Tora Tora Tora meets Romeo and Juliete

Rating: Null/10 (29 May 2001)

I was excited and eagerly anticipating the release of this film. So eager that the day it came out I went out and got tickets right after work for a late showing. However, I came into this movie with the wrong mindset. I came in anticipating this to be a huge modern version of "Tora Tora Tora" but with a story involved. Instead what I feel that I got was 3 hours of love story/Hollywood. From all the previews and specials on TV I was under the impression this movie was completely about the Battle of Pearl Harbor. I think the way this movie played out, the Battle did not even need to be in the movie, as far as I'm concerned it was as 'bout as relevent to the movie as a car chase scene would be to any action movie. I understand that without the story involved all you really have is a documentary with special effects. However I feel that the story took too much center stage. Many have compared this movie to Titanic and they do fall into the category of a story written around a historical tragedy. However I feel that in "Titanic" the story led up to the sinking and worked around the sinking. In the case of "Pearl Harbor", the battle came and went with the story still going on and I don't feel it changed any of the characters outlooks, opinions, or attitudes for that matter. I'm sorry but if I were to go through such a tragic ordeal, the last thing I would be thinking about is who loves who more. I think this movie gave us more love story and only touching on the historical events that led up to and prior to the attack. Basically this movie was about 2 pilots and a nurse they both love, I feel that as much emphasis as they gave to this part of the movie, the attack on Pearl Harbor could have merely been something one of them read in a newspaper. I am not going to give this movie a thumbs down, because the actual battle scene was outstanding minus the part about the 2 stars and their dogfight scenes. Check your history, I do think that only 2 planes actually made it off the ground but I don't think they came off an airfield nor did they do hot dog stunts either. Take a moment to remember those that have died and those who have survived to give you the freedom you have today.