What's the problem??

Rating: 9/10 (26 June 2001)

I've read more than enough negative reviews of Pearl Harbor to last until next summer's blockbuster comes out. Apparently, looking for the good elements in a film is old-fashioned and naive, but I found plenty to appreciate in this film.
The cast is charming, funny, and believable. The stars are, perhaps, too attractive, but this is the way almost every movie is cast. Why rake Pearl Harbor over the coals for choosing appealing actors? The characters are memorable, and real, despite some cornball dialogue. Were all the critics expecting Shakespearian complexity in a big-budget re-creation of 1941? Even a less-than-poetic script can't diminish the impact made by this fine cast, who give the "greatest generation" an accessible, familiar face.
Pearl Harbor's romanticized look at pre-war America certainly misses the mark on historical accuracy, in favor of beautiful shots and a politically-tactful summary of world events that led America into war. If the film had concentrated on facts and figures, it would have been an expensive documentary, and an obvious rip-off of "Tora! Tora! Tora!" Instead, Pearl Harbor gets involved with a group of people who lived through an extraordinary period of world history. It gives the audience, especially young adults, the impetus to seek out more information about the attack on December 7, and World War II as a whole. Even those who criticize the film have been motivated to examine its flaws and to exhort the public to learn the "real" story of Pearl Harbor. Education and awareness of America's past is a positive outcome, regardless of the critical review of a film.
As for the motivation behind Pearl Harbor, I must admit this is the weakest point. The film was not made for love of country, but for love of money. Released on Memorial Day weekend, in the year that will see the 60th anniversary of the attack, Pearl Harbor was carefully calculated to be a success. It is not as visionary and artistically inspiring as it should be, but it can be appreciated on its own merits.
The film is touching and well-acted. It succeeds as a love story, a war epic and an action spectacular. It is well worth the price of admission, and is a fine addition to the ranks of WWII films from Hollywood's past.
Rated 8 of 10.