"Emmerich likely took it as a compliment rather than the insult it was intended as when critics back home responded to his second feature film, Joey, with the term "Spielbergle" (little Spielberg). The director had freely admitted that his goal was to kickstart a new wave of German cinema by replicating the success of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas ' popcorn fare, saying, "Entertaining the masses is the foundation, and that has been neglected here for a long time.""
"Released under the title Making Contact in the United States, Joey doesn't waste any time putting its eponymous nine-year-old lead (Joshua Morrell) through the emotional wringer. The opening shot is at his dad's funeral, and his first words are spoken during an imaginary (or is it?!) conversation with his pop via a glowing red telephone. Is this simply a coping mechanism from a youngster in the early stages of the grieving process? Or do his ESP abilities extend to communicating with the dead?"
Roland Emmerich's early film Joey (released as Making Contact in the United States) overtly channels Spielberg and Lucas by combining a telekinetic child story, an R2-D2–like robot named Charlie, extensive merchandise potential, and a Darth Vader–style climactic battle. German critics labeled it "Spielbergle" and Emmerich expressed a desire to revive popular German cinema by emulating blockbuster popcorn fare. The film opens at the boy's father's funeral and centers on a nine-year-old grappling with grief through a glowing red telephone and possible ESP communication with the dead, while music and the absence of a father draw direct Spielbergian parallels.
Read at Inverse
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