Product: Midway (Collector's Edition) (1976)
Rating: 3.0
Above average despite flaws
One of the first things you notice about this movie is how charismatic these older actors are. Actors like Fonda, Heston, and Glenn Ford actually look the part of commanders. These actors fit perfectly into their roles, and none of them have the boy-like persona like many of today's leading men.Like The Battle of Britain, this film is a no nonsense retelling of actual events. The Battle of Midway for the Americans was just as important as the Battle of Britain was for the British, and this film captures that urgency well. Unlike the Battle of Britain, Midway is heavily reliant on actual WW2 footage and it is well integrated with the staged action. In theaters this film implemented something called Sensurround, which tried to created convincing combat audio through a vibrating effect. I remember some theaters installed special speakers to create this Sensurround effect.A few purists have pointed out that some of the footage lacks accuracy. For example, in one scene we first see a Corsair about to crash into the sea, and in the next scene, when it hits the water, it is an entirely different aircraft(Hellcat). One aviation historian called Midway the film of the incredible changing aircraft. It seems the filmmakers didn't think the audience's astute enough to notice these inexplicable changes of aircraft in mid-flight!The Japanese cast is equally as good. "These American sacrifice themselves like Samurai ", explains a Japanese commander marveling at an American dive bomber fleet attacking without a fighter escort. This is one of the more memorable lines in the film, and shows the Japanese in this film are not the stereotypes seen in earlier war films, but are warriors that are capable of admiring the enemy's braveryMidway is not a perfect film, but it does tell accurately what happened at this battle. The only drawbacks are some odd footage mistakes and an insipid romance between an American flyer and a Japanese girl. Despite these flaws I would rate this above average film.