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Pearl Harbor

Starring: Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett
Director: Michael Bay
Genre: Drama
Year: 2001
Rating: 3 / 5

Pearl Harbor, the World War II film from the acclaimed team of director Michael Bay and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, really wants to be a grand, sweeping epic in the style of yesteryear's films. Unfortunately, while Pearl Harbor is a good movie - and, at times, a great one - it never achieves the sort of lofty heights to which it aspires. Stars Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, and Kate Beckinsale - all rising stars still in their twenties - are more than capable, but the film suffers from a story that does not know where to begin or when to end. Pearl Harbor takes a long time to build the dramatic tension, before unleashing an action-filled flurry, only to drag on to an unfulfilling conclusion.

Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) have been best friends for life, growing up side-by-side in the shadow of the first world war. As Hitler begins ravaging Europe, it seems that these two young men will finally be given a chance to put their piloting skills to good use. The United States is not so obliging, choosing to sit out the war unless provoked. Rafe decides to take matters into his own hands, volunteering to serve in the British air force, knocking Germans out of the sky. Before he leaves, though, he meets and falls in love with Evelyn Stewart (Kate Beckinsale). His dream of seeing her again is all that occupies his mind as Rafe heads across the Atlantic Ocean.

A short time passes, and word drifts back to Danny and Evelyn that Rafe has been shot down and lost at sea. Grief-stricken, the two turn to each other for comfort. Months later, with both stationed at Pearl Harbor, this blossoming friendship explodes with passion. Just when this relationship seems to be maturing, Rafe arrives in Pearl Harbor. It turns out that the ace pilot was indeed shot down, but he was rescued and nursed back to health. In looking to reconnect with his lost love, he learns the truth of Evelyn's new relationship with Danny. As the tensions between the two men build, Pearl Harbor is engulfed in flame, and America's fragile peace is shattered.

Director Michael Bay (Bad Boys, Armageddon) excels with action films, so it should come as no surprise that the Pearl Harbor attack sequence is the highlight of this movie. Some dazzling effects allow us to follow a bomb's perilous descent onto a waiting battleship, a scene which provides an excellent introduction to the battle at hand. The dogfights are also top notch, especially as Rafe and Danny, freshly airborne, weave around buildings and battleships to bring the battle to their Japanese attackers. While these feats are most impressive, Pearl Harbor simply takes too long reaching this point, allowing itself to get bogged down in needless subplots. Lose an hour and, while it will never be confused with an Oscar-winning masterpiece, Pearl Harbor might just be the entertaining thrill ride we all hoped it would be.

Cast:

Certification: Rated PG-13 for violence.
Running Time: 183 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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