One of the best of 2001

Rating: 10/10 (29 August 2002)

I don't care if a movie is 3 hours long, or if every little historical detail is not 100% accurate. I know the film makers were not making this movie for the sake of "pretty actors prancing around in a bogus movie." I know for a fact that Michael Bay set out to make a great film. He dropped out of this movie twice before getting what he wanted. While this movie is also around to bring in money, it was also meant to be good. Michael Bay was at his best in the director's chair. The visuals were fantastic. The cinematography was comparable to SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, where bright colors are not so apparent. The dialog was not cheesy. Even though some story-telling elements are basic, it's all worded differently by the actors who do a great job. Ben Affleck is one of my new favorite actors. Over the years he's matured as a real serious actor. Josh Hartnet has still got it too. Kate Beckinsale did a nice job too, and it's hard to believe that she was difficult to work with in this movie. Even though it was a small role, it was nice to see Dan Aykroyd. (Did I spell it right?) He had something of a serious presentation with the few lines he had, and made his extended cameo more noticable than it normally would be. Alec Baldwin was also a good touch to the movie. I only wish to see him more as a leading man than a suporting man. The special effects looked very real. I could not tell what was computer animation and what was real. This was especially effective during the big moment of the movie. The seemingly 40 minute battle sequence at Pearl Harbor was one of the most intense sequences in any movie. This scene alone is worth the whole movie. It has been a long time since I held tightly to the seat, pushed against the cushions, and had to catch my breath when the scene was over. Plus it wasn't glorified to a stupid level. The sequence didn't make it look like the Americans won. But it did show how they were able to take a stand as best they could during the horrible battle. They at least lost while giving the Japanese everything they got. Another great touch was how old WWII footage would be shown, and how the movie was filmed within it. And how it would fade from old film to new film in between scenes. This movie was critically panned simply because people got their hopes up WAY too high. A movie shouldn't fail because of this. It seems like people would like movies better if they weren't so ready for "the best thing in the world." PEARL HARBOR isn't the best, but it's one of the best of 2001.