Steven Spielberg is a true Hollywood legend whose career dates all the way back to 1959. For Spielberg, his career began with shorts. Soon enough though, he started working on some of the biggest films in Hollywood. And today, there’s even enough to choose from to determine which Spielberg character you might be, based on your zodiac sign, whether you’re talking about the best protagonists or best villains from various Spielberg films.
And while a lot of his movies were received well by audiences and critics, the box office performances varied significantly. Some were huge hits, while others ended up as relative flops of sorts.
Best: War of the Worlds - $603,873,119
Under the direction of Spielberg, it is easy to see how this 2005 remake can be better than the 1953 film (and vice versa). At the time of its production, Spielberg’s film was reportedly the most expensive one ever made and quite understandably so.
As a sci-fi disaster movie, it was naturally epic in scale, almost as epic as the superstardom of its lead actor, Tom Cruise. In contrast to Spielberg’s other alien movie, Cruise noted that this is "E.T. gone bad,” according to Slash Film, That said, these "bad" aliens have also become some of the deadliest Martian invaders in cinematic history.
Worst: Always - $74,134,790
It’s really no surprise that when you rank Spielberg’s films, Always comes out among the worst. Perhaps, compared to Spielberg’s other movies, this one is just too simple. In Always, the spirit of a veteran pilot decides to mentor a new pilot, only to watch him fall in love with the girlfriend he has left behind too.
The cast includes big names such as Audrey Hepburn, John Goodman, Richard Dreyfuss, and Holly Hunter. Despite all the star power, it wasn’t enough for the film to earn more at the box office.
Best: The Lost World: Jurassic Park - $618,638,999
When The Lost World came out, there was so much expectation following the success of the first Jurassic Park movie. Actors Jeff Goldblum, Ariana Richards, and Joseph Mazzello returned for the sequel. They were also joined by Julianne Moore, Vince Vaughn, and Richard Schiff, among others.
This time, the park suffered from a power failure and it resulted in dinosaurs being set loose. This plot also led to several sequel moments that live up to the original, including a T-Rex wandering into a camp. That said, The Lost World didn’t earn as much as the first film.
Worst: Amistad - $44,229,441
For this 1997 historical drama, Spielberg assembled quite an impressive cast which includes Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman, Matthew McConaughey, Djimon Hounsou, and Anna Paquin. The story revolves around prisoners held in the slave ship Amistad who successfully stage an uprising as they journey from Cuba to America.
The movie generally received decent reviews. However, there is also a prevalent feeling that critics and viewers expected more. Meanwhile, a review from Baltimore Sun also noted that the film is “largely a tale of white hero worship” as it focused on the U.S. hearings following the mutiny.
Best: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - $790,653,942
In this 2008 film, Harrison Ford returns as the titular character. He is also joined by Oscar winner Cate Blanchett ad Shia LaBeouf. Despite its impressive box office performance, some still believe that there are legitimate reasons why this is the worst film in the franchise.
Even worse, some have even pointed out several reasons why Kingdom of the Crystal Skull screwed up Indiana Jones completely. If you ask Spielberg, however, he would still say that he’s “very happy” with the movie. However, he also told Slash Film, “I never liked the MacGuffin.”
Worst: Twilight Zone: The Movie - $29,450,919
In this four-episode film, Spielberg is behind the segment entitled Kick the Can. With The Twilight Zone series being quite a hit, there were high expectations about this movie from the very beginning. During the production, however, tragedy struck while Spielberg’s co-director John Landis was filming a scene in the California set.
The scene involves actor Vic Morrow and two children running away from a helicopter that appeared to be pursuing them. Unfortunately, however, that same helicopter ended up crashing, killing all three actors.
Best: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial - $793,482,178
Unbeknownst to many, this film classic could have easily been turned into an alien horror film instead of something that the whole family can enjoy together. E.T.’s story was originally a part of Spielberg’s idea for the film Night Skies, which featured various hostile aliens.
However, there was one creature that ends up befriending a child. And that eventually became the plot of this 1982 hit. E.T. became one of the highest-grossing films of the 80s and today, it is also rated by Rotten Tomatoes as one of the best family dramas in history.
Worst: Empire of the Sun - $22,238,696
Based on a true story written by J G Ballard, this 1987 film is about a young British boy living in Shanghai who is taken prisoner when Japanese forces invade the country. A young Christian Bale was tapped to play the role of the young boy.
And when he is taken to a prison camp, he meets an American prisoner played by John Malkovich who ends up becoming his protector of sorts. In the film, Ballard himself makes a brief cameo as one of the party guests in the opening scene.
Best: Jurassic Park - $1,033,925,811
Like a lot of hit films, the Jurassic Park movies are based on a book written by the late author, Michael Crichton. Back when this 1993 film wasn’t even in development yet, studios were fighting for the right to bring Crichton’s book to the big screen.
Fortunately, Crichton decided to award it to Spielberg and Universal Studios. With Spielberg at the helm, it easily became one of the highest-grossing films of all time. And with a cast led by Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Goldblum, it easy to see how that it could still be the perfect blockbuster.
Worst: The Sugarland Express - $7,504,841
Marking Spielberg’s big-screen directorial debut, the 1974 film centers on a family’s attempt to reunite despite the criminal implications of their actions. Based on a real-life incident, The Sugarland Express stars Goldie Hawn as Lou Jean, a woman who helps her husband (William Atherton) escape from prison.
Later on, the couple also decides to steal their son from a foster home. As interesting as the story may sound, the film failed to earn money. Nonetheless, it managed to profit well since the estimated cost of production is just $3 million.