Review of Across the Pacific (1942) by Ryan V — 18 Mar 2016
Humphrey Bogart plays a disgraced Army artilleryman who winds up entwined in a plot by a ruthless entrepreneur (Sydney Greenstreet) to sabotage the Panama Canal on behalf of Imperial Japan; the script initially cited Pearl Harbor as the target, but the real-life attack to that area motivated Warner Brothers to quickly alter the movie's plot.
Across The Pacific is disappointing by the standards of a Humphrey Bogart vehicle directed by John Huston, but it's still an above-average example of wartime propaganda thanks to its star's machismo, a charismatic turn from Mary Astor as the token love interest, some entertaining character acting from Greenstreet, and Japanese villains who avoid the pitfalls of jingoistic stereotype about as much as one could hope from a Hollywood film shot in 1942.
This picture isn't quite as indispensable as its pedigree would imply, but it's still worth seeking out if one is already fond of its principle players.
This review of Across the Pacific (1942) was written by Ryan V on 18 Mar 2016.
Across the Pacific has generally received positive reviews.
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