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Bombs Away! A Review by |
| You remember that high school cheerleader that everyone wanted to date?
After many years, you finally step up to become her boyfriend. After another 8
months, she finally decides to give up the goods. Unfortunately, you've had better
relations with your right hand than this all un-conquerable young lady. That, my friends,
is what "Pearl Harbor" amounts to. In Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay's "Pearl Harbor", Ben Affleck stars as Rafe (note: a last name for the main character was never given.) one of two pilots who have dreamed of being pilots since their childhood. The other pilot is Danny Walker (Josh Harnett "The Faculty"), and the two men both fall in love with the same woman (Kate Beckinsale). The three of these people must deal with life's challenges while dealing with the events of Pearl Harbor. That's the "plot", and lets just refer to this film from now on as "Titantic 2: Battle of the Air". This film stretches a very badly done love triangle out for 2 hours. The chemistry between Affleck and Beckinsale is awful, and causes any feeling for the "triangle" to be shot straight to hell. Harnett is great as Danny Walker, and I would like to see him in a lot more roles like this. Between these two hours of a bad love story, there are minutes of scenes showing the "thought" processes of the Japanese and the Americans. I'm not a defender of the Japanese, but I believe the Japanese could have been depicted a lot better than they were in this film. They appeared more like a group of villians from a Saturday Morning Cartoon, than an actual country with serious threat. The last 1/3 of the film could almost be a completely seperate film had the three characters not been apart of it. As good as it may be, it is hit and miss with recreating the atmosphere and feel that the war should depict. Instead, it is a bunch of movie cliche's from old movies pieced together..the typical "water rising to top of ship while sinking", the typical "airplane chase scenes". There are also some various corny lines spread throughout...but what can one expect from a Bruckheimer flick? And on top of these cliche points, the musical score is a little too overbearing. The music comes in so loud and fast that it basically is telling you what to feel. For some, they may fall for this. For me however, I need the music to assist the actors emotions and acting on the screen. With the exception of Harnett and Beckinsale...I felt nothing.I've come to the conclusion that Ben Affleck can NOT hold down top billing of a film without his partner and crime Matt Damon ("Dogma" & "Goodwill Hunting" opposed to "Reindeer Games".) "Pearl Harbor" is nothing more than a badly
done love story set in a historical event. The event plays second fiddle, and laughs in
the face at many historic facts. I did not like Titantic very much, but I enjoyed it much
more than I did this film. Every summer must have one, this is the film of the summer that
will make money out the wazoo...but isn't worth the price of one box of Milkduds. See this
with extreme caution. |
-Now that you've read something, he's written. Wouldn't you like to find out more about Vigilante? Here you go. |
1/2 out of four.
