Titanigeddon

Rating: 10/10 (1 June 2001)

Before seeing this film it is important to note the following:
1. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer 2. Directed by Michael Bay
Conclusion: Expect a high concept storyline, a script laden with testosterone, stunning visuals edited within an inch of their life, a rousing soundtrack (preferably by Hans Zimmer), a bit of humour, a bit of sadness, and a HUGE amount of "God bless America".
With this in mind, and with all expectations of a thought-provoking, 'sensible' film thrown away, Pearl Harbor is the ultimate summer popcorn movie. Clearly, not everyone likes this type of film, and if your enjoyment of a film depends on the script and the quality of acting then this film could quite possibly make you ill. I think it's reasonable to say that if you didn't like Armageddon, you'll hate this. That's not to say that fans of Armageddon will necessarily like this as much.
In Armageddon, Bay had 2 1/2 hours to try and fit in as much action as possible and the tone was decidedly tongue in cheek. With Pearl Harbor, Bay and Bruckheimer have tried to go more serious by following the Titanic-approach of a doomed love-story. While this does produce a more emotional ending, it comes at the price of action and pacing. The first hour deals mostly with romance and really could have been cut down a bit. We get some relief with the English/German dogfight sequences which are the first suggestion that we are going to witness something truly breathtaking later. In fact, though this first hour and a half feel slow and tedious at times, this makes the Pearl Harbor attack all the more exciting by contrast.
The 35 minute attack is incredible with Bay's kinetic action style finally given a chance to shine. There are similarities in technique to Saving Private Ryan but so what. There are more than enough highly-original shots to compensate for the seen-it-before stuff.
After the attack, the film never slows down again, since it tones down the romantic plot and concentrates on the more traditional Bruckheimer "let's kick the bad guys' asses" plot. Consequently, the film becomes decidedly more Armageddon-y with numerous rousing speeches, heroic slow-motions, tough training for a dangerous mission, and an upbeat ending tinged with tragedy before the credits role accompanied by a cheesy, charts-friendly, love anthem.
Ideally, the love story could have been shortened at the start because Bay is an action director and romance has never been a strong point in Bruckheimer films. In fact, like the Rock and Armageddon, it is the male bonding that produces the more powerful emotional connection.
Pearl Harbor is at the top of its genre - big, loud and, assuming you can switch your brain off, very emotionally powerful. It is not a Titanic, it is not a Saving Private Ryan and to compare it to such films is unfair to the intentions of the film-makers. It is an action film and Michael Bay has yet again proved that in this field of visual entertainment, he is the best of the best.