I really wanted to like this movie, but just can't

Rating: 6/10 (9 February 2020)

First off, my dad flew SBDs in the Pacific. This is stuff I grew up with. It's tough to know where to start, but the characterizations are as good a place as any. Overblown would be the kindest way to describe them. Borderline disrespectful caricatures using Hollywood's naive idea of what military types are like would be the worst.
Then there's the dialog. I know they're trying to set the stage, but having characters flat out spout the historical setup is crude at best. If you know nothing about WWII, it might not bother you. If you do, you'll likely cringe.
Then there's the CGI. The actual renderings didn't bother me much, but darkening the entire color palette to stress how somber the subject is an amateurish move. The entire screen play is overwrought as well. Perpetual seriousness. If you've ever been involved with such things, you'll know that there are months of boredom and normalcy, interrupted with a hour of terror here and there.
It seems as if the filmmakers wanted to honor the subject, I'll give them that. So an A for effort, but they miss the mark. Badly IMHO.
If you want to see a movie about the Pacific, see Tora, Tora, Tora. The stunts are real, and the characterizations far more realistic. I didn't think the previous Midway was all the great, but this one is way off the mark.
Dunkirk it ain't.