*SPOILERS* not that it matters

Rating: 3/10 (25 May 2001)

Well, here you go. If you want to know how this movie goes, read on.... rest assured that it won't matter anyway. *MANY SPOILERS*
Why won't it matter? This entire movie is a spoiler for itself. Some cases:

as soon as evelyn walks out of the bathroom after spending a good amount of time in there, you know she is pregnant. - you also know she will tell rafe, but not danny, because she wouldn't want that on his mind during the fighting. - you know that danny is going to die. he has to, he's the father of the baby. - you know one of them has to die anyway, since this is a love triangle- and since there's two guys one of them has to go. - when the nurse, betty, gets engaged, you know she'll have to die too. she's just too sweet and bouncy- it's the sort of thing that would be sure to tug an audience's heartstrings. - you know rafe doesn't die. - you know evelyn and danny are going to fall in love. - you know they'll all get some sort of medal at the end. - and of course, you can expect tons of explosions, many slo-mo montages, swelling music over broad vistas, josh hartnett shirtless, (though unfortunately for all too short a period of time), evelyn always gorgeous (even bloodstained), hastily panned over gore, (the worst you get is some spurting blood), no nudity, and so many "patriotic moments" (cue the music) it's overdone.

oh, it's not a bad movie. but don't expect it to do anything but shamelessly beg for your heart from the first moment. the very first scenes of the two little boys playing at being pilots is so specifically aimed at those mamas in the crowd. the opening scene, with a sunset and a plane, is gorgeous. the confused, jam-packed actions scenes are predictably harrying and heart-wrenching. the brief "courtship" scenes between evelyn and rafe are cute and funny. but character development is cut short, and the storyline is sacrificed in the intersts of special effects. which, by the way, also get overused. see the men cling to the sinking vessel!! see a torpedo plunge into the water, relentlesssly advancing towards the ship.. again and again and again and again. i swear they used the same footage for this one torpedo at least five separate times.
on the plus side, josh hartnett certainly is gorgeous. (wowee) kate beckinsdale... well, she's pretty and all american and wholesome looking, nothing as gorgeous as say, catherine zeta jones or angelina jolie, but good for this movie.
the acting works. and, much to my shame, the put-togetherness works. the formula made me tear up, even as i knew i was falling for it. it's not bad. but it's not the spectacular blockbuster i expected either... the fight scenes were noisy and choppy and predictable. it glamorizes war, as expected. the sex scene is nothing, nothing at all.. and the lead up to it is sooooo hollywood and so obvious.. isn't it every girl's dream to find a hot pilot who will take them up to see the sunset? especially if it's josh hartnet.. sigh.
this movie is formulaic out the wazoo. don't expect anything, and you won't get anything. i do hope it doesn't get best picture... it's nothing like american beauty, the english patient, or titanic, although it comes with the "buzz" and all the hype.. it's just too predictable!!!!

oh.. but josh hartnet.... that's reason enough for some people i guess. ;)