A very good film that might have been great.

Rating: 8/10 (12 June 2001)

Even before "Pearl Harbor" was released, I knew that it was more of a love story than a WWII Docu-drama, so I was not disappointed when I saw it. The film "Tora, Tora, Tora" still stands as the definitive telling of the historical tale, but "Pearl Harbor" managed to add more of the human side of the event. I'm not talking about the love triangle, but the people in general who were caught up in the attack, particularly in the hospital which had been so quiet (and empty) on December 6. The historical inaccuracies were minor and I'm not sure why the need was felt to take poetic license, but the fundamentals are correct. With a bit more thought and care this might have been a great film, but it is still worth a trip to the theater.