Not A Remake of Midway

Rating: 6/10 (9 November 2019)

Before folks start comparing this film to the very good Charlton Heston version - note that this is not a remake of that movie. While it portrays some of the events, this film focuses mostly on one fighter pilot where the 70's film focused on the planning and the senior officers.
Visually the film is outstanding. It looks great and has fantastic air and sea scenes.
Story-wise the film is a bit of a mess. The dialog is not the greatest, but it does not kill the film. The screenplay keeps the film a star or two above the pitiful Pearl Harbor, but it is too weak to propel this film into the Saving Private Ryan arena.
Emmerick was not the right choice for director. He is mostly a visual director who does not have the storytelling talent needed to tell this historically important event properly. Nor is he known to pull the talent out of an actor to receive the strong performances that these historical figures needed. An example of that is the lead - it is a very weak performance that takes away from the film at times. Mandy Moore is also a non-essential role and her input was not inspiring in any way. Dennis Quaid and Patrick Wilson are the sole reasons to watch the film and they keep it interesting.