If there's one thing I can't stand seeing, it's Americans fighting Americans.

1941

(1979)

Intermittently effective, this really needed the unshackled energy of John Landis or Joe Dante to realise its potential. Spielberg is just too buttoned-down and neither he nor John Williams can make it fly.

It's also hampered by keeping Belushi and Aykroyd apart for the entire film. The Japanese sub scenes are probably the best, and there are some inspired visuals towards the end (the demolished, then collapsing house, the paint factory, the fairground wheel) but it's really dragged down by a director who doesn't know how to cut loose.

The documentary with the DVD is interesting and mammoth (100 minutes), but needed a little more focus (as in "What's the story here?" rather than sitting back and indulging the anecdotes).

***

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Now In Full Color, with a Happier Ending

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