Visually stunning

Rating: 7/10 (6 February 2009)

Recap: Two kids grew up as best friends with a fascination for flying. They both become army fliers during the WW II and end up at Pearl Harbor the fateful day the Japanese strikes. They also end up in triangle drama when both become involved with the same woman, a navy nurse.
Comments: A long movie, but a little to my surprise, not too long. It has no problem to fill out the entire 160 minutes it runs, which many other movies finds it hard to do. One reason this does is that it has a few distinctive phases, or acts. There is pre Pearl Harbor, the attack and then post Pearl Harbor. Each with it's own story, almost like small movies or episodes within the movie. Because of that, no story runs too long, or gets old.
But honestly, the story is mostly secondary to the real experience. The epically beautiful visual part of the movie. If a depiction of a brutally violent and fatal event ever can be described as beautiful, I think this is it. Two details I was most impressed with was the bomb-perspective, were we got to ride piggyback on the bombs falling. And the vortexes behind the fighters as they fly through the smoke. Attention to details are appreciated.
This was a positive surprise for me. I had expected nice visual shots, and was not disappointed. But I had feared a much weaker and duller story. But together with the action shots it never felt long. Good entertainment, whatever others say.
7/10