I watched this film last night for the first time since seeing it in the theater in 2001. I remembered very little about the movie going into it but one thing I definitely remembered is that it garnered a rather poor reputation.
Having now revisited the film, I think that reputation is undeserved. Probably the thing that did the most damage was people's expectations: Most probably went into the film expecting a serious, Dunkirk-esque treatment of the subject or something along those lines, and obviously that is not what Michael Bay gave us. If that's what people were wanting, I can understand their disappointment.
However, if you go into it willing to accept the film for what it is--a fictionalized take on the Pearl Harbor attack involving characters and storylines surrounding the event that did not exist in reality--then there's actually a lot to like about this movie. I'm mostly okay with the love story and genuinely appreciate the brotherly relationship between Affleck and Hartnett. But obviously the centerpiece of the film is the attack on Pearl Harbor itself, and it is goddamned AMAZING. Michael Bay comes up with some incredible visuals here and, I think, directs the action masterfully. The build-up to the attack is also well-executed and I enjoy the high-level melodrama that surrounds it all.
The film overall is certainly not perfect, but I genuinely enjoyed rewatching it and now think of it as underrated.
BTW, Michael Bay is not a hack. I know a lot of people these days like to point to Transformers and go "heh heh heh look at what a hack he is!" but this isn't really a fair argument. In order to advance that line of thinking you have to forget that he also made films like The Rock, Pain & Gain and 13 Hours, all of which are very good movies. You don't make films like those--or a film like Pearl Harbor for that matter--if you're a hack.
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[deleted]
5 years ago
Yeah but those films are a small minority on his filmography, most of his films have been mediocre or just plain sucked.....especially in the 2010's. A few films just doesn't cut it for me. He's still a hack IMO and he's not even trying anymore.
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PrimeMinisterX (8292)
5 years ago
Are they still a "small minority" when you disregard the Transformers films?
Besides, Pain & Gain and 13 Hours are both films made in the 2010s and they're great.
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[deleted]
5 years ago
Yes they are still a minority because most of his stuff is still pretty average at best, especially all the films he's produced as well. He needs to find some better scripts and stop with the Summer blockbuster garbage.
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PrimeMinisterX (8292)
5 years ago
I don't pay attention to most filmmakers' production credits. By and large that's just them investing in projects they think will make money.
As a director I think Bay is hit and miss, but he's made some really good films. When he's working at his highest level, the results are good. The Rock is one of the greatest action films of all time, and that proves the ability is there even if he doesn't always tap into it.
Even the Transformers films, while not exactly great cinema, are still kind of fun.
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