
    25. The Terminal – boring and treacly
    26. War Horse – treacly and obvious
    27. The Lost World: Jurassic Park 2 – jeez, this movie makes the first one look good by comparison
    28. Hook – a complete and utter artistic failure, but at least no one got killed making it
    29. Twilight Zone: the Movie – the less said about this, the better
    30. Ready Player One – a steaming pile of dreck
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    edited December 2019 Posts: 25,441
    Raiders of the Lost Ark number 1, Jaws on this level.
  • DrunkIrishPoetDrunkIrishPoet The Amber Coast
    Posts: 156
    Jaws is like the Citizen Kane of blockbuster event movies.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,441
    DrunkIrishPoet wrote: »
    Jaws is like the Citizen Kane of blockbuster event movies.

    True it started the phenomena
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    i can only fairly rank that which i have seen.. so... and let me say, this isn't a list based of what i think is bad vs good - i love all his movies on this list.. it's purely based on which i enjoy more over the others.


    15. Empire of the Sun
    14. War Horse
    13. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
    12. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
    11. The Lost World: Jurassic Park
    10. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    9. War of the Worlds
    8. Hook
    7. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
    6. Ready Player One
    5. Saving Private Ryan
    4. Raiders of the Lost Ark
    3. Jurassic Park
    2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    1. Jaws
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Updated!

    Not one of my favorites, but no denying that he made a few excellent films (despite the tropes and soppy habits that recur throughout his career). I first became aware of him in 1975 with JAWS, but soon realized that I had already been a fan of much of his television work (NIGHT GALLERY, COLUMBO, DUEL) without knowing him by name.


    Not very good at all:

    Hook
    1941
    Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
    Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    Amistad
    Lincoln (sentimental rubbish)
    Jurassic Park (I liked the dinosaurs, every other aspect was weak)

    Below are the ones that I generally like:

    18. The Sugarland Express
    17. Ready Player One
    16. Minority Report
    15. Empire of the Sun
    14. The Color Purple (like many Spielberg films, some absolutely wonderful scenes and performances, but does not hold together as a consistently solid film)
    13. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (crap ending)
    12. Catch Me If You Can
    11. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (did not age well, on another note, I was a substitute teacher at Cal Prep in the late '80s, Drew Barrymore was in my class twice)
    10. Bridge of Spies
    9. Munich
    8. Saving Private Ryan (this is only ranked so high due to the first 20 minutes, possibly some of the greatest imagery ever put to film, after that it's mediocre at best)
    7. Schindler's List (an absolute visual masterpiece, weak dialogue hurts it tremendously)
    6. Duel
    5. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
    4. Raiders of the Lost Ark
    3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    2. Jaws

    I don't think that I've seen the rest.

    But have you seen your no. 1 yet?
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489

    1 Schindler s List
    2 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
    3 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
    4 Duel
    5 The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn
    6 The Color Purple
    7 War Horse
    8 Minority Report
    9 Munich
    10 Bridge of Spies
    11 Raiders of the Lost Ark
    12 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    13 Saving Private Ryan
    14 The Post
    15 Ready Player One
    16 Lincoln
    17 Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    18 Hook
    19 War of the Worlds
    20 Amistad
    21 A.I.- Artificial Intelligence
    22 Empire of the Sun
    23 Jaws
    24 The Terminal
    25 Jurassic Park
    26 Lost World-Jurassic Park
    27 Catch Me If You Can
    28 The BFG
    29 ET
  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,402
    1. Schindler's List
    2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
    3. Jaws
    4. Munich
    5. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
    6. Lincoln
    7. The Post
    8. Saving Private Ryan
    9. Minority Report
    10. The Sugarland Express
    11. Empire of the Sun
    12. Jurassic Park
    13. A.I. Artificial Intelligence
    14. Catch Me if You Can
    15. E.T.
    16. Duel
    17. Bridge of Spies
    18. The Lost World: Jurassic Park
    19. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    20. The Color Purple
    21. Tintin
    22. Amistad
    23. The Terminal
    24. Ready Player One
    25. War Horse
    26. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
    27. Always
    28. The BFG
    29. War of the Worlds
    30. Something Evil
    31. Savage
    32. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
    33. Hook
    34. 1941
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