Rating: Summary: Five stars for hilarity! (but one, really...) Review: In this amusing Michael Bay effort, John Hartnett and Ben Affleck star as pilots in love with the same woman, a for the time surprisingly anorexic model-type played by Kate Beckinsale, of 'Emma' fame. This love triangle gets so convoluted and unbelievable throughout the film that one almost expects Hartnett and Affleck to end up together, or possibly even a sexy soft-core three-way (Beckinsale: "Oh... I just can't decide between the two of you, so I'll have you BOTH!").Equally hilarious is the complete lack of historical accuracy, from the Germans bombing DOWNTOWN London (and where would this be, pray tell?), to the fact that Hawaii is populated by nothing but rich Caucasians, dressing their kids as angels and chasing them down hills in slow motion. Also of course absolutely nobody smokes, despite the fact that this is the frickin' '40s. Not to mention the physically impossible flying scenes during Bays action scenes, apparently an intended homage to Star Wars - or so they would be if Bay's direction didn't immediately disintegrate into a rampageous helter-skelter mess of atrocious takes, clumsy acting, irritatingly gut-wrenching hand-held camera wiggling, and music-video editing. The movie's politically correct portrayal of the Japanese should also not be missed, planning their attack with toy boats in a little pool while lamenting the unfortunate fact that they have to attack the United States. "A brilliant man would find a way not to fight a war", Yamamoto says, "but they have given us no choice. Due to some economical reason or other, possibly to do with trade routes or something, we must attack the U.S., even though we really don't want to. In fact, we love America and are really, really sorry for having to attack it. Please accept my most sincere apologies for this heinous act. [*starts sobbing*] Oh, why? WHY must we do this? WHHHHYYYYTY!" FDR: "You see, because I can get out of my wheelchair and walk, our sneak attack on Japan will be successful!" FDR's advisors: "You truly make a persuasive argument, Mr. President!" If this has not convinced you to watch this hilarious comedy, nothing will.
Rating: Summary: good acting? Review: The words "Good Acting" and "Ben Affleck" should never, ever be placed in the same sentence together....unless you are a 13 year old girl reading US magazine. Nightmare of a movie, ugh!
Rating: Summary: Avoid this one like the plague Review: I dont know why they made another Pearl Harbor movie after Tora,Tora,Tora. That was a 5-star classic. This trash doesnt even do the Pearl Harbor attack justice. It features bad acting, bad actors(Ben Affleck), bad dialog, and a sappy love story. The special effects are good but seriously If you wanna see a real movie about Pearl Harbor with good acting, accurate attention to detail, good storyline and years of research buy or rent Tora,Tora,Tora. That is the only film that gives the most accurate depiction of December 7,1941.
Rating: Summary: From a Viet Nam Vet Review: I'm a decorated Viet Nam Vet. Although I thought I had it pretty tough over there, I realize it was nothing compared to what faced our soldiers in WWII. My father was a WWII vet as were most of my uncles. They seldom talked about it, but I saw tears in their eyes when I would ask them pointed questions about their experiences. For those who have never experienced war, you will never understand the terror of it. For those who poke fun at it, or make it into something it isn't shame on you!!! Filmakers should take the time to be realistic and accurate as possible...especially about something as serious as this!!
Rating: Summary: An Absolute Disgrace Review: This movie was an absolute disgrace from the corny love story to the completely overdone special effects. If I were a WWII/Pearl Harbor Veteran this movie would feel like a slap across the face. It's a real shame too given the talented actors/actresses, location, and costumes. It is for this reason alone that I give the movie four stars. This movie could have been a real masterpiece if the Director and Producers had paid closer attention to detail.
Rating: Summary: Great Chick Flick - minus the war scenes Review: This movie attempted at satisfying both sexes with both war and love. Unfortunately, this was unsuccessful because there wasn't enough war and gore to keep males interested, leaving the only audience to be sappy females who didn't want the war scenes at all. I find myself fast forwarding through all the parts that don't pertain enough to the love story aspect of the movie.
Rating: Summary: A very good film that has been shamefully abused. Review: I confess that I did not have a high opinion of "Pearl Harbor" when it was released three years ago. However, I changed my mind when I rented the movie this past December. I found the film to be very entertaining and a sincere effort to honor those who lost their lives that day and to all the veterans of World War II. As a student of American and military history, I expected and accepted that there would be some historical inaccuaracies. However, I was surprised and pleased by what the film got right[.] ... Overall, "Pearl Harbor" was a very satisfying movie and I am glad that I have had a change of heart and now own a copy ...I applaud the cast and crew for a job well done and thank them for their homage to our veterans. If this film inspires our citizens to learn more and remember that "date which will live in ifamy," than "Pearl Harbor" is truly a worthy effort.
Rating: Summary: Falls short of expectations Review: Pearl Harbor is a film that got a lot of hype at first and then got tons of criticism in the end. Despite what I heard and read about Pearl Harbor being a big flop and disappointment I saw it and found the majority of the criticism to be founded. It's not so much I think the film is a disgrace to the men and women who were at Pearl Harbor over sixty years ago or that it's an embarrassment to our veterans. I just think it was a disappointing story in a fascinating yet tragic time in American history. Everyone knows the plot by now: two boys grow up together and fall in love later on with the same gal. The stereotypical love triangle: love vs. friendship. So the love story is nothing new, nothing great, been done before hundreds of different times. The director knew this and thought he could pull a fast one by taking this over used script and just incorporate it in tragic period. This was the mistake of the film. The movie isn't about Pearl Harbor, December 7th, or the start of WWII. It's about a love story that includes famous events such as the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Doolittle raids. The film is titled Pearl Harbor so I think most people that went to see it thought that's what it was going to be about because that's what it's titled. After the movie, we all feel confused over what the movie is about because Pearl Harbor is just the backdrop and the real story is about something we know all too well about: the love triangle. This is highly disappointing. If we want to see this kind of romance we'll go see a romance film that we know is going to be about romance. Pearl Harbor shouldn't be about two fly boys sharing the love of a nurse. I anticipated it to be about something similar to Tora Tora Tora only to have more centralized characters. Now, even though the plot doesn't match the title and the romance is way too predictable and stereotypical to begin with, what ruins this movie is how much the movie is dedicated to the romance. The film is over three hours long. Close to two hours of it is donated to the romance story. Not to mention the romance seems to cut in and out of serious events. One minute Roosevelt is talking to his cabinet, the next Hartnett and Beckinsale are swimming together. One minute Affleck is writing to Beckinsale about how much he loves her the next scene shows the Japanese going over how to attack Pearl Harbor. What's happening is two different stories that are trying to be woven together at the same time and it doesn't quite work because one is interesting while the other is boring. And the one that is boring gets the majority of screen time. The acting in the film is something else to be desired. I'm just totally disappointed to how the Japanese high command is painted. They act as if they're reading lines rather than portraying real life Japanese admirals. Such as Yamamoto's line: "I fear all we have done is awoken a sleeping giant..etc." He says it so quick and without meaning, it had little effect to the viewers, when the quote itself means quite a bit. I'm disappointed because from a story viewpoint this isn't original. Not even close. It's highly predictable and disinteresting. The special effects are great, the action sequences are well done, but none of that matters if it has a weak storyline. We wanted to see a movie about Pearl Harbor the events that led up to the attack, the attack itself, and its aftermath. We didn't want to see this stupid love triangle that dominated the movie while the day of infamy is nothing more but a stage for it. I think this story would've been a box office success and smash hit among viewers abroad if it wasn't titled "Pearl Harbor." It deserves a different title because its story does not correlate with the events. It's really too bad because the film had plenty of potential but it was mis-used in the form of cheezy romance that we can find in any other movie. Pearl Harbor gave the impression that it was supposed to be a special film not a high budget movie with an ordinary plot. But that's what Pearl Harbor is: just plain ordinary. Grade: C-
Rating: Summary: What a Mess!!! Review: I never thought I'd see a film that made "Showgirls" look like "Citizen Kane!" "Pearl Harbor" is the worst movie in the history of the cinema!
Rating: Summary: Great DVD of a not-so great movie Review: The special effects of this monumental world event are stupendous. The fictionalized soap opera story of the three sexy young leads, however, is mind-numbing cliche that seems to last longer than the war itself. This is why "Scene Selection" was created! Fortunately, history buffs will be able to enjoy the battle scenes and the wonderful Bonus Features including a "Making Of" special and a History Channel documentary. However, if you really want the best of the Pearl Harbor movie experiences, check out TORA! TORA! TORA!
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