Greatest Spielberg Ever?

In this episode of Movies That Everybody But Me Hates, But I Like: Steven Spielberg's 1941. Previously, I've discussed movies that I thought weren't that bad (Mummy III), but I actually think 1941 is one of the best movies ever.

I'm not even sure why it is supposed to be so bad. As I understand it:

• It cost a lot to make - most expensive movie ever made at the time. But, hey, that doesn't increase my ticket price, and believe me, when he sends a whole house sliding off a cliff, you can see every penny spent. (Sorry, I meant to say -SPOILER-.)
• The plot was a mish-mash of semi-connected stories. Just like a thousand other movies, including Spielberg's Close Encounters.
• It has Eddie Deezen in it. Ok, good point - no, wait, I like Eddie Deezen. He does a ventriloquist act... Ok, good point.
• It's just a bunch of things blowing up. See, that's why I like it.

I could go on and on about why I like this movie: The quotes from Jaws and Dr. Strangelove and Duel. The awesome jitterbug dance contest fight scene with Joe Flaherty as bandleader, Toshiro Mifune as a Japanese sub commander, Belushi as a strangely inarticulate fighter pilot, Dan Akroyd, John Candy, Elisha Cook Jr! Wendy Jo Sperber as a floozy hot for Treat Williams. Robert Stack as Gen. Stillwell watching Dumbo - and you don't just wish you were watching Dumbo instead.

Instead of all that, I'll just mention that this DVD was a new cut, with about 20 additional minutes. I'm not sure they added that much. One of the scenes, the arrival of a black soldier (Frank MacRae) and the greeting he gets from racist John Candy is pretty distasteful - especially Candy's Curly Howard imitation. Overall, I think the added material adds to much slack to an already rambling story. But maybe I'm wrong. I guess I need to see the version they released in theaters - where I saw it first, in 1979, before I heard the reviews.

OK, maybe Raiders of the Lost Ark was better, but 1941 is at least the second greatest Spielberg ever.