not the right subject for "Titanic type story telling.

Rating: 3/10 (2 March 2006)

Question?what do you get with a combination of Jerry Bruckheiner,$150million budget and a screenplay based on one of the most important historical events in modern history,Ansewer,a complete mess.
Micheal bay's reconstruction of the infamous attack by the Japanese air-force on the American pacific fleet based at Pearl harbor in December 1941 is 30 minute's worth of impressive film making which looks spectacular on screen ,Its just the other 130 minutes of "Pearl harbor" that is a complete load of rubbish. The film tries to pack to many subjects into one movie and in the end this is it's downfall.What you get is a war film,buddy movie,love story,biographical account of historical people and events,defeat and victory all mixed in to a 3 hour film that should of been only 2. The prolonged sickerly-sweet love triangle and the doolittle raid were totally unnecessary given the most crucial aspect of the film was the attack on Pearl itself,And if the director had had concentrated on that subject alone instead of going down the "Titanic" route of story telling (love story set against a sombre theme)it could of turned out so much better.
The set pieces are effective and use the aid of modern digital technology to it's advantage,Bringing the aerial sequence's to life which are thoroughly eye catching.Though sum of these scenes are spoilled by the gung-ho American approach.Points being the young USAF pilot being inexperienced in the field of air combat but able to jump straight into a spitfire and take on the Luftwaffe and later Japanese zero's,But where supposed not to notice that. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the script and the wooden acting.
Ben Affeck and Josh Harnett give it their best as Raffe and Danny but are not convincing enough in the period characters they are playing,Kate Beckinsale's character Everlyn gives you the impression that she would open her legs for any serviceman with a little bit of charming and Ewen Brenner's stuttering character is just annoying,As for Cuba Gooding jnr's take of Dorris Miller, that is the worst and not done to the right effect. That said there are some creditable performance's from Jon voight as FD Roosevelt and Alec Baldwin does a good job playing Lt col Doolittle.But these roles are lost among a weak scripted.
The film tries and fail's in bits to tell the story of WHY and HOW the Japanese planned and then attacked Pearl harbor from a Japanese point of view,Unfortunately their isn't enough of an explanation of why,just they refuse(the US) to give us vital oil,and the how is a very quick bunch of scene's and not explained with enough focus on the actual event,the director's to anxious to get back to the love story and blowing ship's up.
THEN THE MOVIE TAKE'S A ON AN UNNECESSARY THIRD ACT.
After the humiliating defeat by the "Jap's" at Pearl harbor it's time for the Americans to kick some ass,This is achieved by the Doolittle raid on Tokyo which is historically accurate but the timing of it is not ,Or the film gives you that impression! The Doolittle raid tuck place around the middle of 1942 after which time the imperial Japanese had occupied much of south east Asia including American territory(the film fails to tell you this). And this is how the film ends with Raffe and Danny crashed landed in China after the Tokyo raid.(what about the US pilots captured over Tokyo,which also doesn't get a mention in the film).
I do like the bit where during the Pearl harbor attack Danny say's the line "world war two as just started" to inform everyone as to why there being blown to bits,I wounder what the British,French,Canadian and Russian force's would of made of this belated observation by the young American. To sum all this up i would say the film is a embarrassment and insult to the veterans on both side's(OK the Japanese were no angels)but the American's never fought back at Pearl harbor the way it is shown in this film .If your looking for an account of the events in the pacific field of combat during 1941 try watching "Tora Tora tora".If your offeneded by the good ole American view of the war"(what defeats)"then i recommended you stair clear.