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Pearl Harbor Customer Reviews (79 - 81 of 144 Reviews)

Bay gets his way
Director Bay kept his powder dry on the initial Commemorative Edition of "Pearl Harbor" that came out Memorial Day 2001, saving the real DVD firepower for this Fourth of July. Bay's latest campaign has produced the most ambitious DVD set to date. "Pearl Harbor: The Director's Cut" is made for people who are serious about film, art, technology and/or war. It's packed with special effects breakdowns, historical insight, full-length commentaries, interviews with survivors and a maze of other extras. There's a movie in here somewhere, but those seeking the popcorn experience should go with the original DVD. The stunning audio and video are at least as good on the 2001 release; most people won't be able to tell a lot of content has been crammed onto the movie discs.

Bay recut the film to add more realistic combat footage (mostly gore) and to remove some of the sappier moments (what he calls "earnest dialogue"). The changes -- including a shot of a severed head rolling around on a ship -- probably won't change anyone's opinion of the movie. "I always wanted to shoot (it as) an R-rated film," Bay says.

An interactive breakdown of the 27-minute attack sequence (on Disc 4) allows viewers to watch animatics or storyboards while comparing them to shots of the crew filming and the finished product. Several commentaries cover the attack section, including one with effects supervisor Eric Brevig. The audio also can be manipulated to isolate the sound effects and music. A fun featurette shows the actors going through a hurry-up boot camp with real drill sergeants at an Army base, with Affleck looking particularly miserable and a game Baldwin providing a slow-moving target.

The DVD set's historical content includes a fascinating documentary on U.S.-Japanese relations that covers several hundred years. The docu, unfortunately, was chopped up to fit a graphic timeline format that yanks viewers out of the narrative.

Bay and Bruckheimer learn to stop worrying and love the bomb
You'd figure that a movie like "Pearl Harbor" would take its subject matter seriously and with some reverence, but we're dealing with producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay, who are notorious for making loud, big-budget, empty-headed action flicks. Now, I like a popcorn flick as much as the next guy, but "Pearl Harbor" is as shallow as film making gets. To be sure, the 40 minute attack is as thrilling as a Six Flags ride, but there's no historical depth, originality, or dramatic thrust. The film borrows liberally from superior films like "Titanic" and "Saving Private Ryan," and the performances--from actors Affleck, Hartnett, and Gooding, Jr.--are wooden. Only the lovely Kate Beckinsale radiates some warmth and energy in her performance. As for the script, I was rolling my eyes every fifteen minutes: the screenplay leaves no stone unturned as it recites every war/romance cliche in the book. However, "Pearl Harbor" the DVD is well-presented: the picture is near flawless, and the 5.1 surround remix is the strongest I've heard. It doesn't surpass "Saving Private Ryan," but it comes close. So if you've seen the movie and you know you'll like it, then by all means grab it. Otherwise, you can find better ways to spend three hours of your time.

Very underrated. A great summer blockbuster!
PEARL HARBOR (2001, PG-13= War Violence, Some Language, Brief Sexual Content, and Images of Wounded) The Cast: BEN AFFLECK, KATE BECKINSALE, ALEC BALDWIN, JOSH HARTNETT, CUBA GOODING JR., TOM SIZEMORE, JON VOIGHT and COLM FEORE. The Genre: War/Drama/Action/Romance The Plot: After Rafe McCawley (Affleck) is sent off to fight for the British, his first love, Evelyn, (Beckinsale) and best friend, Danny, are sent off to Pearl Harbor. After hearing news of Rafe's death, Evelyn and Danny find a love for each other. When Rafe returns, only to find that the two are together, the bomb drops on Dec. 7th, 1941. What Works: Great war sequences, very believable special effects, fun acting, great romance and emotional ties. What Doesn't: Big Hollywood names being used briefly as minor supporting roles which aren't really focused on at all. This is another one of those films that uses a historical event as a backdrop for a love affair, and romance. This film also, obviously tried to copy a lot of the momentum and success of TITANIC, of course because the producers even said it will be the next TITANIC type film, and uses a lot of the same events and same emotional aspect. Reality Check: We should all know that there was no such romance caught up in Pearl Harbor, and that there wasn't any Rafe McCawley, Danny Walker or Evelyn Stewart, and that Danny and Rafe never shot down all of those planes. However, the characters of JON VOIGHT, CUBA GOODING JR., and ALEC BALDWIN are real, as is a lot of the war events of the attack- which are true. The Catch: Much of this film is expected, being it's a lot like TITANIC, but the film is very good. For those of you who don't like watching big love affairs caught up in major historical events- you may be disappointed with this one. OVERALL: "This great summer blockbuster is one to treasure, having sweeping romance, breathtaking action and an extremely emotional and impacting story line! This is the real PEARL HARBOR at its best! The Michael Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer team is triumphant!"

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