As far as figures of American cinema go, few new introductions to the extent that and really don’t need introductions. But in the unlikely event that you're not familiar with them, Spielberg has directed some of the biggest and best movies of all time, including , , and , alongside his fair share of great non-blockbusters, like and . Hanks is someone who’s been popular since the , as an actor, and has won two Oscars to date (they just so happened to be back-to-back: for 1993’s and then for 1994’s ).

The two have collaborated a total of five times, with the first instance being in 1998 and the most recent time being in 2017. They might not quite be collaborators as prolific as, say, and , or and , but it’s still a decent number, and both men are still active… so, at least as at the time of writing, never say never regarding a sixth. and ending with the best work Spielberg and Hanks have made together.

Steven Spielberg sometimes gets criticized for being overly sentimental as a filmmaker, and these criticisms are usually unfair… though they might approach the territory of fairness when the film being criticized for its sappiness is . This one does work for some people, sure, but there’s also something overly gooey and sticky about the whole thing that just feels a little off. Just as , so too does Hanks rarely miss a beat as an actor, but ; whatever the opposite of that saying is, that’s where they are.

The movie tells the story of a man who has to live in an airport because he’s denied entry into the U.S., but can’t return home because of a military coup. Hanks plays an Eastern European man from a fictional country (Krakozhia), and the performance is awkward for more reasons than just the accent he puts on throughout. The Terminal tries to be heartwarming, and doesn’t really succeed, and then when it tries to be funny, it generally falls flat. . It’s one for completionists only.

In contrast to The Terminal, at least is decent, but suffers a little from being very dry. It’s not exactly trying to be flashy, but it could’ve been a little snappier. It’s about The Washington Post setting out to , mostly related to the Vietnam War and some earlier conflicts. So, T and, at a point, it’s kind of like, “Alright, I get it,” but on The Post goes for nearly two hours for some reason.

But… there is an argument to be made that the story here is an important one worth telling, and Spielberg’s approach of getting the basics down and not trying to do anything wild does feel deliberate. Also, The Post has one hell of a cast and a handful of performances that make it worthwhile, with Hanks being solid, of course, and as the other lead here. Plus, they're joined by too many supporting players to reference them all, but that , just to name a few.

There’s a bit more of a pulse to , making it than The Post might’ve been. Both movies have a somewhat similar vibe and look, perhaps owing to them both dramatizing historical events and featuring Tom Hanks in prominent roles, but Bridge of Spies remains a little easier to recommend. It takes place during the Cold War, and mostly that sounds simple on paper, but ends up being complicated for various reasons in execution.

, even if it’s a little quieter as a thriller, rather than explosive. You won’t get much action or spectacle here, but Bridge of Spies works in a restrained and thoughtful sort of way. It’s not entirely memorable and probably won’t blow anyone away, but , was made a little less often in the 2010s, and doesn’t really get made (at least on the scale present here) much at all nowadays, during the 2020s.

was the second collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks and, as luck would have it, the film also stands as their second best. Hanks has a supporting role here, with the lead character here being played by . He’s a young man who’s immensely successful as a con artist, despite his youth, and , with the ensuing chase making for more than solid entertainment, and certainly enough to build a movie around.

It helps that there’s , but that can be said about a good many Steven Spielberg movies, it has to be conceded. Anyway, Catch Me If You Can isn’t perfect as far as crime flicks go, and . To see DiCaprio and Hanks go head-to-head, in effect, is engaging stuff, and when you’ve got supporting performances from the likes of and , among others? Well, that’s even better.

Without a doubt, the best movie directed by Steven Spielberg to also star Tom Hanks was the first collaboration the two had: . This is understandably regarded as one of , with the narrative here taking place during World War II, and to, as the title suggests, save Private Ryan (). Because of the war, Ryan is the only one of his brothers left alive, and the mission is one that involves him getting rescued and sent home, no matter the cost.

When it focuses on battle sequences, Saving Private Ryan manages to be one of , and even when it’s not delivering that kind of thing, it’s . The technical qualities here probably shine a little brighter than the performances, with but Hanks is reliably strong in the lead role, and the supporting cast is also quite good, featuring the likes of Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, and Vin Diesel.

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