Better than I expected

Rating: Null/10 (11 February 2004)

This movie is NOT a documentary, nor is it FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. The first hour is bogged down with a rather contrived love story that is almost unbearable. Nonetheless, the final 2/3 of PEARL HARBOR redeems the picture. The love triangle is ultimately resolved somewhat plausibly, with the final scenes actually being rather touching. While obvious liberties were taken with historical accounts for various reasons, the integrity of the film remains intact -- the attack scenes and the American response to Pearl Harbor is authentic in principle, as is the portrayal of FDR and his leadership. The cinematography, including the action scenes, are outstanding and believable, as one would expect for the budget of this picture. Finally, devoting the final hour of the film to the Doolittle raid is a rather satisfying resolution, as it allows the story to come something close to full circle. PEARL HARBOR was rapped in part because of the subpar acting, and there the critics have a point -- Ben Affleck still can't act his way out of a paper bag, but he is fairly well-cast as the stoic, confident fighter pilot. Alec Baldwin is a surprise as Jimmy Doolittle (a rather ironic casting given Baldwin's politics, but he is actually a highlight of the film). The supporting cast is adequate, not sensational, which makes the "slow" scenes a little tedious, but all told a film worth seeing.