Rating: 
Summary: The Best Movie Ever Made About Pearl Harbor
Review: Tora! Tora! Tora! is the single best movie ever made about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It features excellent performances from such actors as James Whitmore, E.G. Marshall, Jason Robards and Martin Balsam. The special effects are far more convincing than what's in modern movies. It also has some of the best movie music of all time. Best of all, the movie shows the sheer complacency on the U.S. side that enabled the Japanese to successfully mount the surprise attack. Tora! Tora! Tora! is far superior to any other movie ever made about Pearl Harbor. In fact, it is one of the absolute best movies ever made about World War II. It is a classic motion picture in its own right. On a scale of 1 to 5, it really merits a 10.
Rating:
Summary: Superb!
Review: After seeing Das Boot for the first time recently, my interest was piqued for another WWII movie. I remember when Tora! was in the theater while I was in high school...and that I had no interest in seeing it at the time. This is a serious-minded, fact-based film of epic proportion. It has similarities to Das Boot in that part of the story is told from the US enemy's point of view. And, oddly enough, I found the structure of the film to be somewhat reminiscent of The Deer Hunter, or even King Solomon's Mines [1950], in that there is a long, detailed build-up of the story prior to any action sequences. And once the action arrived, I sat there thinking, "How did they do this?" Especially considering the fact that this was 1970. But the biggest reward for me is the story itself, and the non-Hollywood way in which it is told here. No one would get financial backing today for a film of this expense coupled with such a non-fiction approach.
Rating:
Summary: Landmark half-Japanese/half-American production
Review: Tora Tora Tora" is a classic WWII film, and probably the most honest in its portrayal of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It is the kind of film that gets shown in history classes in High School, which is where I saw it for the first time. The half-American/half-Japanese production is a shinning example of dedication to the facts over dramatic license when telling a historical story. The dual production shows heroes and incompetents on both sides of the conflict.
While the proposed David Lean/Kurosawa Akira film never came to pass (And what a movie that would have been!), directors Kinji Fukasaku ("Battle Royale") and Richard Fleischer ("The Vikings") do their able best. Fukasaku maintained the integrity of the Japanese side production, and it is almost shocking to see Japanese people acting like actual Japanese people in an American war film, rather than as stereotyped monsters or amusing caricatures. He had little control over the final product, however, as all editing was done on the American side, and Fleischer simply removed any of the footage that he didn't like.
The DVD for "Tora Tora Tora" is a real treat. The new 20-minute documentary, "Day of Infamy," discusses the historical accuracy of the film, with several University professors weighing in. The commentary track is excellent, with a dialog between director Richard Fleisher & Japanese film historian Stuart Galbraith ("The Emperor and the Wolf.") Kurosawa-expert Galbraith details the behind-the-scenes troubles with Kurosawa that led to his removal from the film, although, perhaps in respect to his commentary partner, he does not mention Kurosawa's dissatisfaction with the American director. The commentary is much more involved with the filmmaking process itself, rather than the Pearl Harbor attack, and is a nice compliment to the more-focused documentary.
Rating:
Summary: I Fear All We Have Done is Waken a Sleeping Giant...
Review: These words are spoken by Adm Yamamoto at the end of the film whne he has learned that that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that he planned was even more successful than they had hoped in their wildest dreams...and yet the American aircraft carriers were not there. Thus, this film which shows the planning and execution of the attack, ends on a note of simultaneous Japanese exaltation and foreboding about the future.
This film is a must for anyone who cares to be an informed citizen. It not only about the past, but also about the present (for example 9/11): what a bold thinking group of men can accomplish if they put their minds to it, the complex relations between the United States, Japan and their neighbors like China and Korea, national arrogance and overconfidence ("it can't happen here"), looking for scapegoats after a disaster, and much more.
From the cinematic viewpoint, the battle scenes are just breathtaking, especially the attack on Hickam Field were we see aircraft blowing up right and left and the air battles where two incredibly brave American fighter pilots take on the whole air fleet that carried out the attack returning to their aircraft carriers. I also love the scene where we see the Japanese strike force taking off from their carriers just as dawn is breaking. E G Marshall puts in a fine performance as Col Rufus Bratton, an American intelligence officer who is convinced that the Japanese are going to attack, as he is trying to awaken the military establishment in Washington to the danger. Also Jason Robards does a good job as the hapless General Walter Short who is in charge of defending Hawaii from naval and air attack (Robards was actually at Pearl Harbor during the attack so I am sure he had no trouble "getting into" the part!). Having real Japanese actors speaking Japanese (unlike the movie "Midway") gives the film a real feel of authenticity.
Having said these good things about the film, I would like to point out a few weaknesses (1) I can't understand why the American naval personnel are always shown wearing their white dress uniforms-it makes them look silly, (2) this film was made in 1970 when the US was bending over backwards to be nice to Japan because of the Cold War and the unpopularity of the presence of the American military bases in Japan resulting from the American war in Vietnam. As a result, they repeated the line which was propagated at the time, saying that the Japanese intended to present a declaration of war before the attack commenced (the typists supposedly worked too slowly and so it was finally presented to Secretary of State Cordell Hull AFTER the attack). In reality, the infamous "14-part message" Ambassadors Namura and Kurusu were supposed to deliver was NOT a declaration of war at all, but simply an announcement that the Japanese were breaking off negotiations. Also, the film claims that Emperor Hirohito was personally opposed to going to war with the US, but being a "prisoner" of the cabinet, had no choice but to go along with them. It is now widely believed by historians that the Emperor was, in fact, a strong supporter of Japanese aggression. Also, there is some evidence that he was personally involved in war crimes. However, all this was hushed up after the war in order to make the American occupation of Japan run smoothly, and this film simply continues this line.
One important point to keep in mind is that, although FDR did want to get the US into the war with Germany, he most certainly did NOT want to get into war with Japan if he could help it. A war in the Pacific would only divert resources away from the European Theater of Operations, which he viewed as most important. This conclusively disproves the conspiracy theories that claim the FDR deliberately left Pearl Harbor undefended in order to shock the American people into going to war.
In spite of these criticisms, I still rate the film as 5-stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!-
Review: -the english translation of the title.
Tora! Tora! Tora! was the japanese code signaling the Japanese naval officers to proceed with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Another reviewer claims that the word can also mean kill, although I can't confirm that. This movie only won an academy award for best visual effects in 1970, most other awards going to Patton that same year. The movie was directed by three men, was based on two books, one of the same title written by Prange, the other written by Farago and entitled The Broken Seal: operation magic and the secret road to Pearl Harbor. The movie is somewhat unbiased in that both sides' reactions and story are represented. The quote from Admiral Yamamoto which dramatically ends the movie was never said by him: "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve." Awake, though, the Americans, they sure did. I didn't realize how significant the damage done was until I saw this movie. A sizable number of the Pacific fleet was benignly lingering in Pearl Harbor that Sunday morning and sunk or left in flames a few hours later as the Japanese airmen flew back unscathed to their base. However, as another Japanese commander noted, none of the American aircraft carriers were there. The American side was beset with communication problems of various sorts with too many men crying wolf weeks before the attack. I'd like to read the books or those of others to understand what exactly happened on the American side that resulted in this "day of infamy". I did like this docu-drama, accurately reliving that fated day.
Rating:
Summary: Great war epic on America's "Day of Infamy"
Review: Despite being filmed over 30 years ago, this classic war film remains THE definitive Hollywood version on the attack on Pearl Harbor. The planes look great, the direction (both the American and Japanese) is flawless, and the action is still very impressive. Also, the cast is typically great for a war epic, with Joseph Cotten, Martin Balsam, E.G. Marshall, James Whitmore, and Jason Robards, among many others. The Japanese actors are likewise great. This is one of those rare war movies that honors the courage and determination of BOTH sides. That, and the historical accuracy (for Hollywood) is why this remains such a popular movie. The music by Jerry Goldsmith works perfectly for the movie. This special edition dvd has a great picture quality (and is widescreen, thank goodness), a documentary "Day of Infamy", the original trailer, and commentary by the director Richard Fleischer and Japanese film historian Stewart Galbraith. There's no better time to watch this than on Dec. 7, so if you don't already own this gem do yourself a favor and buy it!
Rating:
Summary: Still the Only Fine Film Rendition of This Infamous Attack
Review: If you viewed the recent "Pearl Harbor," which makes the attack a backdrop to a romantic love triangle, you won't be disappointed with this original version of the dastardly Japanese sneak attack on the American Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I had the immense good fortune to see it again with some survivors after revisiting the Arizona Memorial in my hometown of Honolulu. It registered with me as deeply as when it premiered 35 years ago. You will find in this film a concerted effort to faithfully re-chronicle the events leading up to the attack from both the Japanese and American sides. Lacking film stars, the historical tale is allowed to stand on its own with some roles played by actors who actually resemble their real-life counterparts. Moreover, the film included actual aircraft and facilities from that era rather than relying on models or replicas. It avoids the dry documentary style while unfolding disparate events in an easy-to-follow sequence. The attack through the beautiful mountain ridge along the west coast of O'ahu (over what is now Scofield Barracks) is accurately depicted (an area, incidentally, now off-limits to civilians) and enhances the sense of brutal shock of it all on what would have been just another tranquil Sunday morning in paradise. Yet the directors resist the tawdry temptation to overdramatize events, instead allowing the diplomatic intrigue and military planning to speak for themselves. In doing so, the directors enable Admirial Yamamoto's prophetic words at film's end to have a greater impact, serving as a sober reminder of how Japanese jingoism subdued better strategic reasoning. [P.S. this was the not the first attack on American soil since the Revolutionary War, as an official reviewer with obviously limited historical understanding noted].
Rating:
Summary: One of greatest war films ever
Review: This movie is right up there with band of brothers, saving private ryan, apocalypse now, platoon in terms of great war movies.
Tora really hits the nail on the head with the accurate portrayal of events leading up to the attack and really comes to a climax with the spectacular battle scene. I could not believe some of the stunts in the film...the sequence on the airstrip were real live actors or stunt men but they came so close to being killed on film it was amazing. There were planes exploding like 5 feet away from them and these guys were literally running for their lives...you actually have to pause and remember that this is a movie!
I loved the drama of the japanese actors..you can just sense the pride and mindset of the japanese warrior...I can watch tora over and over again and enjoy it just as much as the first time seeing it.
I find it ironic how japan entered the war only to force "negotiations" with the USA knowing full well they could not defeat the US military in a war. Admiral yamamoto said he could raise havoc for one year against the americans but after that it was unknown. Turned out he was absolutely correct in his prediction. I don't think Japan could have won the war even if it destroyed the aircraft carriers at pearl harbor or won at midway. Japan's objective was not to invade the USA but to control asia and all of its natural resources....Japan only attacked the USA to prevent them from interferring with their conquests in asia. Japan miscalculated that the US could not reach japan in bombing attacks they never thought they could set up bases only 300 miles away from japan....japan's navy would have never allowed it so they assumed.
Rating:
Summary: still the best
Review: This Pearl Harbor movie still remains the best treatment of the Japanese attack on 7 December 1941. What really works with this film was that both sides are accurately, fairly and without much bias, portrayed by the filmmakers. The internal struggles within the Japanese leadership as well as complacency of the Americans were clearly shown.
This movie remains totally superior to that overblown mess of the movie that came out several years ago called "Pearl Harbor", probably one of the worst movies ever made so far in this century.
It bit ironic but I thought that the Japanese scenes were done better then the American scenes. Japanese scenes seem to have more drama, better script and better direction. American scenes seem to be bit flat in many areas. The special effects for the movie still haven't aged that much. Its still as impressive as I first saw it back in the 1970s.
As for the DVD, its cheap, the anamorphic transfer proves to be quite excellent, wide screem format really helped this movie and its unthinkable to watch it in "TV format". What a waste that would be. The DVD don't have much extra outside of a short 20 minute documentary but I enjoyed the commentary by Richard Fleischer and Stuart Galbraith. The sound is in DD 4.1 and it seem to be pretty clear and strong to my humble speaker system.
Overall, a very good movie, well acted, well directed and above all, a very fair approach to the subject.
Rating:
Summary: Unsurpassed
Review: I just watched Tora! Tora! Tora! for about the fourth time, after being away from it for about 10 years. This is done in documentary style, and according to the commentary basically all incidents are true.
I had a chance to see part of the filming in 1969, on North Cane Street in the town of Wahiawa. We watched with fascination as one scene was shot over and over again. This was a street allegedly in downtown Honolulu. The young man delivering the telegram to Fort Shafter is pulling out of the alley on his motorcycle. Then the camera catches the Japanese zeros flying overhead, signifying that it is too late for telegrams. The person who actually delivered the telegram in his youth was a Mr. Fujimoto, who was on the set as a consultant. Unfortunately, almost the entire sequence was left out of the final cut.
Despite this, both the film and the DVD extras get five stars. The short called "Day of Infamy" adds to the film and clarifies specific historical points. And the running directors commentary explains the obstacles that had to be overcome in this joint U.S.-Japanese effort, including the different cultural perspectives in how to put everything together. Plus that, it explains many technical details that went into making the film.A valuable resource for amateur and professional filmmakers alike.
The feature and the DVD extras can be enjoyed at different levels and be revisited over and over. I myself spent over 5 hours in one day going through the whole thing. The film is an excellent supplement to documentaries that use real footage. Definitely an educational experience.
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