Why "Pearl Harbor" isn't great

Rating: 4/10 (29 May 2001)

Pearl Harbor was a disappointment for many reasons. First, it is a 3-hour movie and it takes 2 hours to get to the 20 minute Pearl Harbor scene. This movie didn't even focus on the horror of Pearl Harbor...it focused on the cliche love story. The love story was weak with many horrible lines such as "It is cold here. My only source of warmth is thinking of you." Oh, c'mon. Get more creative than that! There are too many movies with the "I look at the sunset and think of you" stuff. This movie should have focused on Pearl Harbor. It got way too "Titanic-Like" with taking a real life situation and drowning it in an overdone love story. "Saving Private Ryan" didn't need a love story to get an emotional response from its audience. The special effects are great and the only reason to watch the movie. Otherwise, I feel horrible that the survivors of Pearl Harbor have to be given this movie to remember their acts of courage and bravery for our country.