Review of Pearl Harbor (2001) by Errick S — 16 Mar 2012

This is not a movie about Pearl Harbor. It's a movie about a sappy romance that happens to take place during the attack on Pearl Harbor. I don't even know where to begin. Some really boring love triangle takes place and it gets in the way of making what could've been a good film. It's just a really boring film. In terms of writing, directing and story, the film is weak, but when it comes to action, that's when it's at its strongest. What can you expect from Michael Bay? He's the classic example of a director who puts special effects before a plot. The acting in this film is sad to watch. I can't really blame the actors considering that they weren't given anything to go with though. Here's a quote from the movie that shows how bad the dialogue is:

-Ben Affleck: "You are so beautiful it hurts".

-Kate Beckinsale: "It's your nose that hurts".

-Ben Affleck: "I think it's my heart".

Wow...that's just...wow. The first time I saw that scene, I literally cringed in my seat because of those lines. The first time I saw it was in my 8th grade Social Studies class (Thanks a lot Mrs. Lewis) and when I cringed next to someone at my table, he asked why and I had to pass it off as a shudder. This film is just terrible. It was sad to see great actors like Jon Voight and Cuba gooding Jr. fall victim to Michael Bay dialogue. Avoid this film if you can. It's a huge insult to the people who actually died in Pearl Harbor and there are WW2 veterans who saw this film and hated it, calling it "insulting trash." Shame on you Michael Bay.