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Rating: 1 out of 5
“Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” – President Franklin D. Roosevelt
December 7 will forever be a date in U.S. History. On this date, the Empire of Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. At the time, the United States was neutral during the war, but the attack led the United States to declare war on Japan and enter World War II. During the attack, the Japanese destroyed the Pacific Fleet in two waves. Over 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft were used in the surprise attack. The results were horrific for the U.S. military. Of the eight U.S. Navy battleships present, all were damaged, with four sunk. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. More than 180 US aircraft were destroyed. Around 2,403 Americans were killed, while another 1,178 others were wounded.
Pearl Harbor is a romantic tale set during World War II. The United States is still neutral as Hitler wages war throughout Europe. Rafe (Affleck) and Danny (Hartnett) are childhood best friends who become Army pilots. Rafe is the far better pilot of the two friends. Rafe falls in love and begins dating a beautiful nurse named Evelyn (Beckinsale). The pair are in love, but when Rafe is offered a unique opportunity to join the British Air Corps, he jumps at it. Danny and Evelyn are transferred to Pearl Harbor. While Rafe is fighting, Evelyn and Danny strike up a friendship. When word reaches that Rafe had been killed in action, Evelyn grieves for a year before dating Danny. When Rafe returns and finds out about the new love affair, he is heartbroken. Things get even more complicated when Japan is about to launch a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that will change the course of the war and history forever.
Pearl Harbor is one of those films that turns a romance film into a war film and fails at epic proportions. I will fully admit that when the film first came out, I was all about it. I was young and thought it was a good film. I had my opinions, but the history buff in me liked the war scenes. Oh, how wrong I was in thinking that.
Let’s start off with the whole love story aspect of the film. I don’t mind having romance in a movie, but when it comes to a World War II film, I would’ve rather have it more geared towards the soldiers and what happened. Something along the lines of Saving Private Ryan. Let me stay on task. The love story of Rafe and Evelyn was fine in the beginning. Something to get the story started, but it seemed like the fairy tale love story was quick because Rafe went off to fight. We saw how their romance bloomed in three months from a story by Evelyn, but it seemed like it wasn’t needed because once Rafe was mistaken for dead, she cried for a year, I think, and then went on to his best friend Danny. That was pretty trifling because it built up this awkward love triangle. Rafe survives to come back to his love, and when he comes back, she is with someone else and even pregnant. The love triangle tried to make it through the entire film, but it didn’t work. You have lovable moments between Rafe and Danny at the end where they make up, but even that seemed forced and out of the ordinary.
The only worthwhile part of this film is the second half when Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. With any Michael Bay film, you know there will be extreme explosions. The film should’ve started around 30 minutes before the attack rather than having the love story. The attack was by far more entertaining. The scene is intense and mostly a history lesson as the US Pacific Fleet is almost decimated in the surprise attack, with most of the defending airfields being obliterated. In the Michael Bay way, when the bombs drop, the ships explode. The two ships with the most prominent screen time are the USS Oklahoma and the USS Arizona. We see the crew members on the capsized ships drown.
During the attack scene, we see Petty Officer Second Class Doris Miller go beast mode aboard the USS West Virginia. In the scene, he operates an anti-aircraft gun and manages to shoot down several planes. Miller was a messman and boxed against other members of the Navy for respect. Miller was the first Black recipient of the Navy Cross and a nominee for the Medal of Honor. Back to the movie. During the attack, Rafe and Danny manage to take off in P-40 fighter planes and shoot down seven of the attacking planes.
Overall, Bay showed the attack as a devastating blow to the U.S. Still, he also showed the resolve and waking giant of the United States. First, he showed the heartbreak and surprise with President Roosevelt and his famous Day of Infamy speech, with him wanting an attack to respond. I don’t know where Bay got this from, but the scene with Roosevelt standing and saying it can’t be done is not actual. I guess you need to add some flare to the film. You really didn’t need it, but oh well.
The film proceeds to go into the third phase with the Doolittle Raid. Danny and Rafe are assigned to train under Doolittle for a secret mission. Before they leave, you know the film had to add another twist of romantic flair to it. You can’t go on a secret mission without some added drama. What was that drama? Evelyn rolls up to Rafe and tells him she is pregnant with Danny’s child. How are you going to do that to that man when he loves you. To dig the knife in more in the man’s heart, she says she intends to stay with and devote herself to Danny for their child’s sake but tells Rafe that she will always truly love him. She is straight-up trifling and doesn’t even tell Danny.
Danny and Rafe are promoted to captain, and their mission is to train for short takeoffs and to bomb Tokyo. The training scene was okay, as all the men failed to do the practice run. Doolittle does some big dick energy and shows it how it is done. The mission to bomb Tokyo was less thrilling than the Pearl Harbor scene. I wasn’t impressed. The ending fell a little flat as the planes bombed Tokyo but almost didn’t have enough gas to make it to China. Danny and Rafe’s planes land in Japan occupied China. During a gunfight, Danny is killed by shielding Rafe. Rafe and Danny make up with Rafe telling Danny he will be a father and Danny saying Rafe will be the best father before dying. Ultimately, Rafe and Evelyn get married and have a happy ending.
The acting left a lot to be desired. If this was a full-on romantic film, it might’ve worked, but in this film, and given the subject matter, nope. Ben Affleck as Rafe McCawley was okay. I felt like he tried a little too hard in this film. He was the rash soldier who was better than everyone else with his skills and hardheadedness. For third of the film, he was out for his “death.” He was the pretty boy that had the girl, lost the girl, and regained the girl. Josh Hartnett was somewhat of a bore playing Danny Walker. Hartnett was the next big thing back in the day, and he dropped off after some bad movies. He is making a little comeback, but this film didn’t work. The beautiful Kate Beckinsale as Lieutenant Evelyn Johnson was the typical love interest for the male characters. I love Beckinsale as an actress, but she was way underused in this film. She had a lot more to offer than the lovesick nurse.
In the end, Pearl Harbor is one of those films that is about an hour too long, with the standard romantic plot added to a devastating event. It is an okay war film, but I think you are more suited for Tora! Tora! Tora! The only decent part of the film was the attack scene filled with massive explosions. Watch this and maybe read a book on Pearl Harbor instead. Better yet, go visit the memorial.
