Stick With It - The Wait Is Worth It

Rating: 5/10 (9 June 2002)

This is two movies in one, and almost forces anyone trying to review it to divide it into two parts.
You have to have some serious "stick-to-it-iveness" to make this work for you. The first hour and a half or so is all about the love story between Rafe (Ben Affleck) and Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale). The most generous thing I can say about this is that it is excruciating. The romance is never really fleshed out. It appears almost out of the blue and seems to move in a stuttering way that doesn't make a lot of sense. I didn't think there was much chemistry between Affleck and Beckinsale, or for that matter between Beckinsale and Josh Hartnett, who played Danny - Rafe's best friend and eventual rival for Evelyn's love. Too cliché, and the reason for the conflict between Rafe and Danny is too contrived. This first half gets a 2/10. You will almost be prepared to turn this thing off - until the Japanese attack!
Here's where "Pearl Harbor" begins to shine. Everything you've heard about the special effects contained in this are absolutely true. They are magnificent, and succeed in putting the viewer right into the heart of the battle. The acting still doesn't shine - but it doesn't have to! This is edge of your seat stuff and makes the horribly dull first half worth it. These have got to be some of the most realistic war scenes ever put together by Hollywood. The second half rates an 8/10.
A couple of casting notes are in order. Dan Aykroyd as the naval captain who is also the crack decoder just didn't work for me, and Jon Voight - who played President Roosevelt - simply did not capture the part. Overall - no better than average performances, even from the leads. So, let's see. A 2/10 for the first half, and an 8/10 for the second. That averages out to 5/10 - and that seems right to me. Not a glowing endorsement overall, but you will be amazed by the battle scenes.