When one thinks of the greatest filmmakers of all time, it's hard not to consider Steven Spielberg. The man helped pioneer the idea of blockbuster filmmaking with his giant crowd-pleasing movies that defined many childhoods. He was also known for his hard-hitting dramas that rank among the best movies ever made.
Given how iconic Spielberg has become, it's strange to think some of his movies have gone overlooked. But while there are those hidden gems in his filmography, there are also those so-called classics that are not as good as their reputations. Here are the most underrated and overrated Spielberg films.
Underrated: Minority Report (2002)
Spielberg has made a number of epic sci-fi films in his career. Minority Report manages to mix a stellar sci-fi premise with a mystery story. In the film, a system has been developed to predict crimes before they happen. Tom Cruise plays a man accused of a future murder who then must clear his name.
Despite the pairing of Spielberg and Cruise, the movie only did okay at the box office and is rarely considered among the director's best. But it is a clever, exciting, and fast-paced film that mashes two genres so effectively.
Overrated: War Of The Worlds (2005)
Spielberg and Cruise reteamed for another sci-fi film, although this time it was much less clever. War of the Worlds tells the story of an alien attack on Earth as a deadbeat dad (Cruise) attempts to get his children to safety during all the chaos.
The movie received good reviews and was a big hit with audiences. However, the excitement of the first act of the films fades away with some strange story choices which lead to a very anticlimactic ending that gives the movie a flat feeling.
Underrated: Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
Spielberg doesn't make too many sequels to his films, so the fact that he was revisiting the Jurassic Park story was very exciting for fans. Jeff Goldblum returned as Ian Malcolm, who is convinced to return to the island where he and a new cast of characters become prey for the dinosaurs.
Critics agreed the film was a major dip from the original and it's hard to argue with that. However, it's also a ton of fun even in the shadow of the original. Spielberg stages some thrilling sequences and dinosaur action. Even the over-the-top finale is a blast.
Overrated: Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)
Though the Indiana Jones franchise seemed to come to an end with The Last Crusade, Spielberg, George Lucas, and Harrison Ford returned for a fourth adventure after a long absence. The sequel follows Indy along with old and new friends in search of a supposed alien artifact.
The movie was a huge hit at the box office and critics were far too kind in their reviews. Any thrill of nostalgia at seeing Indy back on the big screen doesn't last long as the sequences get goofier and goofier, the new characters are annoying, and the story is ridiculous.
Underrated: Munich (2005)
Fans are thrilled by Spielberg's crowd-pleasing films but sometimes overlook his more serious projects, like Munich. The film is set in the aftermath of the Munich Olympics terrorist attack and tells the story of a group of covert agents from the Israeli government on a mission of revenge.
The film received mixed reviews and is rarely talked about these days. But it is one of Spielberg's most mature and powerful films. The violence is appropriately abhorrent and the message at the film's center is impactful all these years later.
Overrated: Lincoln (2012)
The idea of Spielberg teaming with Daniel Day-Lewis for a film about Abraham Lincoln sounds like a recipe for success. The movie tells the story of Lincoln's attempts to abolish slavery as the Civil War rages on.
Day-Lewis gives an extraordinary performance, which seemed to push the film to become a hit and get nominated for Best Picture. However, Spielberg's crowd-pleasing approach now feels like the wrong way to tell the story as Lincoln's complex and controversial legacy is not given its due nor are the African-Americans of this time.
Underrated: Empire Of The Sun (1987)
There have been several war movies throughout Spielberg's career, but Empire of the Sun tells a war story from the eyes of a child. Christian Bale plays a young English boy living in Japan when the war breaks out. After getting separated from his parents, he becomes a prisoner of war.
The movie didn't receive much attention in its time, and it is mostly forgotten among Spielberg's more popular films. But it still remains a beautiful and moving story with an incredible central performance from Bale in an early role.
Overrated: War Horse (2011)
In yet another war film from a unique perspective, War Horse is a World War I story about a young man whose horse is purchased from him to serve in battle. The story follows the horse throughout the war and the various character he meets along the way.
Sometimes it seems like Spielberg's legacy as a great filmmaker influences the initial reaction to his film. People seemed to think a Spielberg war story would be excellent so they nominated if for Best Picture. But the movie is a melodramatic story that embraces Spielberg's worst tendencies as a storyteller.
Underrated: The Sugarland Express (1974)
Though Jaws was his breakout film, Spielberg's first theatrical feature was the mostly forgotten The Sugarland Express. The film stars Goldie Hawn as a woman who breaks her husband out of prison and kidnaps their own son to go on the run from the law.
The movie was a flop with audiences and critics, who were turned off by the film's downer of an ending. Looking back, it's a fascinating and thrilling gem in Spielberg's career, a rare dark crime story.
Overrated: Ready Player One (2018)
Fans had been waiting for the big-screen adaptation of the popular book Ready Player One for a long time and the news that Spielberg would be the one to finally bring it to life was thrilling. It is set in the future where society competes in a virtual reality game to discover a hidden Easter egg worth a fortune.
The movie was seen as Spielberg's big comeback to the fun-loving adventures he's best known for. But Ready Player One really lacks the magic of those early films. With dull characters, an uninteresting story, and over-reliance on nostalgia, it certainly won't live on like his other greats.