couldn't spring any bucks for a screenplay. The writing isn't just mediocre
-- it's bad. Watching Pearl Harbor yielded such a negative experience for me
because it could have and should have been so much better. The cast is
solid, the special effect are first-rate and the subject is inherently
compelling. Sadly, while Pearl Harbor presents a great, digital-enhanced
re-creation of the attack, that's one of the few things the movie
accomplishes. From start to finish, the centerpiece action takes on 30
minutes - or about 20% of the overall running time.
The story is presented from the point-of-view of three central characters:
pilots Rafe (Ben Affleck) and Danny (Josh Hartnett), and nurse Evelyn (Kate
Beckinsale), the woman who loves and is loved by, these two best friends.
Rafe and Danny are closer than brothers until Evelyn comes between them.
But, before the romantic triangle can be sorted out, Pearl Harbor is
attacked, and all three are called upon to perform acts of outrageous
bravery.
The problem with the film is it's lack of dramatic tension and empathy for
the central characters. The film employs tired cliches and contrivances to
push the narrative forward, the screenplay never draws us into the
characters' world, nor does it make us care about their romance. Shortcuts,
like montages and flashbacks, are used to depict the depth of the characters.
Also, the screenplay seems to rely on the audience to fill in the
backstories of the secondary characters. For Cuba Gooding Jr., I guess we're
supposed to assume it's a similar role to the hero Gooding portrayed in Men
of Honor. From the beginning we are subjected to a series of poorly conceived
and executed sequences, like when the two kids accidently head down the
runway in a crop-duster or when an 8-year old hits an adult with a 4x4.
Throughout the movie we're stuck with a soap opera-style storyline that
features brawling as a form of male bonding, people returning from the dead,
unexpected (yea right) pregencies and a woman torn between two lovers. Oh,
and incidently Pearl Harbor is going to be bombed this weekend.
For about 35 minutes, as the bombs are falling and things are blowing up,
Pearl Harbor steps up to its billing. Suddenly, we're no longer stuck with
dumb character interaction and painful dialogue. We can sit back and enjoy
the special effects as the devastition unfolds. It's impressive, especially
when the Arizona goes down. But, when the last torpedo has been launched,
the movie still has nearly an hour to go. That isn't a good thing, because
the characters start surfacing again and they're not able to compete with
sinking ships or exploding planes.
You know a movie is being ineffective when you're thinking about all the
things that it's doing wrong before five minutes have elasped. Pearl Harbor
is designed as a crowd-pleaser, and as thus, tries to use flashy sets,
attractive actors and special effects as a substitue for an intelligent
screenplay. And, despite trying, Pearl Harbor can't even follow the Titanic
formula properly. The movie is not completely with out value, go see the
movie for the special effects and try sift through the sub-par dross for the
worthwhile material. If you're really interested in what happened at Pearl
Harbor, rent Tora! Tora! Tora!. If you crave a tragic romanace, rent
Titanic.
Review: 1 1/2 stars (out of 4)