Product Details

• Actors: Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale, Josh Hartnett, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jon Voight
• Directors: Michael Bay
• Writers: Randall Wallace
• Producers: Barry H. Waldman, Bruce Hendricks, Chad Oman, Jennifer Klein, Jerry Bruckheimer
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Special Edition, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 2
• Studio: Walt Disney Video
• VHS Release Date: December 4, 2001
• Run Time: 183 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,959 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00003CXTF
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,805 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  Video > Drama > Love & Romance > Love Triangle

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

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

Product 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 (BLACK HAWK DOWN), 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a waste, September 1, 2003

By	Yarby "yarby" (Medina, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pearl Harbor (Two-Disc 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition) (DVD)

The cinematography was beautiful and the sets were beautiful, catching the time period perfectly. What a pity that they had to be wasted on this pitiful excuse of a movie!

Much like "Titanic" which preceded it (for which the above paragraph could apply in its entirety), "Pearl Harbor", rather than being a great movie about a historic tragic event, offended the viewer by using the event merely as a backdrop for a "chick flick" plot...and a very POOR one at that.

I truly looked forward to this movie, believing the writers and producers would show this event the respect it deserved. So sad that the remaining WWII vets get THIS as a "tribute". What an insult! One can only envision the next step being a romance story called "9-11: The Twin Towers".

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars SNORA! SNORA! SNORA!, September 8, 2001

By	Laura M Merkamp "lauramarie75" (Fremont, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Pearl Harbor (Two-Disc 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition) (DVD)

What a disappointing movie! I was so looking foward to what I thought would be the exciting blockbuster of 2001. Instead I found Pearl Harbor to be boring, cheezy and very predictable. First of all it takes FOREVER for any sort of action to get started. My husband and I were sitting in the theater just waiting for the Japanese to start bombing Pearl Harbor, almost looking foward to it, so we could see something interesting happen on the screen. The romance between the two leads is Laugh out Loud ridiculous. The dialogue seems to be written by a 14 year old. I was actually reciting out loud what the characters would say next, it was that predictable. The story didnt let the audience become at all attached to the characters. The only reason I give it 2 stars was the great special effects. Dont waste your time on this dumbed down version of history. If you want to watch a great movie depicting history see 13 Days or Tora Tora Tora. Movies like that actually treat the audience like they have a brain.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars SOOOO bad, June 4, 2001

By A Customer

save your money and just see the trailer. those 3 minutes are the only credit the movie deserves.

this movie left me disgusted -- the blatant propaganda, the cliched, flat STUPID "love" story (actually, you end up hating all the characters in the love triangle, not empathizing with them), the hysterically overblown production that gives hollywood it's internationally bad name, the b level comic book dialog, the cardboard cut-out characters, and then probably the most grievous of all, the spit in the face this movie is to all who lost their lives and loved ones on BOTH sides. the "triumphant" revenge scene as they fly into japan was full of machismo and bombs with "this is for betty" painted onto their sides made me just about puke. pearl harbor was a devastating event for us, and the aftermath was even more devastating for japan (and others!). to take the cold, violent, craziness of such an event and instead make it into some sick hallmark card was something more than just bad, it's irresponsible and insulting.

the fact that they spend 145 million dollars on this is laughable. how expensive is a good writer?

that said, maybe the only redeeming value is how unintentionally funny this movie is. in the very beginning of the movie, the two main characters are boys and reaching up to one boy's dad as he flies over them in his farm plane, the cheesy music starts and you're supposed to feel the power of their love for flying and the intensity of their dream. instead you just notice how they just got cropdusted.