Pearl Harbor

First things first, the fact that many of the posters only show Ben Affleck and Kate Beckinsale is a travesty. Josh Hartnett's Danny is the heart and soul of this film and one of the driving forces for this review to be more positive than negative.

Pearl Harbor is a fascinating film. On one side, you have the incredible action sequences that depict the devastation of the events of December 7, 1941. On the other side, there is an abundance of melodramatic romance that becomes tiring and cumbersome. The problem is that the action sequences are only about 1/4 of the film, where the romance is the other 3/4. If that was flipped, I think Pearl Harbor would have much better reviews and would have resonated more with audiences.

Best Character: Danny Best Quote: "No, you are" - Danny Best Scene: December 7th Best Piece of Score: "Tennessee.

Est-Ce fabuleux!

"Ma, you know who else lived through World War II besides grandpa? I did", I screamed at her from outside the house, while still getting down from the cab that I took from the cinema. What a great movie it was. The images of the gusty air-force combats and the invasions are still in my head, the sounds of the thunderous cannons still roar in my ears, and the gentlemanliness of the army men, with their uniforms and planes, still leave me grasping for more, as did the jam-packed theater. 

Why did it have to get over? Why couldn't it last just a tiny bit longer? The sky high aerobatics, the machine guns, the fighter jets, the discipline, the pretty army women, the well ironed suits, the line of command, and the bigger than life climax, I adored it all. The chemistry between the leads is something to look forward too. The unconventional romantic relationship and the intimate scenes between the lovers spice up the movie and give a new twist to the plot.

If you want to feel the thrill and the emotion of being at war and love at the same time, of being away from home, of being behind enemy lines, and of leading your country to victory, go and watch Michael Bay's extraordinary take on the events leading up to and involving thereof one of the most disastrous catastrophes of the era.

Michael Bay never misses a chance to leave his viewers awestruck with his action packed works, with strands of deadly love. And he did it again with Pearl Harbor.  The movie, though titled Pearl Harbor, is much more than that just the bombings. The war is twofold: between countries and between hearts. Army Air Corps, Affleck and Hartnett, thick as thieves, become the target of a deadly love triangle, with the potential of encompassing their friendship, falling in love with the ever-pretty Evelyn, which results in a love-hate relationship being fired up between the two captains. But Bay has something new to offer rather than the clichéd. Their friendship is tested when they are sent off to war together, resulting in their hatred for each other ultimately turning, or rather returning, into a brotherly bond. The climax is sort of depressing, but that is overcome by the patriotism of winning the war.

The motion picture is certainly not for the faint hearted. It is a mixed bag of emotions, and it is one that has many holes in it. The movie takes its audience through a variety of different emotions, starting at a high with love and patriotism, progressing to hatred and anger, and then ending into sorrow and dismal. The movie throughout, holds its viewers onto their seats and unleashes a surprise, a twist, every few frames, bounding them to think on what may follow next.

I don't understand, why people are rating this film so bad. In my opinion its a good mixture between action and love story. Maybe a little bit more action. And in my oppinion a film hasn't to be 100% accurate, when it's enjoyable to watch it. If you want accurate things, then you have to watch some documentarys and not action films.

(Please excuse my French, it's probably wrong) Roll up, roll up! See the cinematic spectacle of 2001! See the horrible deaths of 2500 or so people commemorated by a film about two guys who fly fast planes really fast. See them go ZOOOOOOOOM, see them go WHIIIIZZZZ! See them reprise the 'flypast and debriefing' scenes from Top Gun. Watch the beautiful love story unfold. See the true love two people have for one another tested and broken when Kate Beckinsale comes between them. See a fine young actor reduced to playing Token Black Guy. Watch as he fights to prove he's more than a Token Black Guy, even though he's given so little to do that he ends up as nothing more than a Token Black Guy (even though, unlike the two guys in the planes, Token Black Guy actually existed). Watch the awful bombing of a military target. Watch the heroic bombing of a city. Watch Jon Voigt recreate Peter Sellars' unforgettable character Dr. Strangelove. Watch the whole reality of war, and the lives and deaths therein trivialised to make a Big Dumb Action Movie that thinks it's some kind of ghastly tribute to the American dead of December the 7th. Or better still... don't! On the other hand, if you want an unrealistic film with ponderously paced romance, fighter planes zooming all over the place and nice explosions, check this out. It's a lot of fun. Just don't take it seriously - you'll only encourage them!

About one third of the way through this mess, my daughter left her friends and came to me for some money to go to the concession stand. I asked her if they were selling pillows there. This is one of the longest movies I have ever sat through (at least that's what my back tells me). It has some of the worst writing I have ever heard. The set-up and the romantic intrigues are predictable and uninteresting. There is absolutely no suspense. The whole plot is contrived. Oh, yes, there is an endless attack by the Japanese, but by the time it happened, my mind was wandering. As far as those tragic lovers, I thought I was watching a bunch of eighth grade girls and boys ticked off because she said he said she said, whatever!! Then, of course, we have Jimmy Doolittle, going on his raid to make up for what those guys did to us. What a slap in the face to the real event. How can a director with 135 million dollars make the attack on Pearl Harbor dull. Yes, it probably looked like that. Those bombers and fighters moving clandestinely in on the island--destroying the fleet with no conscience. What about a script? What about the building of some sort of momentum? How about focusing on the realistic politics of the time and seeing the world from both sides. I was so disappointed in this film. People wonder why it's so expensive to go to the movies these days. It's because the studios are footing the bill for this kind of bilge!