The Eat-As-Much-As-You-Like Movie

Rating: 6/10 (6 June 2001)

At over three hours it's easy to see why the critics don't like it - they get bored - humdrum script, lousy acting for much of it, formulaic and predictable (and hey - they didn't pay for it!). For the rest of us, it's sort of good value for money if you like cheese, explosions, a nice love song, enough extras to repopulate China, and an indication that someone has spent an awful lot of dosh making a BIG movie to keep you awake long enough to work through one of those extra humungously big cartons of popcorn. Who cares if it's quality or not? Titanic won lots of Oscars and the critics didn't like that either. Pearl Harbor isn't up to Titanic standards, but it at least aims at that sort of scale. There's LOTS of big warships, LOTS of hunky naval officers, LOTS of beautifully made-up nurses-in-waiting, and OODLES of lovey-dovey triangular 'dilemma' stuff. Plus it's really easy to follow (quick synopsis - Japs bomb Pearl Harbour and bring Americans into World War II - geddit?) If you need to exercise your brain or artistic aspirations go and see Miss Saigon or read a book. Or you can always check out the Movie Gaffs websites to see some of the continuity errors and play spot-the-gaffe. (The bit where Ben Affleck makes his nose bleed with a champagne cork is cute - each time the camera cuts to his face the blood is there or has vanished or is back again!) If you want to go to the movees with a few friends who really aren't into films, go and see Pearl Harbor - they'll all think you're great for taking them to see a nice big blockbuster.