Pearl Harbor

[Mobe1969]

Continuing on from urban-samurai's thread on the old forum, I'd also like to say I like this film a lot, and can't understand the detractors (culminating in the Matt Parker song in Team America ).

I've watched the theatrical edition a few times, and got the Director's Cut a few weeks back, and was even more impressed by it than the original version. I found the attack on Pearl Harbor scene even more powerful and shocking with the added carnage, and hate to admit this, but I found it made my eyes mist up a bit during the battle... It wasn't at the Saving Private Ryan D-Day carnage level, but it seemed to hit a few more nerves with me. Maybe as I'd seen the theatrical edition prior, and wasn't expecting it.

Aside from the "war" side of it, I found the overall story of friendship and loss excellent.

It runs for 3 hours, but the time flies.

[devonnewberry]

What added footage was added into it?

[r-type]

The Director's cut has more violence in it.

Make no mistake, the cinematography is still top notch in PH. Personally, however, the movie dragged more than I would have liked it to. But the actual imagining of the attack, from the stylized shots of the Japanese (the Kamikazes wrapping the rising sun across their foreheads in particular), to the carnage going on all at once were some of the most underrated action setpieces. (IMO)

Despite all of the negativity(critical) it seems to garner, it still technically wasn't a flop financially.

[Trigger Mike]

Despite all of the negativity(critical) it seems to garner, it still technically wasn't a flop financially.

More than that, it was a resounding hit around the globe. Over $450 million off a budget of $135 million. How many big summer films can claim that kind of profit margin today? More to the point; how many summer films today can be made for only $135 million? Pearl Harbor is an enormous film and it blows my mind how cheap Bay did it for.

[r-type]

I was running with the modesty angle, Mike. But I like the way you explained it too.

[halofan1]

It's a piece of shit, simple as that. It's not totally Bay's fault, Wallace fucked up in trying to change history that was already so well documented. The movie isn't even about Pearl Harbor, but about how the attack was a big inconvenience to three people trying to figure out their love problems. That's not necessarily bad, the problem is emotion is forced and not felt. These characters are not only very cliche, but so is everything they get into. Again, the movie tries to force us to care about these people like they made some big contribution to Pearl Harbor. The end almost insults the audience with it's narrative. We shouldn't need to be told the three-hour shitfest we just suffered was important, the film should stand on it's own.

This was the worst movie I'd ever seen...then along came Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

Having said all of that...if the movie had started with the actual attack and gone on from there it might have been ok.

[galax]

Pearl Habour was a surprise for me. At first I didn't trust so much because I thought that it was a copy of Titanic, 3 hours of an epic historic episode. But when I saw it I liked it. Even Josh Harnett is a little bit better than it was supposed to be.
Regards,
http://www.gp-cine.blogspot.com

[alexsm]

Pearl Harbor is a great movie. I've seen it a few times and I love it.

The romatic story is nice and all the battles are AMAZING. Maybe the best flying combats ever filmed.

Also IMO the movie has Bay's best camera work (well... now i think i'm not too sure about this... Bad Boys 2 and The Island are hard opponents).

[Jarek Zabczynski]

Pearl Harbor is a cinematic masterpiece.

[uraydo]

when this movie was on VHS (on 2 tapes), I would only watch the 2nd tape.

[Goodspeed]

Pearl Harbor is a masterpiece .... period.

[kucharsk]

The Director's Cut make all the difference, IMHO.

The additional carnage is entirely appropriate, and the loss of the "campfire scene" makes all the difference.

I just wish Buena Vista would release the Director's Cut on Blu-ray; all we have now in HD is the theatrical release.

[Mobe1969]

Yeah, a Hi def version of the Directors cut would be nice.

Regarding some of the comments on the old forum, where someone was complaining that some of the bodies in the explosions in the directors cut looked fake / like dummies, well sorry to break this to you but if a bomb goes off behind you it isn't a Die Hard Yippee-Jay-Yay moment where you just jump in the air and raise your freaking arms above your head and catch the shockwave and surf it out...

Watching the DC after seeing the TC so many times actually made me weep, much to my surprise. Michel Bay did an excellent job. And irrespective of what any armchair critic asshole says, he should be proud of that film.

[BeetleJuice]

Michael Bay's best film by a mile...

[megatron42]

have you seen tora tora

[BeetleJuice]

Yep... it's boring... more like a documentary than a movie.