Pearl Harboru

Despite it's big budget, Pearl Harbour does not live up to expectations. Even before I saw the movie I had my first line sorted out, no movie, this hyped up could ever meet the public expectations. Even with this in mind, and trying to have no expectations at all, I still thought this movie sucked.

If you've seen Titanic, then in my opinion, you've seen Pearl Harbour.

Both movies follow the same formula: 75 minutes of love story and background, 75 minutes extreme graphic footage of the event, 30 minutes closing off.

Both have certain scenes in common, such as the sinking of the ship, in Titanic's case this was their money shot, in Pearl Harbour's case not so. In Titanic, there is a scene depicting bodies getting taken out of the water, there is an almost identical scene in Pearl Harbour.

These are only two examples of the many that make the two so similar.

At least Pearl Harbour has a slight twist to the love story, and although it has been done before, fits well into the story line.

The performance of Kate Beckinsale is a highlight of this movie, and does a beautiful job of depicting a nurse torn between two love interests. While Ben Afflek gives a less then stirling performance, Josh Hartnett deserves a mention for his acting, and all three are good for eye candy appeal.

The costumes are often not in tune with the era (1941), and we see Beckinsale's midriff, and is often fitted in more 60's clothing.

The film's money shot, where the Japanese bomb the ship 'Arizona' is spectacluar, amongst all the shouting and screaming, the whole thing gets blotted out into an erie silence as the bomb is followed from the chute, thru 3 floors, into the ship, it shows the reactons of those on board, and is a really great shot in itself.

All in all I give it 2/5 little gopher dudes for the shot and the eyecandy appeal.