wait until it comes out on video and then rent something else

Rating: 1/10 (4 June 2001)

"I want my nine dollars back" was all I really intended to say in this review but apparently I HAVE to write four lines in order to have my review included so here goes... contrived "love" story, wooden acting on the part of the three leads, painfully lame dialogue, cliche upon cliche, apparent attempts at "Spielbergian" moments that fall flat, a superficial cast of one-note nurses that belong in a sit com. Poorly written, poorly directed, poorly edited. Yes the attack was on a grand scale but I was completely emotionally detached from all the carnage -- maybe because I didn't give a hoot about the characters or maybe because it was just too special effectsy to make the horror feel real. (Unlike the beach battle scene in "Saving Private Ryan" during which I was shaking like a leaf and could barely look at the screen from behind my hands.) -- There WAS one really, REALLY good moment in Pearl Harbor. The scene with Cuba Gooding and the Captain -- real and powerful and ripped my heart out. Too bad the whole movie wasn't as good as that simple, single moment. In short, in my humble opinion you should do yourself a favor, rent "The Longest Day", "Bridge on The River Kwai", "Empire of the Sun" and watch the opening beach battle scene (and tank scene too) in "Ryan" instead and save your ticket and popcorn money for a well crafted film like "With a friend like Harry" :-)