Pearl Harbor

Description

History comes alive in the unforgettable epic motion
picture PEARL HARBOR, the spectacular blockbuster brought to the screen by
Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay. Astounding visual and audio effects put you
at the center of the event that changed the world — that early Sunday morning
in paradise when warplanes screamed across the peaceful skies of Pearl Harbor
and jolted America into World War II. This real-life tale of catastrophic
defeat, heroic victory, and personal courage focuses on the war’s devastating
impact on two daring young pilots, Ben Affleck (ARMAGEDDON) and Josh Hartnet
(THE VIRGIN SUICIDES), and a beautiful, dedicated nurse, Kate Beckinsale
(SERENDIPITY). PEARL HARBOR is extraordinary moviemaking — a breathtaking
reenactment of the “date which will live in infamy” and a heartfelt tribute to
the men and women who lived it. 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. 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

Features:

Product Details:

• Genre: Drama, ACTION, LIVE
• Format: Dolby, NTSC, Closed-captioned, Color, DTS Surround Sound
• Contributor: Alec Baldwin, Catherine Kellner, Ewen Bremner, Randall Wallace, Jon Voight, Cuba Gooding Jr., Michael Shannon, William Lee Scott, Tom Sizemore, Josh Hartnett, Michael Bay, James King, Kate Beckinsale, Greg Zola, Mako, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner See more
• Language: English, French
• Runtime: 3 hours and 3 minutes
• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 2.35:1
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 0.71 Ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ E568461
• Director ‏ : ‎ Michael Bay
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Dolby, NTSC, Closed-captioned, Color, DTS Surround Sound
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 3 hours and 3 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ December 4, 2001
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Jon Voight, Ewen Bremner