May
28, 2001
Not a Five Star
Effort
by Carl S.
Ey
The entire attack on Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941 took less than two hours
but director, Michael Bay, takes three
hours and three minutes to weave the
audience through Pearl Harbor's
semi-twisted love story, one great battle
scene and a very poor depiction of the
Doolittle Raid on Tokyo.
Initially, this over-hyped movie
begins as your typical World War II love
story between Ben Affleck and British
actress Kate Beckinsale. Affleck is a
cocky and dashing fighter pilot cut from
the same mold as Tom Cruise in Top Gun.
Beckinsale is his sexy, Florence
Nightingale love interest. It is almost
predictable.
However, the movie takes us through a
fantasy when Affleck seems to perish only
to come back to life and make things very
difficult for his leading lady and
Affleck's co-star Josh Hartnett, who
becomes involved with Beckinsale. For the
record, Affleck may have received top
billing for this "flick" but
his absence and Hartnett's effort takes
the stage from Affleck.
As the tension mounts in this love
triangle, the actual bombing of Pearl
Harbor takes place. The fifteen-minute
movie scene of the attack is fantastic!
Bay illustrates not only the tragedy and
human sacrifice of combat but the
post-attack depiction of how the doctors
and nurses dealt with the incredible
number of wounded service members is
haunting and leaves a hollow feeling in
the viewer's stomach.
The movie returns to fantasy-land when
Affleck and Hartnett take to the air to
run the Japanese fighter pilots out of
Pearl Harbor. Although Americans love the
underdog, two against the majority of the
Japanese fighter force is not even a bet
you could place in Las Vegas. It is a bit
of a stretch to understand how these two
young stallions were the only two pilots
capable of launching their aircraft to
make the Japanese run and hide - but that
is Hollywood.
The movie ends, finally, with the raid
on Tokyo that makes heroes, again, out of
Affleck, Hartnett and Alec Baldwin, who
is completely out of place as an American
war hero in Lieutenant Colonel brass. Not
only does Baldwin need a haircut but he
is never going to be John Wayne and he
shouldn't try!
Although Pearl Harbor had some
impressive scenes besides the actual
attack, such as a riveting moment when
Jon Voight as FDR challenges his military
staff to fight back, the movie isn't
worth the 183 minutes of stale popcorn
and flat soda.
Cuba Gooding Jr.'s performance is
nothing but a bit part and his talent is
wasted. Baldwin is miscast. Dan Aykroyd
is a complete joke as a "tubby"
Navy Captain with a great deal of
intelligence but no guts. The mere fact
that these three actors are part of the
previews is a complete teaser for the
movie goer. They aren't a big deal and
quite frankly may have hurt their
reputations in order to get a shot a
movie that isn't quite the epic movie
goers may have hoped for.
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who is the
Japanese commander, gives the best
performance. Although, many won't
recognize his name, you will recognize
his face. The remaining performances save
Voight's pale in comparison to Tagawa.
My recommendation is that you wait to
see this movie on video. Beltway traffic
in Northern Virginia during rush hour
provides more entertainment value in the
same three-plus hours. By the way, when
the video comes out, hold off your rental
for another month so that you can get the
"five night for one price" deal
because unless the sheep are keeping you
awake, I can't see how anyone can hang in
there long enough to watch this from
title to credits!
© 2001 Carl S. Ey
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