Super 8 (2011)

Super 8 is the best Steven Speilberg movie ever made made by J.J. Abrams. Without going into detail, consider it a dark E.T. with all the humor and sweetness in tact. The acting (including Elle Fanning, Ron Eldard, Joel Courtney, Kyle Chandler and Gabriel Basso - the latter also of The Big C for fans of that particular series) is superb, the effects spectacular and the soundtrack of late 70s tunes keeps you bopping. Take your best bell bottoms and feathered hair to the one BIG screen left in your town (the only screen on which to see this one) and DON'T leave before the credits begin.

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...Catch Me If You Can (2002)

There is not one character with a redeeming quality in Catch Me If You Can which is why I initially wasn't enthralled by it; then I noticed a bunch of filmmaker flubs and watched a number of well paid actors acting sub par (excluding Christopher Walken) which was really annoying. Steven Spielberg is not the most original filmmaker and the way he films this story seems almost like a throwaway. Certainly in light of today's economic crisis (and con man Bernie Madoff) I can't imagine anyone thinking this is an enjoyable movie to sit through.

...Jurassic Park (1993)

Despite the excellent dinosaur effects, Jurassic Park is a kid movie. Villains are bad and heroes are good, kids are in peril, Laura Dern is mom-like and Richard Attenborough is a worse actor here than he was a director here. In fact, when the movie began I had to start it over because I thought I had started it in the middle; no one ever accused Steven Spielberg of subtlety.

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