Bay rewrites history

Rating: 1/10 (10 April 2006)

I wasn't too concerned about historical accuracies of films which are based on true events, as long as they were kept to a minimum, but this movie changed my mind. Michael Bay completely changed the events of Pearl Harbor.
There was just too much historical inaccuracy and fictional characters in the movie. The movie makes no mention of real life heroes George Welch and Kenneth Taylor, the pilots who actually flew over Pearl Harbor. They're instead replaced by two fictional characters.
The love triangle is the main focus of the movie, which is completely unnecessary and a waste of time. Kenneth Taylor, who died in November 2006, called this film "a piece of trash . . . over-sensationalized and distorted".
The USS Arizona did not jump a few feet into the air when it exploded. There is actual footage of the ship exploding, yet Bay made it more dramatic looking. Another obvious mistake is the A6M Zero, which are all painted green, resembling an army type (navy types were all grey when they attacked Pearl).
The Doolitte Raid was surprisingly included in the movie. Although the event is a response to the Pearl Harbor attack, I feel it is merely to give the American audience some relief that at least they get to see some payback. I wonder if Doolittle ever said he would do a 'kamikaze' if his B-25 was hit.
Of all the actors/actresses who starred in this movie, only Cuba Gooding Jr. delivered an outstanding performance as Doris Miller did shooting down two Japanese planes with only a machine gun. However, the actor was merely playing a supporting role and his actions in the movie was far different from what he did in reality.
The Director's Cut version does not change my opinion of this movie. Until a historically accurate & entertaining remake of Pearl Harbor has finally been formulated, I will remain frustrated and angered at Michael Bay's awful directing.