(Rated PG-13, 178 mins.)
At over 3 hours long, Pearl Harbor is really two films blended into one, much like “Titanic” was. It’s a romance and an action/adventure, special effects, laden epic. Remarkably, there is no swearing. There is violence, but it is more John Wayne than the bloody excesses we have become accustomed to, and the sex scenes are all tastefully done. Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett play home town buddies in the armed forces just prior to World War II. They are hot shot flyers looking to fly airplanes have some, adventure and meet women. The dorky polite “Mame” talk has all the charm of yesteryear-courting and immediately sets Ben up as an underdog. When Ben discovers a lithesome, caring nurse, played nicely by Kate Breckinsdale, love blooms. Yet the looming war gets in the way. When the attack on Pearl Harbor finally comes, some 90 minutes into the story, it’s awesome, sad, chaotic and unexpected — and it shows. The special effects are stunning. You’ll see some see some “Saving Private Ryan” in this film, but the periods between action and romance seem over long, and there is some straying from historical facts. “Pearl Harbor” however, is the film the ‘greatest generation’ will enjoy. It is a film that will explode at the box office. Ben Affleck does a very creditable job as the star, Cuba Gooding Jr. is under utilized, and Alec Baldwin is at his gruff best. Give credit to Michael Bay, the director, PEARL may not be a classic, but it is a minor gem.
