Terrific Movie!!! The Critical Reviews Aren't Warranted.

Rating: 9/10 (11 November 2019)

I've been reading about the Battle of Midway for nearly 50 years and thoroughly enjoyed the movie Midway (2019). I honestly can't think of how to make a better Battle of Midway movie with a running time under 2.5 hours. Any film on the engagement needs to address Pearl Harbor, Doolittle's Raid, and the code breakers to put the battle in context. That's a broad time frame with many participants and locations, which makes this subject difficult to cover in the constraints of a movie. Following the Enterprise Air Group was an adept choice by the writer, Wes Tooke. My congratulations to Director Roland Emmerich and his team. Midway (2019) honored the men on both sides and treated them with the respect they deserve. I've seen most war movies and Midway (2019) is in my top 10.
Considering it's Not a Documentary, it is Remarkably Accurate
My favorite comment about historical accuracy is from retired Rear Adm. Sam Cox, the director of the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC). "I'm glad they did a movie about real heroes and not comic book heroes. Despite some of the 'Hollywood' aspects, this is still the most realistic movie about naval combat ever made and does real credit to the courage and sacrifice of those who fought in the battle on both sides." Personally, the story of how VS-6 pilot Willie West died about two weeks before the battle was another detail in the fabric of the engagement that was new to me.
The Critical Reviews Mention the Over-the-Top CGI
The over-the-top CGI is often compared to Star Wars and I understand. The Zeros strafing Pearl Harbor remind me of the alien air attack on Area 51 in Independence Day. And, Lt. Best's attack on the Hiryu harkens to Lando Calrissian's "YEE-HAA!" while flying out of the exploding Death Star in Return of the Jedi. I hope someone figures out how to display proper WWII flight and crash dynamics with CGI during my lifetime. In the meantime, I'll suspend disbelief and enjoy the current state of the art. It's far better than the patchwork live-action in Midway (1976). On the flip side, the trailers made it clear that this would be the visual look of the movie. If you can't handle the 'gamified' CGI, you should skip Midway (2019).
The Critical Reviews also Mention the Lack of Exposition/Cheesy Dialogue
The lack of exposition is likened to hard-charging characters in a Sgt Rock comic or a Clive Cussler novel. As an aside, I'm not a fan of either. But to see period examples of this type of square-jawed dialogue, simply read the letters and diaries of the men who fought at Midway. This style of discourse was typical. And anyone who has served in the military has both stood beside and reported to wanna-be Sgt Rock's. I graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1982, and at the time, 'rock' was a positive nickname for a person with an exemplary military bearing. They exist in peacetime; they exist in wartime. It's just part of human nature. And the movie does a yeoman job of showing the transition of Ed Skrein as Lt Dick Best from a 'rock' to a responsible leader shouldering the bond of other men's lives.
Does the Movie Need a "Heel"?
To counter this one-dimensional aspect of men at war, Midway (2019) could have added a 'heel' on the American side. Someone akin to the character of Capt Herbert Sobol or 1st Lt Norman Dike from Band of Brothers. And real-life 'heels' existed at the Battle of Midway. Two obvious candidates are Stanhope Ring and Marc Mitscher with their infamous 'Flight to Nowhere'. However, weaving in the Hornet Air Group story arc would have extended the running time by at least 40 minutes and further muddied the existing story arcs.
For Your Grandfather or Someone Aligned with the Aviators of Midway
The unenthusiastic critics struggle with a conflict of values. On the one hand, they point to the men portrayed in the movie as members of 'The Greatest Generation.' Yet they have a tough time perceiving their words and actions as authentic. The critics can't believe this full measure of devotion has a place in today's more complex world where the dividing line between good and evil is blurred. But it's these critics' belief in moral relativism and situational ethics that create their skewed view. One critic noted that this was a movie to see with your grandfather. I'd broaden that audience to anyone who has values aligned with the Midway men who stopped an existential threat to freedom and liberty. This movie shows that 'Freedom isn't free.' A return to those values would enable a subsequent generation to address today's existential threats and become just as great.
My View
I hope this movie succeeds and encourages someone else like Spielberg and Hanks to produce a mini-series for the Battle of Midway. There are at least a dozen Americans who weren't mentioned in Midway (2019) but are candidates to be interpreted in a miniseries on the battle.