Let the summer season begin

Rating: Null/10 (27 May 2001)

"Pearl Harbor" launches off the summer season promising some of the most spectacular battle footage on film. While that is correct, the movie itself is brought down a couple notches by the story and it's rather lengthy method of unfolding. At just a hair over three hours, "Pearl Harbor" doesn't pass like "Saving Private Ryan" did, but rather tends to take a bit too long explaining itself.
Storyline consists of the friendship of two young men, Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett). Growing up together in a small town in (I believe it was) Kansas, the boys have nothing to do but look forward to one day flying for the US Army Air Corps. One day an event occurs that leads Rafe into his role as Danny's protector. This continues as the boys grow up and join the AAC. Rafe volunteers for a dangerous mission in the "Eagle" Squadron, a group of American pilots assisting the beleagured Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britian. Before leaving though, Rafe meets a young Navy nurse, Evelyn Johnson (smartly played by Kate Beckinsale). Evelyn is not only smart and classy, but exceptionally beautiful. Rafe and Evelyn fall in love and she promises she'll wait for him to come back from Britian.
Without divulging too much more of that plotline, things don't quite work out as planned and tension exists between the two friends that finally erupts on Dec. 6, 1941.
The next day's events are absolutely mesmorizing. Bruckheimer and Bay are at their best when things are exploding and guns are firing. The entire Pearl Harbor attack and the subsequent Doolittle raid (which, ironically, is exactly what it did.....little) are the high points of the film. Unfortunately, they only entail about an hour of this three hour epic. A lot of the setup story could have unraveled faster and perhaps shortened the running time.
Not too much can be said about the supporting cast, as they primarly only supported. Cuba Gooding Jr. is underused in this one, but plays his role well and never detracts from the story. The other Navy nurses existed only as background clutter, although Betty (James King) adds a bit to the humanity factor of the attack itself. Jon Voight makes an outstanding, if not a bit dry, FDR. Totally believable.
"Pearl Harbor" is not a bad movie, but neither is it an outstanding movie. The three hour running time is a bit indulgent, as most of the primary love story could have been shorter, the Doolittle raid left out altogether, and perhaps a bit more emphasis placed on Pearl Harbor itself. Historical inaccuracies abound in this one: Japanese carriers didnt have superstructures on the deck!!, the attack took place at 7:55 AM, yet kids are playing organized baseball games???
Still, "Pearl Harbor" is worth a viewing.
3 out of 5