Jack: If they want to drink Merlot, we're drinking Merlot. Miles: No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm l...
Jack: If they want to drink Merlot, we're drinking Merlot. Miles: No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any f*****g Merlot!
Member since:03.02.2004
Reviews:36
Members who trust:20
Director: Michael Bay
Screenplay: Randall Wallace
Cast: Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Jon Voight, Cuba Gooding Jnr, Ewan Bremer, Dan Ackroyd, Tom Sizemore and Alec Baldwin.
Story: 1941. After continual warnings regarding the threat of war, the Japanese plan a suprise attack on Americas military fleet at Pearl Harbour. Meanwhile young hotshot pilot Rafe falls for British nurse Evelyn. After Rafe goes away on assignment and is presumed dead, Evelyn finds solace in the arms of Rafes’ lifelong co-pilot Danny. The two fall in love, only to be shocked by Rafes’ sudden return. Then of course, there’s that attack...
The plan was simple...emulate Titanic. Take a real life tragedy, add a little star power, up the ante by making the love story a love triangle, throw the chequebook at the screen and wait for uncle Oscar to come-a-calling. However honourable the intentions, this time it just ain’t gonna stick.
This
is in part to a script not so much in need of a doctor then a week in a local medical facility. Wallace’s screenplay is cliché’ ridden and uninspiring, making supposedly heartfelt dialogue totally laughable (Example – ‘I will never watch another sunset without thinking of you’ ). The opening half-hour is particularly awful as Rafe (Affleck) and Evelyns’ blossoming love...well doesn’t exactly blossom. They meet, spew corny lines to one another an we are supposed to believe they are lovers. By using the conventions of an American soap opera, any sense of investment we have in the characters is quickly diluted. Although let down by the script, Bay can’t play the romantic core of the film with a sure hand, opting to pull our heart strings with gazing looks and typical Bruckheimer sunsets, but it just doesn’t work.
Things become easier to digest once Affleck takes his leave of absence. Brought together in their grief, Hartnett and Beckinsale work hard to make their budding romance into something more substantial, Hartnett showing his potential by bringing some much-needed sensitivity to the material. His dialogue is much less awkward than Afflecks and he makes the most of it. Beckinsale isn’t given a lot to do, bar look good in a frock and joke with her fellow colleagues. Fine supporting players such as Sizemore and Voight are barely used, though the biggest waste is Cuba Gooding Jnr, playing the real life Dorrie Miller, who earned a navy cross for his heroics during the attack. How much more interesting it would have been to focus on this man as the centre of the story rather than throw him in as an emotional afterthought.
After a long 90 minute opening, the attack itself kicks in and for forty satisfying minutes you’ll suddenly feel that you’re watching a vastly superior movie. Bay recreates the attack with pure gut wrenching intensity, as planes, boats, buildings and humans collide into each other with devastating effect. The effects team must have all been paid overtime as the attack on Pearl Harbour is horrifically brought. The screen is littered with so much carnage that it’s hard to keep up. Thankfully Bay has learnt from past criticisms and wisely lets his kinetic camera linger that split second longer, allowing us to take in money shot after money shot. It truly is breathtaking to behold and manages to portray the grim reality of war without stylised bloodletting.
Once the spectacle dies down the film carries on for another hour as we follow U.S. attempts to seek vengeance against the Japanese simply by bombing them back. We are quickly plunged back into the movie we had forgotten about, just so everything can finish the Hollywood way and everyone can go home knowing that justice prevailed. Camaraderie, victory cigars, the Generals moral boosting speech that ends with '‘'’ going with ya'’..what is this, Independence Day?
Pearl Harbour tries hard, but you can’t help but wonder what could have been. Match Bays’ visuals to a real story, perhaps a political potboiler, and this could have been a genuine classic. However by manipulating us with a cringe worthy love story, whatever was meant to be profound comes across as plain silly. Give Bay his toys and he will deliver a heart pounding action experience. Give him anything else and he looks totally lost. Maybe for the sake of our own enjoyment this is one director who doesn’t need to grow up.
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
I completley love this fil its very long but it does make you think about the poor souls that died in pearl harbour very graphical to to realistic great review Em
ralfschumacher 25.06.2004 10:59
Again I would have given this 3 stars instead of 2 just because I thought it was more of an average film. But I must admit they tried to do a Titanic and it didn't work. Michael Bay just can't be the magnificent James Cameron. --Chris--
clownfoot 23.04.2004 15:33
Excellent review - although I felt the action scenes to be quite poor after following the visceral, intense and realistic nature of Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line and others in previous years! Alboy
December 7th 1941 - A Day Which Will Live In InfamyAs the lives and loves of a generation ... more
are tragically swept into the greatest conflict modern man has ever known - World War II - the events at Pearl Harbor become an extreme test for the strength of t...
Advantages: Historically accurate, covers both political and military side of the conflict, no pansy romantics. Disadvantages: Doesn't have the big-budget explosions.
Feb 4th, 2004
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