Despite fallbacks, Pearl Harbor soars

Rating: 10/10 (23 June 2001)

Dramatic climaxes. Love triangle. BIG explosions. Despite many harsh reviews Pearl Harbor did not sink, as many would have liked to see it do. Yes, you will have to sit on your butt for three, long hours but it is worth the time. And must I remind everyone of how many times the majority of us sat through Titanic? Ignoring the clichÃ©s and striking similarities between the two movies 'Pearl' tops Titanic on all levels. Enough said. The love triangle becomes a little monotonous, although what was M. Bay drinking when he did the casting? The only reason Ben received the lead was because his name was Ben Affleck, his role/character dangerously like that of his in Armageddon. No stunning performance there. And who decided to use Kate B. as the heroine of the movie? As the story progresses you wonder why these two men are fighting over her in the first place and by the end of the movie end up hating her and her character. Josh Hartnett, who by next year, should be up for at least one Oscar nod, captures the ONLY intelligently good role in the movie. The boy is seeping with talent that Hollywood is now, disappointingly, only discovering. Finally, there's that BIG 40 minute explosion scene, which I must admit wasn't too bad, although realistically, would never have looked like that. Despite some fallbacks, you'll get your money's worth. Some action, some romance, and, yeah, OK a numb butt. Ignore the critics- Pearl Harbor soars.