A Good (current) Attempt at Remaking A War Classic

Rating: 6/10 (15 February 2020)

The effects / CGI & attention to small details (horrifying or otherwise) of war - eg the poor burning sailors shown (albeit at a tasteful distance) falling from ships during the Pearl Harbour attack...certainly advances in technology have allowed better combat 'epicness' when comparing this to 2001's 'Pearl Harbour' which obviously utilised more real life shots than here. I don't mind the pace, the time spent on critical characters (nice that they mix ideas & info from other films, like Halsey's hospitalisation etc). Characters are generally very well-played (Patrick Wilson, a classic gruff Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Etsushi Toyokawa & Tadanobu Asano & Woody Harrelson is solid in a rare serious/historical role), the photography is just lovely & w/delightful vibrant Pacific colour in outdoor scenes, possibly a little dark in interior shots...my main issue w/this picture is some of the pilot & crew leads who (accepting the classic presumption of fighter pilot types & their common/assumed over-confidence) just stick w/their starting personas of attitutude & arrogance, being continuously disrespectful of authority etc in a number of the main roles (esp.Skrein) who'd been flying for some years & would've surely lost that act pre-war, let alone once a combat veteran, right through to young inexperienced crew/gunners who even once 'experienced' w/multiple combat sorties, act like its their 1st fresh-faced flight. That character 'behaviour choice' made some of these men's portrayals seem VERY questionable to me & unfortunately shot holes in an otherwise decent attempt to cover a LOT of historical lead up, often forgotten behind the scenes / codebreaking coverage, the mistakes/choices on both sides in huge battles & the excellent action.