Midway

While I know a lot of reviewers liked the 1976 version of "Midway", for someone who knows about aircraft, it's a frustrating film. Again and again and again, the film uses old footage...much of which show planes which never fought at this famous sea battle! And, in a few cases, you'd see fighter planes turn into dive bombers and the like....all due to sloppy editing and a 'it's good enough' attitude. Because of this, I strongly recommend you see the 2019 version, which gets around this issue by using CGI...and modern CGI is incredible and looks real. Well made, but not perfect, but a very good film for folks who are interested in war films and history.

By the way, I wrote a review for this a few months ago and it never appeared on this site. It was much more detailed...but I just haven't seen it recently enough to review it more in depth.

Midway delivers a solid, visually striking depiction of one of World War II's most pivotal battles. Directed by Roland Emmerich, the film is packed with breathtaking aerial combat scenes, impressive special effects, and a clear respect for the historical significance of the events it portrays.

The standout feature of Midway is its dedication to historical accuracy. From the strategic decisions to the portrayal of key figures like Admiral Chester Nimitz (Woody Harrelson) and Lt. Dick Best (Ed Skrein), the film successfully immerses viewers in the high stakes of the Pacific Theater. The cast does a commendable job, with standout performances from Harrelson and Dennis Quaid, although some dialogue can feel a bit stiff and overly dramatic at times.

While the action scenes are gripping, the movie's pacing struggles in places. The focus on numerous characters and events, while admirable for its scope, can feel overwhelming and disjointed, leaving some storylines underdeveloped.

Overall, Midway is a respectful and thrilling tribute to the bravery of those who fought in the Battle of Midway. While it doesn't quite reach the emotional depth of films like Saving Private Ryan, its action-packed sequences and historical focus make it a worthy watch for fans of war movies and history buffs.

I'm just coming from the cinema, Midway is a worth to see movie, but the filmmakers used a bit too much CGI, sometimes you feel like watching a Medal of Honor game trailer.

Midway is not just the name of the place where a historic WWII sea battle took place between the Americans and the Japanese, it's also the point in this film where I realised I didn't know what was going on. Director Roland Emmerich (Godzilla, Independence Day, 2012) is obviously no slouch when it comes to action scenes, bringing us some truly astonishing battle sequences that provide much bang for your buck, but he struggles to tell his complex historical story with any coherence.

As the movie cuts back and forth between the American and Japanese forces, with numerous ships, locations, characters, and much detailed wartime strategy to take in, it's easy to lose track of what's what and, more importantly, who is who, making it hard to feel anything when they meet their inevitable fate in a ball of flames and twisted metal (the most emotional part of the whole film comes right at the end when photos with captions show the real-life people who were instrumental in the battle).

Of course, those who are watching, not for a history lesson or for heart-rending pathos, but for thrilling scenes of destruction and derring-do, are more than catered for with countless huge explosions, plenty of machine-gun fire and loads of impressive aerial combat. While most of this is realised through the use of CGI, it's well-handled and, for the most part, very convincing.

5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

Abundant, not-quite-realistic computer-generated images make Midway look more like a video game than a depiction of real-life events. The overuse of subpar effects is the most dominant - but hardly the only - problem dogging this film. Epic war stories are difficult to tell without focusing on a few characters. This film unsuccessfully juggles too many plot threads and too many characters to keep an emotional anchor to the simulated events unfolding. Woody Harrelson is outstanding, but other cast members cannot overcome the limitations of the material and the challenges of acting on computer-generated sets.