Pearl Harbor

Rating:
Summary: A Good Romance... Not for guys
Review: I think the problem with "Pearl Harbor" was that it was advertised as a strictly action-packed film - which made guys want to go see it. Because it was really about the love triangle, audiences said it was a bad movie. However, since it is a romantic story (with some awesome battle sequences), in that sense, it is a good movie. I went with a bunch of my friends and we all enjoyed it. I actually didn't think it was going to be that good, so the fact that I thought it was should say something. I don't think many guys will enjoy this movie other than the hour and a half of battle so I recommend women seeing this movie. I can't guarantee you'll love it like I did, but it's still an entertaining movie. (If for no other reason...watch it just to see heartthrob Josh Hartnett!)

Rating:
Summary: Pearl Harbour-Love or Hate?
Review: Alright, well I was extremely disappointed...in all these lousy reviews that I've heard and read about this movie! What can I say I loooooved it! Of coure, I went into the movie theatre knowing it was a love story. But I laughed and I cried, I don't understand how people could say that there was no humanity in this movie, I just don't understand. I loved the way the attack was also told from the Japanese point of view, so it wasn't a completely rah-rah, go americans type of movie, and the way it proved that if they had just listened to their instincts, it might not have happened.
But I loved the love story, it was great, heart wrenching at the end, and the action shots were amazing, and the actors and actresses were perfect for their roles. It was truly a great movie and I can't wait to see it on DVD with the extra shots.

Rating:
Summary: A Work of Art, Made To Be Admired--Not Criticized
Review: How quickly we are willing to criticize something that we did not create, a work of art belonging to another--but isn't that human nature? To judge a book by it's cover, a musician by a single song, and a person by his or her appearance. And didn't we do the same for Pearl Harbor? Didn't we, the public, see the posters, read the reviews, and then spurn the epic tale off as another Titanic? Yes, I was reluctant to see the movie. I didn't want to sit in the movie theater for three hours, and I didn't care to see another war movie. But Pearl Harbor turned out to be so much more. How can you say you hated the movie, when saying that makes it sound like you hate a part of our history as Americans? The movie inspired such a feeling of patriotism and allegiance in me that the American flag is now something more than just a piece of fabric--it is a symbol of what our country fought for, what our soldiers died for. I cannot believe the apathetic, unconcerned public when it comes to this movie. They read the critic's reviews, and like the lemmings that they are, did not care to form their own opinions of the film. They only sat back and let the film take a plunge in box office sales. Yes, it had beautiful movie stars in the leading roles--but I ask you, what movie doesn't? And yes, the story was a love story--but wasn't Titanic? And yes, the beginning is a little bit slow and each character is introduced--but if they weren't, would we really care if they got killed during the bombing a little further into the film? Pearl Harbor is the most moving, heart-rending film I have ever seen. I cried throughout the movie, ashamed at myself for never realizing what those unsuspecting people went through that terrible morning almost sixty years ago. I'm still ashamed that I could have so much apathy toward America's history, as inaccurate as some may say it was in Pearl Harbor. But, really, don't all 'historical' movies have some kind of inexactitude? If they didn't, they would be a documentary--rather than a fictional--film. Every actor in Pearl Harbor is talented beyond belief. Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Josh Hartnett, Jon Voight, Dan Aykroyd, Ben Affleck, James King, Tom Sizemore, Alec Baldwin, and the thousands of extras helped to bring the movie alive. I admire all of them for standing tall even when the public tried to shoot them down. It is my belief that every movie you see touches you in some way, and changes our existence in ways that we don't always notice right away. They change our entire outlook on life, making us more sensitive and changing our goals and convictions. Pearl Harbor is one of these life-changing films--it made me a better person in numerous ways, through intensity and patriotism, through awareness and realization. God bless the cast, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Michael Bay for making me more humble and finally showing me, even with all the glitz and computer imagery, that I should be forever proud of my country.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Romance, Needs More Fact
Review: I thought that the movie itself was excellent. It was kinda long and lacked alot of solid fact but for the most part the factual info that was in was presented extremely well.

Rating:
Summary: The movie gleam for 2001
Review: At first after hearing all the hype about this film I thought that it would just pan out as a typical pre-summer movie, I was wrong. What made it special for me was that I viewed it along side Japanese viewers. So it was pretty interesting viewing what was going on on screen and watching what was happening to the audience. I even saw a row of old men around their 60's watching...crying actually during the raid scenes. I wasn't sure how to react but that made it memorable for me. The movie made my summer, I won't even bore you with the details because if you haven't seen it and you're planning to buy the DVD,(preferably the one coming out this January 2002) Go ahead and pay-away, it's worth adding to your collection. I'm definitely getting my copy.

Rating:
Summary: Pearl Harbor
Review: Fantastic- the best film I've ever seen, fantastic cast and gripping storyline, definitely a film you will think about for weeks after you have seen it!

Rating:
Summary: Don't listen to Hollywood; this movie is epic...
Review: To everyone who "walked out" after realizing this was "a love story" as well as a war movie: you judged it too harshly, too quickly. To Hollywood, which presently is endeavoring to change our society---and not for the better: This exquisite rendering of three lives tragically shattered by WWII, is of such depth and beauty that I am not surprised you didn't appreciate it. The moral overtones must have gagged you. The first time I saw Pearl Harbor w/ a group of neighbors, we lost all track of time. Three hours? To a one, we didn't even notice; it was so absorbing. Everyone cried, we cheered, we passed the Kleenex box from row to row... We felt proud to be Americans. It was a noble, heartrending film. We walked out shaking our heads at the poor reviews, eventually coming to the conclusion that we simply aren't Hollywood; we're just rural America, and we differ greatly from Southern California on any number of issues. I visited my 50-something sister in the DC Beltway area and took her to see it---against her will. She didn't want to go after such poor reviews. She, too, left in tears, barely able to mouthe the words, "Why did this get such bad reviews? It was the best movie I've ever seen!" The third time the story was the same: People all around us were amazed how much they loved Pearl Harbor. It wasn't uncommon to overhear people make snide remarks about Hollywood "killing it" for one reason or another... My dad was at Pearl Harbor. He lost good friends in this war. Dad's a smart man, a retired scientist. If anyone would be critical of a WWII flick, it would probably be him. He usually gets terribly bored at movies and goes along only to keep peace in the family. Not this time... He was completely caught up. During the battle scenes, he was so "in the moment" again, that he actually leaned over the seat in front of him, hung his head, and wept. Afterwards, he sat a long time in the theatre, very quiet...remembering. When he finally did open up, he said, "It wasn't exactly like it was then, but it was pretty close. Pretty close. I guess Hollywood had to put in a little here and there, but they did a good job with this one." He didn't mind at all that a love triangle was woven into the story. "It wasn't a documentary for crying out loud," he said. "That personalized it, helped you feel what we felt: the tension, the waiting, the loss, having to deal with your world turned upside down by something more awful than you knew existed before..." He saw Saving Private Ryan and all the others. His conclusion? They were gratuitous, the cursing, the indiscriminate killings, the senselessness of it all. They were far more typical of the Vietnam era than WWII. "No," he told us, "This one was really more accurate. Very painful to relive, but very true in spirit. Kids need to see this." It was this way everytime we saw this film. In New England. In the mid-Atlantic. In DC. Five times I saw it, and five times I sat mesmerized. It was so hauntingly beautiful, incredibly sad, yet still redeeming, too. All around me people cried and related to the characters on the screen. Inevitably, someone, sometimes many people, stayed after to comment on how moved they were by this sure-to-be epic. If you didn't see it based on the poor reviews out of Hollywood, go anyway. Don't let them dictate what makes a good movie for you. They're dead wrong on this one. Time will prove it. This movie was about the character, bravery, selfless sacrifice, and delayed gratification that made us a great nation. It's what we're missing in our society today. That the Hollywood generation can't relate to this film isn't surprising. It's a sad reflection on their collective loss of consciousness...

Rating:
Summary: Very underrated. A great summer blockbuster!
Review: 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!"

Rating:
Summary: A Film That Will Live in Infanmy
Review: Lacking any kind of character development, this film falls far short of the bar set by other recent WWII movies, like SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. Both Raf (Affleck) and Danny (Harnett) waltz through the film without any change in their demeanor, remaining young cocksure pilots, untouched by the events surrounding them. The enemy here is faceless and politically correct while death is Disney-fied and sterile. Also, strangely absent is the character's racial hatred of the Japanese, characteristic of the period. Micheal Bay's strong point has always been his fast and innovative cinematography, but it alone cannot fill the gap left by a sub par script. Like Titanic, this film is good for one thing only, visual effects. Written by the screenwriter of BRAVEHEART, another film with more good press than actual substance, the only reason PEARL HARBOR should be purchased by anyone is ILM's fantastic special effects work. The attack sequence alone is well worth the price of the DVD. And the great thing about DVD? You don't have to fast forward to the good part.

Rating:
Summary: This is a great movie!!
Review: I am a hopeless romantic, the plot may have been a bit like a soap opera, but like I said, I am a romantic. I have seen other war movies, for example Saving Private Ryan, which I also enjoyed, however, Pearl Harbor is much better in my humble opinion. I'm not a huge fan of Ben Afleck, however, I think he has given a great performance in this movie. Where Josh Hartnett is concerned, I have been a fan for a long time. He is just hot. (I would probably go see any movie he is in just because he is so gorgeous, but aside from being a total babe, he is also a great actor.) The characters are real and likeable. The story is believable and, if you're a romantic like me, it's also easy to relate to. I mean what women wouldn't want to have two good-looking men in-love with her?! I highly recommend this movie. I have seen it twice and I would go again in a heart beat. If you haven't seen this movie, well, what are you waiting for?!