Pearl Harbor Rating: Sorry, this product is not currently available. Cast: Ben Affleck Kate Beckinsale Josh Hartnett Jon Voight Complete Cast (16 total)

Pearl Harbor Reviews

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Falls short of expectations
Pearl Harbor is a film that got a lot of hype at first and then got tons of criticism in the end. Despite what I heard and read about Pearl Harbor being a big flop and disappointment I saw it and found the majority of the criticism to be founded. It's not so much I think the film is a disgrace to the men and women who were at Pearl Harbor over sixty years ago or that it's an embarrassment to our veterans. I just think it was a disappointing story in a fascinating yet tragic time in American history.

Everyone knows the plot by now: two boys grow up together and fall in love later on with the same gal. The stereotypical love triangle: love vs. friendship. So the love story is nothing new, nothing great, been done before hundreds of different times. The director knew this and thought he could pull a fast one by taking this over used script and just incorporate it in tragic period. This was the mistake of the film. The movie isn't about Pearl Harbor, December 7th, or the start of WWII. It's about a love story that includes famous events such as the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Doolittle raids.

The film is titled Pearl Harbor so I think most people that went to see it thought that's what it was going to be about because that's what it's titled. After the movie, we all feel confused over what the movie is about because Pearl Harbor is just the backdrop and the real story is about something we know all too well about: the love triangle. This is highly disappointing. If we want to see this kind of romance we'll go see a romance film that we know is going to be about romance. Pearl Harbor shouldn't be about two fly boys sharing the love of a nurse. I anticipated it to be about something similar to Tora Tora Tora only to have more centralized characters.

Now, even though the plot doesn't match the title and the romance is way too predictable and stereotypical to begin with, what ruins this movie is how much the movie is dedicated to the romance. The film is over three hours long. Close to two hours of it is donated to the romance story. Not to mention the romance seems to cut in and out of serious events. One minute Roosevelt is talking to his cabinet, the next Hartnett and Beckinsale are swimming together. One minute Affleck is writing to Beckinsale about how much he loves her the next scene shows the Japanese going over how to attack Pearl Harbor. What's happening is two different stories that are trying to be woven together at the same time and it doesn't quite work because one is interesting while the other is boring. And the one that is boring gets the majority of screen time.

The acting in the film is something else to be desired. I'm just totally disappointed to how the Japanese high command is painted. They act as if they're reading lines rather than portraying real life Japanese admirals. Such as Yamamoto's line: "I fear all we have done is awoken a sleeping giant..etc." He says it so quick and without meaning, it had little effect to the viewers, when the quote itself means quite a bit.

I'm disappointed because from a story viewpoint this isn't original. Not even close. It's highly predictable and disinteresting. The special effects are great, the action sequences are well done, but none of that matters if it has a weak storyline. We wanted to see a movie about Pearl Harbor the events that led up to the attack, the attack itself, and its aftermath. We didn't want to see this stupid love triangle that dominated the movie while the day of infamy is nothing more but a stage for it.

I think this story would've been a box office success and smash hit among viewers abroad if it wasn't titled "Pearl Harbor." It deserves a different title because its story does not correlate with the events. It's really too bad because the film had plenty of potential but it was mis-used in the form of cheezy romance that we can find in any other movie. Pearl Harbor gave the impression that it was supposed to be a special film not a high budget movie with an ordinary plot. But that's what Pearl Harbor is: just plain ordinary.

Grade: C-

A Definate Recommend - Well Done Movie
This DVD is excellent. Even the scenes as you wait between movie or other features is enjoyable.

Affleck and Harnett have a great relationship in the movie and there are some interesting twists in the film. I think the hallmarks of the film were the obvious attack on Pearl itself which will actually rock you. Even the DVD was powerful in that respect. I do not have a wide screen, yet the DVD did not take away from the impact of the attack scene. Alec Baldwin as Doolittle also plays an interesting part in the film.

The addition of the Doolittle raid gives the film a sense of completion. Most Pearl Harbor type movies end with proclamations, but this ends with the response to Tokyo. That actually added to the flick. There was a war after this attack on America who was really sleeping.

Even the length was interesting. It actually added to the movie. I think it would have been a rather barren movie if it was shorter. The relationships in the movie were touching and sensible. Cuba Gooding as our cook turned hero 'Dorie Miller' does a credible job of blending into the movie just as Dorie Miller blends perfectly into the history of the attack.

This DVD is very interesting with the additional features especially touching is the unsung heroes of Pearl.

This movie is a testimony to the sense of Pearl Harbor history, there are some areas where, though not perfect have a tendency toward reality. Even John Voight as Roosevelt starts out a little edgy, yet develops into character.

I liked Pearl Harbor and will enjoy this movie from time to time thinking deeply about the impact that the loss of lives had on our nation.

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