Rating: 
Summary: Who is teaching history in America ?
Review: This is one of the best and worst movies I have ever seen. Best from the point of view that the effects are superb, and worst because the blatant ignorance of the film makers about the events that took place. Instead of making this film nearly 3.5 hours long with wooden characters with dreamt up versions of history, why not base this on the actual events. I don't mind a great story based on real life situations but this was just bad, and again, manipulated to make America the country that saved the world. A lesson for all is that we should read and understand history not just accept it from Hollywood Directors and Producers.
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Summary: Pearl Habror
Review: I have just seen 'Pearl Harbor' and I must say, this is a moving film, especially knowing about many World War 2 events. Sure, the love triangle was not necessary, but don't focus on that while you watch this movie, focus on the details, the blunders, and inspiring movie unfold as you are immeresed back in history almost 60 years. To say this movie 'sucks' or give it a bad review is dishonoring those men who died that December 7, 1941, and after, becuase this is in their honor. This is one of those films that makes you proud to be an American, and sends a powerful message. The movie, starts off slow and you will wonder if you are in the right movie in the first 20 minutes, but the latter 2 hours of the movie is pure accuracy, history, and brilliant filmmaking as soon as the love story slows down. 'Tora, Tora, Tora', one of the other few movie attempts of the Pearl Harbor infamy is comparable to this movie, minus the effects, love story and side stories. I beleive nothing is over exaggerated, or lackluster in this movie, the American people and the world need more inspiring movies like these, to show what the true cost of war is. I think that this movie should not have been stripped to PG-13 status, and the ending should have been re-worked slightly better, which would have made this movie one that would go down in movie making history, but this is definatley, by far, the greatest movie of the summer. Overall an amazing 3 hour experience and I urge you not to miss this great movie.
Rating: 
Summary: A Monument to Bad Taste
Review: On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Empire perpotrated the most shameful, dastardly sneak attack on the United States. Of course if you believe this movie, they only did it because we were levying an oil embargo on them. There were no insights in this movie. Bruckheimer, the real force behind this movie, didn't try to use his movie to make a political statement. He simply made a mellodramatic, over-done, dizzying retelling of the events around the attack. Then he slapped a generic title on it that doesn't accurately explain the subject of the movie. If you really want to see a good movie about Pearl Harbor, then watch "Tora! Tora! Tora!"
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Summary: 5-Star Action Movie of the Century
Review: Pearl Harbor is based on the famous day of December 8th, 1941. This historic movie captures the way of life for Navy pilots. The rough days going by, meeting people here and there, and of course, the element of SURPRISE!!The Japanese fleet steam full speed at Pearl Harbor, sending more than 300 Zeros and Georges into the air, enough to rain havoc on any contry. While the Rag Tag pilots are enjoying their delicious pancakes, our shall we say, (last meal?) "BOOM!! BOOM!!" Torpedos release from the bellies of the Zeros, heading straight for the USS Arizona. (BLAM!!) The next second you know, the bomb's went throught the deck and into the kitchen. There, a chef aboard is peeling potatoes. (BLAM!!} KABOOOOOOOOMM!! Smash! POW! This movie has it all. 2 full hours on non-stop action. From the invasion at Pearl Harbor to their revenge on Tokyo, when their 16 B-25s take off, headed straight towrd Tokyo than crash-landing in China. Enjoy the movie, boys and girls!
Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare's review of "Pearl Harbor"
Review: "It is a tale told by full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Shakespeare's Macbeth was describing life, but he may as well have been talking about "Pearl Harbor." The movie is really 3 movies in one: The first is a highly-predictable love story, where the "hero" (Ben Affleck) is not as likeable as the interloper (Josh Hartnett). The second story is a high-paced action movie with great special effects (this is the one that deserves the title "Pearl Harbor"). The third is an inaccurate portrayal of Col. Doolittle's raid on Tokyo that adds little to the film except another hour in the theater as your bladder fills because you bought the x-large soda with your popcorn. If you want an accurate portrayal of the attack on Pearl Harbor, buy "Tora, Tora, Tora." If it's Doolittle's raid you want, buy the classic "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo." And if you want a love story, take your pick from hundreds - "Castaway," "Titanic," "The English Patient," etc. Perhaps I've been jaded by recent, accurate war movies. Or maybe "Pearl Harbor"
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Summary: Excellent film even if slightly flawed
Review: ... After watching a number of documenteries about the actual bombing, the few errors are not major ones. If viewers are looking only for accuracy and just the facts without any story, then they should watch "Tora, Tora, Tora". "Pearl Harbor" is much more than that type of docudrama. The "love story" is really necessary to the whole film. The audience is made to care for the characters, not just the 3 leads, but a number of others. Having feelings about the people makes the actual attack more exciting as you watch what happens to them. Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale and Josh Hartnett are convincing and emotionally moving as the three leads. In a small role, Cuba Gooding, Jr. steals every scene he is in. John Voight and Alec Baldwin make sizeable contributions in smaller but important roles. It is impossible to imagine a better cast. The section of the film following the attack on Pearl Harbor is fascinating and exciting as it tells of the first bombers to take off from an aircraft carrier and the subsequent raid on Japan. This is an important, but little touched on part of WW2. If all viewers are looking for is a shoot up, blow up, special effects extravaganza, then they will probably be disappointed (although the attack section is magnificent), but for anyone looking for a wonderful story built around a historical happening that puts everything in a human perspective, "Pearl Harbor" more than fills the requirements, in fact, overwhelms them.
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Summary: A Decent Summer Film
Review: This is an entertaining, but predictable movie. The special effects are worth the price of admission and the time investment. Unlike some of the other summer blockbusters of late, there actually is something beyond the special effects. The acting won't win any academy awards (nor will the script for that matter), but this film offers good summer entertainment. This is something that we've been missing for quite some time after such true bombs as Godzilla, Armageddon, and those awful Batman debacles.
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Summary: Terrible in every respect
Review: Okay... do you like disaster flicks? If you do, you'll like this movie. Personally, I've come to despise the all too predictable over-used formula which Pearl Harbor has epitomized so well. Let's start out with the love story, cheesy as it is. Oh no! We have to squeeze this love story into an hour or less! Whatever shall we do! Let's just rush the love story and turn it into an intense, yet fake teenage style romance which leaves the audience feeling totally numb. This comment about the audience feeling totally numb does, of course, have a few exceptions among those teeny-boppers who think this is real love (psst, a little secret: it's not real love). Now that we've gone through this love story bit, let's have the main character die somewhere overseas and come back to life only to find out, predictably, that his best friend has now stolen the girlfriend. Okay... since they're male they now have to fight over the whole thing, leaving this little element of jealousy get in the way of their friendship and their love for the girlfriend (remember the girlfriend? this story includes a girlfriend somewhere). Through this whole love and jealousy episode, the dialogue starts out painful, then becomes remarkably torturous. By now, it becomes a relief to see things blow up. Lo and behold! The Japanese fighter pilots come to save the movie and blow things up. What a relief. Of course, now, unfortunately, it's Pearl Harbor that gets blown up, killing many soldiers, medical personnel, and even civilians. It wouldn't be a disaster flick if we didn't see more people die than what the human imagination could truly fathom. Indeed, those of you with a disaster flick fetish can get your kicks in watching thousands of soldiers blow up or drown in a massive bombing raid. So not only does the movie start out with an all too predictable love and jealousy story, but we now get to watch as certain Hollywood producers decide to dishonor the memories of those who perished in this tragic raid. Yes, tragedy turns into marketing for a poorly conceived and poorly written disaster flick. As it turns out, this disaster flick is truly itself a bomb. The remainder of the movie does not even try to be historically accurate. Not even close. If you're in the theater by the time you see FDR stand up, that's your que to stand up and leave the theater. There is one good part in it, however. I'll go ahead and reveal it so you don't have to waste your money. In one scene, the Japanese admiral who masterminds the whole attack on Pearl Harbor is told that he is a genius. The admiral claims that he is not a genius. Instead, genius comes in being able to prevent the war from happening in the first place. That's it. That's the good part. The rest is junk.
Rating:
Summary: hollywood trash
Review: This movie is horrible. Take hot young actors, add a cheesy soap opera love story, and set it to a historical disaster and what do you get? TRASH. Sound familiar? This film will leave you with nothing. It is overly cliched and far too long. For the amount of money put into this film you'd think they could at least make it original. Go out ant rent Tora Tora Tora.
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Summary: Pandering Patriotism
Review: The filmmakers obviously strove to duplicate the success of Titanic, but the only thing Pearl Harbor has in common with the subject of James Cameron's movie is that it may sink as swiftly. The film certainly documents a heroic struggle: that of the actors trying to keep a straight face while delivering some of the worst lines in recent movie memory. Ben Affleck et al have their performances torpedoed by cornball dialogue that I (thankfully) cannot quote from memory a week after the screening. This movie is a throwback to the WWII films of the fifties and sixties. Lead roles are occupied by "movie stars", and they are surrounded by character stereotypes (the fat one, the stutterer) just so their stardom can stand out in relief. Ham-handed music is laid on in buckets so that dim-witted moviegoers can know when their chests should swell with patriotic pride, and when they should tear up with sadness. There is absolutely nothing ironic or complicated about this story-telling, and the third act of the so-called love story is strictly a paint-by-the numbers affair that most middle schoolers would have figured out an hour before the end of the film. The only reason to go to this movie is to see stuff blow up -- the actual attack is nicely crafted, though its thrills are compromised by the slick, stagey quality that pervades even this sequence. (Wait--there's one more reason. Go to this movie to see how bad Jon Voight's prosthetic chin is. You can't tell how good his portrayal of FDR might be, because your gaze will be riveted to that hunk of latex on his face!) There is none of the grit and realism of the two great war films of the late nineties (Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line). As far historical accuracy is concerned--well, I'm no historian, but weren't a lot of Japanese locked up in concentration camps in the US after this attack? Did the heroism of black shipman Doris Miller really merit only a quick five minutes of screen time? To give this subject such a superficial "Hollywood" treatment is to trivialize the momentous, heroic contributions and sacrifice of our armed forces at this turning point in world history.
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