Surprisingly enjoyable

Rating: 8/10 (3 September 2001)

I went into this movie with low expectations as to how much I would enjoy it. I'm not a war buff, or an American, and my knowledge of the factual events behind this story is pretty limited. Not to mention the fact that I am not normally a fan of Bruckheimer's overhyped action pics that are usually loaded with big budget effects and a low budget screenplay.

Imagine my surprise when three plus hours flew by and I found myself walking out of the theatre having thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

The character development, while not flawless, was well done. As a viewer, you grow to care, not only about the three leads, but about several supporting characters as well. Admittedly, I cared enough about Rafe, Danny and Evelyn to shed a few tears during the emotional climax scenes.

The comparisons to Saving Private Ryan are inevitable. However it is impossible to fairly compare this movie to the Academy Award winning spectacle that was Saving Private Ryan. Pearl Harbour never pretended to be anything more than a big budget summer blockbuster film - this much is evident from any of the trailers that were being shown before its theatrical release. Saving Private Ryan was a film steeped in realism. It was a graphic recreation of the horrors of D-Day on the beaches and a piece of cinematic genius (even though it doesn't rank on my list of favourite films).

To compare these 2 films is to compare apples and oranges. Perhaps a more adequate comparison would be to liken it to another tale of love and romance set against the backdrop of a historical tragedy - Titanic. While the film falls drastically short of the mark here too, it is far more similar to this film than to the aforementioned SPR. Anyone who went in to this movie expecting to see the events of the attack on Pearl Harbour with a Saving Private Ryan edge, was bound to be heartily disappointed.

Taken on its own merits, Pearl Harbour stands up quite nicely. It adequately represents and recreates the events surrounding December 7, 1941 while giving the movie a greater range to allow it to appeal to a wider audience by adding the fictional story of friendship, love, betrayal and heartbreak. Granted it is flawed, and it is served with a large helping of Hollywood "cheese", but when was the last time a perfect picture made it to the big screen? They are few and far between.
Check your history books at the door and go in expecting to be entertained by this 3 hour saga. To that end, Pearl Harbour succeeds. It is a thoroughly enjoyable summer blockbuster that should have something to appeal to everyone.