An epic disaster

Rating: 3/10 (19 July 2001)

Pearl Harbor is a movie that defines an epic structure...the build-up, which many times involves a romance, the event to be viewed, the response, and the happier ending. That is definitely a broad and hideously worded definition of its structure, but the point is made. What epics require that Pearl Harbor simply did not deliver on is a reason to stay in your seats for around 3 hours...in other words, epics need good plots, good characterization, and good development.
This film had little good in it. The acting was sub-par, to say the least. Ben Affleck has had good performances, such as Dogma and Good Will Hunting. He has also had bad ones, such as Armageddon. This one, though, was the worst I've seen. Of course, I don't know if anyone could act very well with the screenplay he was given. Josh Hartnett wasn't much better, but he was evenly more poorly written. Kate Beckinsale just wasn't at all convincing.
The storyline was awful. The love-triangle story that emerged was the most melodramatic and unnecessary plot that I have perhaps ever seen. This film was searching for tears, but it only made me wince with pain.
If those two things weren't bad enough, the handling of supporting actors was worse. Tom Sizemore, a very capable actor (Check out Bringing out the Dead and Saving Private Ryan.), had too small of a role. Cuba Gooding, Jr: ditto. Jon Voight, the best acting performance in the movie, was much under-used. Alec Baldwin did as good a job as he could have with as poorly written a character as he was given. Simply put, a movie all should have said no to.
The battle itself was too long and too uninvolved. Was it me, or did I just see the same thing for 40 minutes? All I saw was people dying, and all I felt was boredom. Sure, people dying and things blowing up were what they saw too...but they felt it, they endured it, and they were angered by it. This should be felt by the audience, too (I was actually feeling guilty for not caring that much for the battle as I was watching it.)...and the last thing I was thinking about was enduring more. I was becoming angry...but not at the attack...while watching this film.
So what were some goods of the film: Hans Zimmer delivered musically. He had a subtlety that few musicians have anymore. He made the Japanese sound ominous but not menacing...appropriate, I think. Special effects were great...but you have to have something to back it up. Jon Voight was excellent as FDR. Why did I not see more scenes with him in it?
The attack on Pearl Harbor was an event that changed America forever. Many soldiers and civilians died, and all that were there were psychologically never the same. This movie did not show this at all...and that this wasn't shown makes this movie simply one of the worst failures ever to be displayed on film.
Rating: 3/10