A decent rival for "Titanic" that packs one hell of a wallop!

Rating: 5/10 (27 May 2001)

The acting is slightly weaker than "Titanic" but the special effects are incredible in "Pearl Harbor", 2001's first summer blockbuster. Ben Affleck gives a barely admissible performance as Rafe McCawley, a good IL' boy from Tennessee-turned-aviator and Josh Hartnett is Danny Walker, his best buddy from childhood on up while Kate Beckinsale is Evelyn Johnson, the hot little number they both love making the film a war epic with a love triangle. Of course us guys come to see ships and buildings blown up while the ladies come for the love story (which is the same aesthetic that applied to "Titanic") so it offers something for everyone. Who knows?, it may even top "Titanic"'s box office record. Of course the action upstages the romance to a great extent; so when they come back to it you ask yourself, "Now, what was happening to these lovebirds?" but you catch up pretty quick. With Jack and Rose in "Titanic", we cared more about their relationship than the fate of the ship, whereas its just the opposite with Rafe, Danny and Evelyn--we are mostly interested in what happens to Pearl Harbor and how it parallels with what really happened. Faith Hill's sweet love song (which runs during the end credits) "There You'll Be" is no "My Heart Will Go On", but it does have a chance at getting nominated at next year's Oscar ceremonies. In short, "Pearl Harbor" is the latest blockbuster that everyone has been hearing and talking about and should be advised to go see in the movie theater and not wait for it to come out on VHS/DVD... you will lose so much of it's scope on the TV screen.