It could have been so much better.....

Rating: 4/10 (26 May 2001)

It had a massive budget, compelling subject matter, the magic of ILM and an all star cast. With all this, director Michael Bay delivers a movie that is 20% effects-driven war drama and 80% daytime soap opera. The curse of Titanic has yet again cast its shadow over Hollywood. Must movies have a contrived love story (in this case, an unnecessary triangle) in order to justify the special effects budget? Other movies have managed to do without (Saving Private Ryan, for one). Bay could have easily cut 90min out of this movie and made it significantly better in the process. I fear Hollywood will continue to fill it's big budget movies with crap for years to come. If only all those 16 year old girls hadn't fallen in love with Leo, maybe we all could have been spared.
Don't get me wrong, I like a visual extravaganza as much as the next guy. I just don't want to sit through 90min of "General Hospital" in order to see what Hollywood can bring to life on screen. It's not worth it. Rent it and fast forward to the good stuff.