Ever since its creation in 1981, Steven Spielberg's production company, Amblin Entertainment, has been responsible for some of the most critically and commercially successful films of all time. The logo takes its likeness from Spielberg's classic family sci-fi film E.T. The Extraterrestrial, which marked the third motion picture Amblin produced in its illustrious 40-year existence.
But while Amblin is often associated with PG-rated family fare, the production company also made several prestigious dramas, such as Munich, Flags of Our Fathers, Minority Report, A.I., Lincoln, Bridge of Spies, and many more.
Letters From Iwo Jima (2006) 91%
Clint Eastwood's two-part cinematic tribute to the veterans of World War II culminated with Letters From Iwo Jima, the better-received half of Flags of Our Fathers released in 2006.
Told from the perspective of Japanese soldiers, the film offers a glimpse of the Battle of Iwo Jima unlike any seen before in an American war movie. Clint Eastwood was nominated for Best Director and the film was nominated for Best Picture. The film was also a much greater financial success than Flags of Our Fathers.
Jurassic Park (1993) 91%
1993 was a banner year for Amblin Entertainment. Spielberg not only released his most personal movie in Schindler's List, but he also shepherded the gargantuan blockbuster Jurassic Park.
In addition to grossing over a billion dollars, Jurassic Park won three Oscars to go along with its ubiquitous critical plaudits. The way in which Spielberg realized Michael Crichton's novel is akin to what he did with Peter Benchley's Jaws two decades earlier, turning a monster-movie into a riveting family-oriented thriller.
Arachnophobia (1990) 92%
Few films perfectly encapsulate the tone, tenor, and temperament of Amblin Entertainment in the way Arachnophobia does. The PG-13 horror-comedy strikes a perfect balance between levity and lethality.
Directed by Frank Marshall, the film finds a big-city doctor (Jeff Daniels) moving his family to the country to start anew. As the doc struggles to find new patients, a deadly breed of rare spider creates a giant nest in his barn. As the townsfolk begin dying gruesome deaths, arachnophobic Dr. Jennings calls in exterminator Delbert (John Goodman) for help.
Men In Black (1997) 92%
Barry Sonnenfeld's massive sci-fi-comedy hit Men In Black is another movie that embodies the Amblin spirit. The cartoonish tableau adapted from the Lowell Cunningham comics grossed roughly $590 million en route to becoming a four-film franchise and counting.
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones star as Agents Jay and Kay, two opposing buddy-cops who patrol extraterrestrial activity for a secret government organization. The weirder the things are, the more at odds Jay and Kay come to be, as they must prevent an alien bug from obtaining the "Galaxy" energy supply.
Saving Private Ryan (1998) 93%
Spielberg earned the second Best Director Oscar for his career for his work on Saving Private Ryan, one of the all-time best war films ever made. The film won five total Oscars and currently ranks #26 on IMDb's Top 250 to go along with its sterling Rotten Tomatoes rating.
The WWII epic follows a ragtag band of American soldiers led by Captain Miller (Tom Hanks), whose platoon is tasked with a search and rescue mission to find Private Ryan (Matt Damon), a soldier whose three brothers died in battle. Along the way, Miller imparts wisdom upon his platoon before making the ultimate sacrifice.
Catch Me If You Can (2002) 96%
Based on the unbelievable true story, Catch Me If You Can tracks the life of Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), a precocious conman and forger who, by the age of 21, managed to scheme his way into becoming a lawyer, doctor, and commercial airline pilot.
When Abagnale begins making a fortune by printing fake money, FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) doggedly pursues the criminal across the globe. In addition to the critical praise and the two Oscar nods it received, the film grossed $300 million at the international box-office.
Back To The Future (1985) 96%
Robert Zemeckis' all-time classic Back to the Future marked the seventh feature film produced by Amblin Entertainment. The film continues to be adored across the world and remains a pop-cultural touchstone.
While it inspired a film trilogy, the original Back to the Future is by far the best of the bunch, according to Rotten Tomatoes and every other rating aggregator. The story of Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) traveling back to 1955 in a Delorean time machine currently ranks #36 on IMDB's Top 250 and holds an 87/100 Metascore.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) 97%
Robert Zemeckis followed up Back to the Future with Who Framed Roger Rabbit, two of the most iconic movies from the 1980s. The ambitious mixture of live-action with classic cartoon animation earned three Oscars, including one win for Best Visual Effects.
The 40s-set film noir comedy follows Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), a toon-hating private eye mourning over the death of his brother. When Valiant is hired by Jessica Rabbit (Kathleen Turner) to find out who framed her beau Roger (Charles Fleischer), Valiant is dragged back into Toon Town to unwittingly avenge his brother's killer.
Schindler's List (1993) 97%
In his most personal and important movie made to date, Spielberg's Schindler's List is the second-best movie produced by Amblin Entertainment according to Rotten Tomatoes. The film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Director, and currently sits at #6 on IMDB's Top 250.
The heartbreaking drama centers on Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a cutthroat German businessman whose conscience slowly gets the better of him during the Holocaust in WWII. As Oskar witnesses the unthinkable atrocities his Jewish workforce experiences under German occupation, he takes it upon himself to save over 1,000 victims from being slaughtered.
E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982) 98%
Given that the Amblin logo bares its likeness, it makes sense that Spielberg's E.T. The Extraterrestrial ranks as the production company's highest-rated film, per Rotten Tomatoes.
The landmark sci-fi family film traces Elliot (Henry Thomas), a lonely young boy whose life is upended upon discovering a childlike alien in California. When he brings E.T. home, a fish-out-water comedy of errors ensues as Elliot and his little sister try to keep the creature a secret from their family. In the end, Elliot learns that sometimes, it's best to let the one you love go free.