Pearl Harbor (2001)

To call Pearl Harbor a throwback to old-time war movies is something of an understatement. Director Michael Bay's epic take on the bombing that brought the United States into World War II hijacks every war movie situation and cliché (some affectionate, some stale) you've ever seen and gives them a shiny, glossy spin until the whole movie practically gleams. Planes glisten, water sparkles, trees beckon--and Bay's re-creation of the bombing itself, a 30-minute sequence that's tightly choreographed and amazingly photographed, sets the action movie bar up quite a few notches. And in updating the classic war film, Bay and screenwriter Randall Wallace (Braveheart) use that old plot standby, the love triangle--this time, it's between two pilots (Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett) and a nurse (Kate Beckinsale) who find themselves stationed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, during what they thought would be a nice, sunny tour of duty. Then, of course, history intervened.
br/> For the first 90 minutes of the movie, Affleck and Beckinsale find a nice, appealing chemistry that plays on his strengths as a movie star and hers as a serious actress--he gives her glamour, she gives him smarts. Their truncated romance--the beginning of which is told in flashback so we can get right to the point where he has to leave her to go to England--works, thanks to their charm. They're no Kate and Leo from Titanic (a strategy the film strives hard toward), but they're pretty darn adorable in their own right. Hartnett, as the not entirely unwelcome third wheel, squints bravely but makes only a slight dent in the film. Everyone else in Pearl Harbor--from Cuba Gooding Jr.'s brave navy seaman to Jon Voight's able impersonation of FDR--is pretty much a glorified walk-on, taking a backseat to the pyrotechnics and action sequences that keep the three-hour film in fairly constant motion. But when that action does take hold, Pearl Harbor is quite a thrilling ride. --Mark Englehart Amazon.com

An average story on a great format.

A unrealistic love story combined with a poor historical account. Randal once again screws up history.Modern day liberals paying great American military heroes. December 23, 2008

Pearl Harbor (Blu-ray)

This is a movie I thought would benefit from being Blu-ray and I was right. Although most of the older titles are a waste of money to have in Blu-ray this movie is not that old and the images were fantastic. December 22, 2008

A MUST OWN MOVIE, BRILLIANT ON BLU-RAY

This is one of my favorite movies I consider this a must have. It has brilliant picture and sound. I am not sure why there are so many complaints about this movie because it looks great to me. It seems like a fair depiction of Pearl Harbor from what I have learned. I did own the DVD and upgraded to Blu-Ray and there is a huge difference. December 8, 2008

Movie: 3.5/5 Picture Quality: 4~4.75/5 Sound Quality: 4.75/5 Extras: 2.5/5

Version: U.S.A / Region A, B, C
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
MPEG-2 BD-50
Running time: 3:03:09
Movie size: 42,21 GB
Disc size: 47,56 GB
Average Video Bit Rate: 20.83 Mbps
LPCM 5.1 6912Kbps 24-bit/48Khz English
DD AC3 5.1 640Kbps English / French
Subtitles: English SDH / French

#Journey to the Screen-The Making of Pearl Harbor (SD - 47 minutes)
#Unsung Heroes (SD - 45 minutes)
#Music video
#Teaser and theatrical trailers October 20, 2008

Bay is a genius

All right I know that Pearl Harbor since its release date has been getting nothing but horrible reviews from just about every critic who'd seen it. I personally thought it was an excellent movie. The authenticity of every thing about the film was almost down to a science. Aside from Ben Affleck's 90's style haircut everything from clothing to wall posters were all well placed and everything. Now we come to the acting. Every one in the film did a great job portraying their charecters and making them seem real. The only real problem I noticed in the acting was Ben Affleck's southern accent. I've got nothing against Ben Affleck, in fact I think he's a very good actor it's just that he'd have done a much better job with his charecter if he'd just not used an accent. And last but not least, the bombing sequence. This was absolutely the best aspect of the film. The second the first bomb falls, you'll be on the edge of your seat. Not only that but the scenes where the Japanese were planning the attack were awesome. All in all this is a must see of a film. October 9, 2008

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