Posted on 12/07/2011 4:06:06 PM PST by Saint X
A list with videos of movies and TV series about Pearl Harbor. How many have you seen?
(Excerpt) Read more at usni.org ...
I’ve seen the original From Here to Eternity, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and The Final Countdown. Wouldn’t go out of my way to see the last one again, but the first two are brilliant films.
I refuse to watch Bay’s 2001 film Pearl Harbor, mostly because of the presence of Ben Affleck. Can’t stand him or his lousy acting.
I would see “The Final Countdown” over many other Navy movies. Examples, “Top Gun, Stealth, U-571”. I find it more realistic.
Can’t agree more wrt Bay’s “Pearl”. I have a soft spot for Final Countdown because I enjoy alternate history stories but the
movie is heavy on the cheese, that’s for sure.
I did enjoy John Birmingham’s Axis of Time trilogy and they have a similar storyline based on the attack on Pearl Harbor and then the balance of WW II. I’d easily recommend it.
Cheers!
THe best part about the Final Countdown was when the CO launched an attack on the IJN and the lard ass Senator asked if sending just one squadron of A-6’s was wise and if it would be enough to get the job done. The skipper just looked at him and said in a deadpan matter of fact way: “It’s enough”
Tora is pretty good too if you fast forward through the Heston family subplot scenes.
I agree the 2001 film is awful. It’s worth renting, however, just to watch the attack scenes. The acting is good and the ability to use special effects to recreate what was happening was so much better in 2001 than in earlier movies.
The only good thing about Bay’s Pearl Harbor was Kate Beckinsale.
If Bay stuck with what he was best at, blowing stuff up, Pearl Harbor could have been good. Instead, the film centered around a cliche love triangle while the actual events of Pearl Harbor took a backseat.
I loved the Final Countdown right up to the last few minutes when they chickened out.
In Harm’s Way - John Wayne
Everytime I see it, I keep hoping that they would have gone through with it.
I feel the same way about Final Countdown, for the same reason...big time alternate history fan here.
Never heard of Birmingham though; I’ll have to check that out.
FReegards,
SirL
Haven’t seen “Tora” on any movie channel. I thought this one was a must every anniversary.
I saw recently that it wouldn’t have made any difference if that officer who brushed off the warning from the two radar guys had sounded the alarm. There was no “red phone” type of set-up and by time the right people were notified, the Japs would have been bombing anyway. That officer must have kicked himself more than once over his response, which was rational IMO, as the incoming B-17s were just 5 degrees from the Japs’ bearing.
2001’s plot was ridiculous and really took the movie down. And the idea of Alec Baldwin playing Jimmy Doolittle made me want to hurl. Other than that . . . .
My favorite part in that movie was when the Tomcats were just toying around with the Zeroes before shooting them down. It was fun imagining that happening for real.
>>The only good thing about Bay’s Pearl Harbor was Kate Beckinsale.
Strangely, that seems to be true about many movies she is in. The Underworld movies, Van Helsing, Pearl Harbor...
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