Mostly Blah

Rating: 4/10 (26 May 2001)

I think this is the finest mediocre film that I've ever seen.
First, I will admit that the photography is delicious and gorgeous, and that the war scenes are fantastic and extreme well-done.
But then, that's about all the nice things I can say about this film.
Most of the acting is bland and rather wooden, and any good acting that might be there is ruined by a script dominated by a dull, uninvolving love story and silly, often putrid lines of dialogue. I had forgotten that so many cliches could be found in one script.
Michael Bay is at his finest during scenes of great action, but he seems really uninspired and lifeless during any scene not requiring some adrenaline. He also cuts away far too often, and many of his close-ups look too close-up. The score is repetitive to the point of being grating as well.
This has also has to be the most blatantly condescending and emotionally manipulative film I've seen in a while.
At least I could enjoy the beautiful photography whenever the story annoyed me.
Non-war scenes: 3.5/10 (lame), 65% of the film War scenes: 8.5/10 (excellent), 35% of the film
Average Rating: (3.5 x .65) + (8.5 x .35) = 5.25/10--Mediocre