Review of Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) by Alex A — 29 Feb 2008

Considering this movie was made in 1970, it's impressive how they managed to do it without using modern computer software. The unbiased narrative and historical value is good enough and we finally get to see a why Japan had a logical reason to attack and to do it when they did.

So, for a little history, allow me to elaborate on what the newer "Pearl Harbor" movie failed to tell... I will however, have to bash on the USA for recent events as well, and though I'm pro USA and love americans, their leaders' international policy has gotten endless young americans killed without reason in wars that benefit nobody.

Japan was at war with China and the USA imposed an embargo on Japan while calling themselves "neutrals"... An embargo in times of war, blocking the ports with military strenght is an obvious military act of aggression.

I'd like to see what the USA would do to China "today" if they surrounded the USA coasts with naval, terrestrial, and aerial military, and prevented trade from coming in or out, UNLESS the USA removed its troops from all over the world. Sounds insane, but that's exactly what the USA did to Japan.

Oh no, those japs attacked us, we were just there for the holidays... those evil japs. All we wanted was for them to starve and for China to regroup and retaliate after Japan ran out of food, gasoline and ammunition. Why would they need to sink our fleet? Why?

Openly siding with China and blocking Japan's trade routes with such great military strenght is nothing short of a declaration of war. While it's true that Japan committed contless atrosities in China, they at least were at war with each other, and had been since the beginning of civilization. The allies had no business there and China was big enough to defend themselves against a tiny little Japan.

If you're looking for insane action, ultra cool effects, and hollywood flare, then watch the newer Pearl Harbor with Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnet. That movie rocked as an entertainment piece, but its strong bias and propagandistic script would greatly annoy anyone with any notion of how WWII really unfolded.

Tora Tora Tora does a much better job in this respect and makes some effort to balance the story showing the perspectives of both sides, the way every war movie that's based on historical events should be.

For making and releasing this movie without the help of modern technology, and specially during the vietnam war when such a movie would be considered highly unpatriotic, I give this movie 5*.