1941

Soon the screen will be bombarded by the most explosive barrage of クソッ ever filmed.

1979 • 118 min • Comedy · War · Action

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Synopsis

In the days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, panic grips California, where a military officer leads a mob chasing a Japanese sub.

Our family guide

Best from age 12

Movie Knight Score

721 reviews

100 Reviewers · 3 · 53%
58 Audience · 718 · 47%

After the Pearl Harbor attack, widespread panic grips California. This anarchic comedy follows a series of escalating, absurd events, including a Japanese submarine offshore and citizens preparing for an imagined invasion.

Violence & peril: 5/10
Language: 3/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 3/10
Romance & sensuality: 2/10
Scary moments: 4/10

Heads up

Slapstick and comedic violence
Some mild suggestive humor
Depictions of war-related panic

What it models well

Courage in chaotic times
Community spirit (sometimes misguided)
Resilience under pressure

Talk about it after

The anxieties of wartime
How rumors and fear can spread
The difference between patriotism and panic

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for 1941. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

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Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel

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Top billed cast

Director: Steven Spielberg • Crew: Bob Gale, Robert Zemeckis, Robert Zemeckis, John Milius, Bob Gale

Trailers & clips

Reviewer notes

Recommended
Anyone remember "The Mouse that Roared" (1959)? Well this reminded me of that, only nowhere near as good or funny. Days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a Japanese submarine that probably couldn't find it's own way back home stumbles into Los Angeles harbour. Shame prohibits them from returning home without some sort of victory honour, so they decide to decimate Hollywood.…
CinemaSerf, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
In short, 1941 is gloriously unhinged chaos! I saw it 3 times in the theaters!! John Williams delivers an absolutely brilliant, swaggering score that punches every scene. It's messy, mad, bonkers and totally unforgettable type of movie! I absolutely love this flick!!!!
Betty Flores, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
**_Spielberg’s wild comedy about the West Coast’s response to Pearl Harbor_** This is basically a melding of "The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!" with the over-the-top zaniness of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," both of which were made by the same production team.…
Wuchak, TMDB Community