An Open Letter to Michael Bay

Rating: Null/10 (29 May 2001)

Dear Michael Bay,
I saw Pearl Harbor this past Saturday and based on reviews and some word of mouth I was determined that your film would be a dog (very disappointing especially after some of the best trailers I have ever seen in the theatre). Well after sitting through the movie for 3 plus hrs I must say that it was not as bad as some people made it out to be. Sure the dialogue is a bit syruppy at times. Sure the romantic triangle seems a bit forced. Sure you do a disservice to Cuba Gooding and his character (a real life pearl harbor hero) by giving him a bit role (I'm assuming most of Cuba's lines will be in the Pearl Harbor DVD). And sure you bring smiles to the political correct fans by turning the Japanese into reluctant attackers (riiiiiight!!!). But Michael Bay, despite these flaws (there are several others) you created a film that kept me entertained for the duration with several scenes/lines (some intentionally funny - some accidentally funny) that I will spend the rest of the summer reciting to my friends along with 2 pretty intense battle/action sequences. And really, despite people howling about how there is no soul to your film or how the story stinks, this is really why everyone went to see the movie - to see the battle sequences - and these do not disappoint. So Michael I think your "sin" is not creating a storyline (much like in Titanic) that would make audiences feel better about going to watch a film about a huge disaster. As far as I'm concerned, you did pretty well and didnt feel the movie was half as bad as critics are making out. You and Bruckheimer keep making pictures that please the masses. PS: Whenever you make Pearl Harbor 2 I think you can handle the Japanese/political correctness issue in a much more subtle fashion than you did in this movie. Instead of making the Japanese commanders out to be reluctant attackers, follow a young Japanese pilot as he prepares for this mission (go watch Saving Private Ryan to see how Spielberg focuses in on a "sympathetic" German soldier). That would be a much easier way to build "sympathy" for the Japanese, rather than having Japanese commanders going around saying how war stinks, etc, etc