• 1941 (1979)

    After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, residents of California descend into a wild panic, afraid that they might be the next target. Among them are Wild Bill Kelso (John Belushi), a crazed National Guard pilot; Sgt. Frank Tree (Dan Aykroyd), a patriotic, straight-laced tank crew commander; Ward Douglas (Ned Beatty), a civilian willing to help with the American war effort at any cost;...

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1941
34
metacriticBased on 7 Critics
58
Based on 11 Users

Release Date: 1979

DVD Release Date: March 23rd, 1999

PG |1 hr 58 min

Plot Summary

After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, residents of California descend into a wild panic, afraid that they might be the next target. Among them are Wild Bill Kelso (John Belushi), a crazed National Guard pilot; Sgt. Frank Tree (Dan Aykroyd), a patriotic, straight-laced tank crew commander; Ward Douglas (Ned Beatty), a civilian willing to help with the American war effort at any cost; and Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell (Robert Stack), who tries his hardest to maintain sanity amid the chaos.

Cast: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Lorraine Gary, Ned Beatty, Treat Williams, Nancy Allen, Robert Stack, Tim Matheson

Director: Steven Spielberg

Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy

Production Co: A-Team, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Universal Pictures

Keywords: Hilarious, Madcap, 1940s, Wife, Los Angeles, Transformation

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Ratings & Reviews

  • 38
    Roger EbertChicago Sun-Times

    It's not fair to say Steven Spielberg's 1941 lacks "pacing." It's got it, all right, but all at the same pace: The movie relentlessly throws gags at us until we're dizzy. It's an attempt at that most tricky of genres, the blockbuster comedy, and it tries so hard to dazzle us that we want a break. show more

  • 70
    Variety

    Billed as a comedy spectacle, Steven Spielberg’s 1941 is long on spectacle, but short on comedy. The Universal-Columbia Pictures co-production is an exceedingly entertaining, fast-moving revision of 1940s war hysteria in Los Angeles spawned by the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and boasts Hollywood’s finest miniature and special effects work seen to date. show more

  • 25
    Jay ScottThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)

    Not only is it mindless, it is also racist. Not only is it racist, it is also incompetent. Not only is it incompetent, it is also unfunny. [17 Dec 1979]

See all critic reviews on metacritic.com

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Awards

Nominated Sound
Oscars Academy Awards (1979)
Nominated Visual Effects
Oscars Academy Awards (1979)
Nominated Cinematography
Oscars Academy Awards (1979)