Spielberg’s First Summer Blockbuster in a Decade
Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg is back with his first summer blockbuster in ten years. The big question now is whether this return to the extraterrestrial realm can finally break his two-decade losing streak.
Looking back, Spielberg’s peak came in 1993 with the phenomenal one-two punch of Schindler’s List and Jurassic Park. At 47, he directed the year’s biggest hit while also snagging the Best Picture award. He received his first Oscar for Best Director, marking a remarkable achievement for someone known for classics like Jaws and E.T.. This kind of success hadn’t been seen before and still hasn’t been replicated.
Since then, Spielberg has kept busy with films like The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Saving Private Ryan (1998), A.I. (2001), Minority Report (2002), and others. Admittedly, Munich (2005) is beautifully crafted, but upon a recent rewatch, its themes felt morally confusing. I chuckled when Eric Bana’s character, after going through such turmoil, declares that regret over killing terrorists makes things worse. It left me bemused—was Spielberg expecting us to swallow that?
In total, he has directed ten films over the last two decades, but just two stand out: Lincoln (2012) and Bridge of Spies (2015). The others vary from forgettable to really disappointing: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), The Adventures of Tintin (2011), War Horse (2011), BFG (2016), The Post (2017), Ready Player One (2018), West Side Story (2021), and The Fabelmans (2022). The latter two, in particular, tanked at the box office.
It’s been a noticeable decline from a filmmaker once hailed as one of the best. No one questions Spielberg’s technical skills—movies like Ready Player One and West Side Story prove he still has the knack for shot composition and editing. The real issue seems to lie in the stories he chooses and how they are presented.
Now, he’s returning to familiar territory: aliens and the talented screenwriter David Koepp, who was behind Jurassic Park and War of the Worlds. Sure, Koepp has also been part of some misfires, like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but that’s largely on George Lucas.
That said, the trailer for his new film doesn’t quite do it for me:
Spielberg’s current PR stance, claiming belief in extraterrestrial life, feels a bit desperate, as if he’s pushing for attention ahead of a $120 million movie.
For many, Spielberg is synonymous with cherished memories. We remember watching Jaws, huddled next to our parents, or marveling at Close Encounters in shock. Those days of driving with friends to see E.T. or Jurassic Park are part of a nostalgic tapestry. I even remember taking my dad to see Saving Private Ryan, and I’ll never forget the first time I saw Duel (1971) on my small TV screen.
It would be wonderful if he could recapture that magic again.
