I need clarification wrote:

Remember in the 70s and early 80s, people couldn't praise Spielberg's "childlike sense of wonder" enough? Well, the reason he has that sense of wonder is because he IS childlike. These days, when he makes movies, it's as if a child decided he wanted to make a grown-up movie, and figures if he watches grown-up movies and emulates them, well then he'll be in the club. It would be facile to say he doesn't care about his source material anymore (a movie about a guy stuck in an airport?), but I think the truer statement is that he doesn't understand it. He's sure there's an emotional resonance somewhere in there, but simply throwing the events up on the screen isn't going to do it, Steve.