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 General
quarters! General quarters!
After months
of anticipation -- thanks to a relentless studio advertising campaign
and some killer coming attractions -- Disney's mammoth $140 million
epic Pearl Harbor is finally ready to attack the box office
and blow the rest of the summer competition out of the water! That's
a foregone conclusion, especially with a list of film credits that
include producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Michael Bay, and screenwriter
Randall Wallace (who wrote Braveheart). Unfortunately (but
not surprisingly) it's safe to say that the battle scenes are terrific,
while the love story is not.
The time is
1941, and most of the planet is embroiled in a brutal conflict unlike
anything the world has ever seen. The United States is sticking
to its isolationist policy and staying the heck out of it, but hotshot
fighter pilot Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) is eager to see some action.
He joins the British Eagle Squadron in their fight against Germany,
but when his girlfriend Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale) and best friend
Danny (Josh Hartnett) receive word about his death, they find solace
in each other amidst the paradise of Hawaii. In no time, Rafe shows
up in Pearl Harbor alive and well, but all hell breaks loose when
a surprise attack by the Japanese plunges them and the rest of country
into the heart of World War II.
As in Titanic,
Pearl Harbor is a love story first and a historical disaster
second. The problem is that the love triangle feels too contrived
to be emotionally effective, and the film progresses slower than
a battleship run aground. Also, where the love story in Titanic
eased into the actual disaster, the transition in Pearl Harbor
is much more abrupt. As a result, the impressive battle sequences
completely overpower what was a bland love story in the first place.
Obviously,
everyone wants to see the attack on Pearl Harbor, and that's
where director Michael Bay delivers the goods. Faster than you can
say "battle stations," the film kicks into high gear, and the next
40 minutes are filled with some of the most spectacular visual effects
to ever hit the big screen. Despite veering into Steven Spielberg's
Saving Private Ryan territory at times (with bullets zinging
through the water and a somewhat restrained depiction of post-attack
battle wounds), the aerial shots of the Japanese zeros and bombers
buzzing about the crowded harbor amidst the smoke-drenched skies
are nothing short of spectacular.
On the other
hand, if you're looking for a detailed account as to why the Japanese
attacked in the first place (a la Tora! Tora! Tora!), you
won't find it here. Then again, that's not what Bay and producer
Jerry Bruckheimer were shooting for (no pun intended). Love 'em
or hate 'em, their co-productions (Bad Boys, The Rock, and
Armageddon) have made a lot of money, and Pearl Harbor
wasn't going to be any different. Had they stayed true to the
facts and the terminology that people were using at the time, then
they most likely would have offended some of the moviegoers who
make up that all-important foreign demographic. Since they weren't
going to see a dime until the picture made its money back, they
sure as hell weren't going to risk offending anybody.
As far as
the cast is concerned, vague facts are mixed with Hollywood fiction
to create an ensemble piece that doesn't always pay off. Ben Affleck
has plenty of charismatic appeal, but his arrogant fighter pilot
is merely a hollow rehash of Tom Cruise's cocky demeanor from Top
Gun (which was also produced by Bruckheimer). Josh Hartnett
(who resembles a young Jan Michael Vincent) is more understated--and
as a result, much more effective -- in what will undoubtedly be
his breakout role, but the otherwise talented Kate Beckinsale is
underutilized as the nurse who captures the hearts of the lifetime
friends.
Although their
appearances are brief, the more commanding performances are given
by the true-to-life characters. Alec Baldwin bookends the movie
as the legendary Col. Jimmy Doolittle, and he gives the film the
emotional shot in the arm that it sorely needs. Cuba Gooding Jr
brings life to Dorie Miller, the heroic mess hall attendant who
mans the guns during the attack, and Jon Voight is virtually unrecognizable
as the polio-stricken President Roosevelt.
Americans
will no doubt see Pearl Harbor as their patriotic duty --
paying tribute to the survivors of the attack, and at the same time,
they'll be blown away by a typical summer blockbuster. Ultimately,
the film lacks the emotional impact that would have given Bay and
Bruckheimer the respect that they obviously crave, but that's OK.
Given all the publicity that the film is getting, Memorial Day Weekend
2001 is sure to go down in movie history as a date which will live
in currency.
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