i came to the conclusion that spielberg movies have no soul.

His movies lack soul.
His best two films remain Duel and Jaws, and that owes a lot to Richard Matheson, Dennis Weaver for the first and Robert Shaw and John Williams for the second. In fact, you can replace Spielberg in Jaws, you cannot replace Williams score, or Shaw's contribution.
Given what we know about WW 2, his films on the subject are rather ugly propaganda.
I read years ago that he kept a cartoon over his desk showing Gandhi holding a bunch of oscars and looking uncomfortable at ET who was smiling with bags of money.
That says the most about Spielberg.

His audience is a popcorn movie audience who need Holocaust and WWII movies to be like Schindler's list and saving Private Ryan where the Nazis are the absolute soulless evil scum. Shades of gray have no place in movies by Spielberg nor do his viewers want that.
Watch Munich.

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The good characters always have bad things happen to them and the bad characters are completely evil. I also do not feel Spielberg's films leave room for interpretation and discussion; he always feels the need to provide complete closure
Watch
5b4Munich
and you'll change your mind about this

What you are sensing is that Propaganda Minister Spielberg is blatantly telling you how to feel and about what and many of his movies are Jewish supremacist propaganda. You know Schindler's List? It's based on a book that won an award for best FICTION of the year that it was released. It's a fictional story taking place during World War 2, you know, like Inglourious Basterds?
But on the movie it says "Based on a true story".

I'll say this as quickly and truthfully as possible : Speilberg is an old hack.

"only a nincompoop can hate the greatest film maker in the world."
Yeah, you gotta get off your high horses, pal.

As I get older, I begin to appreciate Spielberg more. Sure - there's an argument that a lot of his films are too sentimental and saccharine sweet - but I think he is a very genuine filmmaker who obviously loves the medium. His favourite film is Lawrence of Arabia. It's interesting how he wants to sort of be taken seriously. Good that he got the Oscar(and one more). I think he is one of the few directors who realises that film is about the image. Sure - he's made mistakes(Hook, the new Indy film) - but he seems to even acknowledge his mistakes - like he admitted that he didn't do Empire of the sun justice.

In what ways is Spielberg manipulative? And how is that different from when other directors manipulate us?
Cause every director manipulates audiences, that's the issue with directing.
Question is how Spielberg does it differently from others and why that is a bad thing?
Your whole argument seems naive OP. You don't even have good arguments as to why you dislike him. That probably mean you don't like the stories he tell.
That's not the same as not liking the director. And that doesn't mean he's a bad director.

only a nincompoop can hate the greatest film maker in the world. Also shows poor understanding of cinema.

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I really don't like butter or cold cheese, some people love it. I really can't stand watching those British soaps on TV, some people are addicted.
I love Spielberg movies. I consider him an absolute genius of a filmmaker.

Agreed. Manipulative is the most overused word when describing movies nowadays.

I got as far as the word 'manipulative' and stopped reading.
It is without doubt, the most stupid, self-important, grandstanding word that anyone can use in film criticism. Film IS manipulation, everything about it is manipulation.
I challenge you to name one film out of the hundreds of thousands that have been made that is in no way 'manipulative'. Just one. Bet you can't.
Neve5b4r defend crap with 'It's just a movie'
http://www.youtube.com/user/BigGreenProds

The good characters always have bad things happen to them
You just described 100% of fiction, the world and history over.
"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." -Gandalf

You are just being anti-Semitic.
http://bit.ly/1CcJVJn

I really LOVE Spielberg films! A1++++

You need to temper expectationsall directors manipulate the audience. What do you think Hitchcock did?

You do realize he hasn't written a screenplay1c84 since A.I., right? In fact he's written 4 movies in the last 35 years.
He's not paid to go all Hitchcock or David Lynch when he signs on to direct a film. He's not that kind of director.
The issue you have is not that you dislike Spielberg. The issue you have is that you don't like the stories he is paid to bring to life. Also, you just hate big budget movies.period. If you spend 100 million on a movieyou don't go hire an unknown director. Spielberg is Hollywood Gold.
You're entire opinions seem very.naive.

Well, he does exagerate a little bit byt he does have some great points neverless.

I understand why people like Spielberg, he makes easy digestible sentimental films for sentimental people who work all week and don't wanna have to think when they watch a movie. Having a look at his filmography I see no artistic merit for him to be considered one of the best filmmakers ever. However I understand why the general public would think so, but any cinephile who has seen the movies of true filmmakers like Cassavetes, Fassbinder, Truffaut and even Godard (I find many of Godards movies story-wise boring but technically he is a master), would think so, it must be because many see he's films as kids.
That's the single most pretentious thing I've ever read in imdb all these years.

I'm not a fan of Spielberg either, though I enjoy watching some of he's movies, however due to the reasons you've gave I take it your not a fan of Hollywood movies in general? Because Spielberg just follows the basic tenets of the Hollywood system that the old Studio heads invented to provide mass entertainment and therefore be more mass marketable and therefore make more money. I would call Spielberg a Hollywood hack; a professional at doing Hollywood movies, but does mediocre work.
I understand why people like Spielberg, he makes easy digestible sentimental films for sentimental people who work all week and don't wanna have to think when they watch a movie. Having a look at his filmography I see no artistic merit for him to be considered one of the best filmmakers ever. However I understand why the general public would think so, but any cinephile who has seen the movies of true filmmakers like Cassavetes, Fassbinder, Truffaut and even Godard (I find many of Godards movies story-wise boring but technically he is a master), would think so, it must be because many see he's films as kids.
P.S. I will be someone to criticize Schindlers List and say it is like all of Spielbergs films; mediocre and cheaply sentimental e.g. the cringe worthy moment where Schindler breaks down and weeps that he could of done more, I'm aware that this may be a moment where both women and men might break down also, but it made me metaphorically barf (I'm not a sentimental person so Spielberg and Hollywoods tricks don't work on me).

That is not a Carl Sagan proverb.
It is W. L. Watkinson's sermon 'The Invincible Strategy' collected in 1907 in The Supreme Conquest.