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Archives
of Movies on Video
xxxxx
Critics Choice for the Top
Movies of the 20th Century
xxxxx
Movies
are listed by date of review starting with the most recent at the top.
Due to Illness of the Editior this Section has fallen behind, we are attemting to catch up.
Oceans
11
PG-13 ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Vanilla Sky
R ... 1
xxxxx
Spy
Game
R ... 3
xxxxx
The
Heist
R ... 3
xxxxx
Life
as a House
R ... 3
xxxxx
The One
PG-13 ...1-1/2
xxxxx
Jurassic
Park III
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Planet of the Apes
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Pearl
Harbor
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
The Score
R ... 2
xxxxx
Rush Hour 2
PG13 ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
A.I.
Artificial Intelligence
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Laura Croft: Tomb Radier
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Swordfish
R ... 2
xxxxx
DR2 (Doctor Doolittle 2)
PG ...1
xxxxx
The
Animal
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Bridget Jones's Diary
R ... 3
xxxxx
The Tailor of Panama
R ... 3
xxxxx
Driven
PG-13 ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
The Mummy Returns
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
A Knights Tale
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
TomCats
R ... 1
xxxxx
Blow
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Enemy at the Gates
R ... 3
xxxxx
Heartbreakers
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Road to Redemption
PG ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
The Mexican
R ... 2
xxxxx
Recess:
School's Out
G ... 2
xxxxx
3000
Miles to Graceland
R ... 2
xxxxx
Traffic
R ... 3
xxxxx
The
Pledge
R ... 3
xxxxx
The
Wedding Planner
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Valentine
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Hannibal
R ... 3
xxxxx
Thirteen
Days
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
A
Family Man
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Quills
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Thirteen
Days
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Mercy
Streets Recommended Viewing
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
102 Dalmations
G ... 2
xxxxx
What
Women Want
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
The
Vertical Limit
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Into
the Arms of Starngers
PG ...3-1/22
xxxxx
Men
of Honor
R ... 3
xxxxx
Little Nicky
PG-13 ... 1
xxxxx
Red Planet
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
The 6th Day
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Charlie's Angels
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Book
of Shadows Blair Witch Project 2
R ... 1
xxxxx
Bedazzled
PG-13 ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Pay it Forward
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Lost Souls
R ... 2
xxxxx
The Exorcist
re-release
R ... 3-1/2
xxxxx
The Little Vampire
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Lucky Numbers
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Goya in Bordeaux
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Luminous Motion
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
The Contender
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Luminarias
R ... 2
xxxxx
Get Carter
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Meet the Parents
PG-13... 3
xxxxx
Shower
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Love and Sex
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
The Exorcist
R ... 1
xxxxx
Remember the Titans
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Almost Famous
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
An Affair of Love
R ... 2
xxxxx
Urban Legends
R ... 1
xxxxx
Woman On Top
R ... 2
xxxxx
Duet
R ... 2
xxxxx
Bait
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
The Interview
R ... 3
xxxxx
Committed
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Nurse Betty
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Five Senses
R ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
The Watcher
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Highlander End Game
R ... 1
xxxxx
Godzilla2000
PG ... 2
xxxxx
The Crew
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Art of War
R ... 2
xxxxx
The Life and Times of
Hank Greenberg
NR ... 3-1/2
xxxxx
Bless the child
R ... 3-1/2
xxxxx
Butterfly
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
The Cell
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
Space Cowboys
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
The Patriot
R ... 2
xxxxx
Coyote Ugly
PG-13 ...1-1/2
xxxxx
Hollow Man
R ... 1-1/2
xxxxx
The Replacements
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Rocky and Bullwinkle
PG ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
The Perfect Storm
PG-13 ... 3
xxxxx
Me, Myself and Irene
R ... 1/2
xxxxx
Chicken Run
G ... 3-1/2
xxxxx
Thomas and
the Magic Railroad
G ... 3
xxxxx
What Lies Beneath
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Nutty Professor II
The Klumps
PG-13 ...1-1/2
xxxxx
Dinosaur
PG ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Titan A.E.
PG ... 2
xxxxx
Sunshine
R ... 3
xxxxx
Shaft 2
R ... 2
xxxxx
Shanghai Noon
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Big Momma's House
PG-13 ... 1
xxxxx
Gone in 60 Seconds
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Mission Impossible
2
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
The Basket
PG ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Battlefield Earth
PG-13 ... 1/2
xxxxx
I Dreamed of Africa
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Gladiator
R ... 3
xxxxx
Where the Heart Is
PG-13 ... 2
xxxxx
Frequency
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
Keeping the Faith
PG-13 ... 2-1/2
xxxxx
U-571
R ... 2
xxxxx
Contact
Us
Feedback and Advertising
Info...
xxxxx
Contact Marie
Asner
Let us know what you
think...
xxxxx
Report Dead Links
Feedback...
______________
R ... 2
xxxxx
PEARL HARBOR
3
Rated PG 13
Website: www.pearlharbor.com
“Pearl Harbor” was a tragic event in American history that seems too overwhelming to be made into a motion picture. Director Michael Bay (“Armageddon”) takes the helm and has wrought a war story combined with a love story. Casting a film is important and the leads here are not super-stars (yet, that is.) There are Ben Affleck (“The Boiler Room”), Kate Beckinsale (“Cold, Comfort Farm”) and Josh Harnett (“Halloween H2O”)
The love story begins as Ben meets Kate, a nurse, and it’s love at first sight. Soon, Ben, a pilot, leaves for the European Front and Kate ends up on duty in Hawaii. Word comes that Ben has been killed in action and Kate finds solace with Ben’s best friend, Josh, also a pilot. You can just about guess what is going to happen. The re-enactment of the Pearl Harbor disaster begins over 80 minutes into the film. This is definitely “Saving Private Ryan” stuff with ships sinking, men drowning, bullets underwater and fire everywhere. Watch for Cuba Gooding, Jr. in this section as a black Navy cook, who can’t rise in rank, but rises to heroic deeds. This is also realistic stuff, so be prepared. President Roosevelt (Jon Voight from “Anaconda” in a strong role) draws the country into war and the phrase, “This is a day that will live in infamy,” is born.
There is so much detail in the telling of Pearl Harbor, that any plot devise seems irrelevant. The idea of using a love story as the main focus for a huge disaster is a “Titanic” idea, and the problem becomes: we don’t get to know the characters well enough to actually care about them. It’s not a “so what?” attitude, but more like “what was that again?” as the plot goes to another major point. The male leads do well; especially Josh Harnett and this role should propel him into major stardom. He has the soft voice and facial bone structure of a young Tommy Lee Jones. Kate Beckinsale sleep walks through the love scenes while doing well in her action parts as the nurse in command at the hospital after the attack. Give Ben Affleck a cocky tip to the hat and he is ready to go into action.
The Japanese military (shown in the film as “visionary”) achieved quite a psychological blow by hitting Pearl Harbor, but they did not bomb the main fuel storage tanks there. A tactical error. Historical accuracy is questionable as in the Pepsi-Cola bottle, which, unless memory fails me, was a late 1958 design. Also Doolittle’s raid on Tokyo (Doolittle is played by an impressive Alec Baldwin) comes approximately three months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
To have to wade through the love story, with soaring music at crucial moments, as though the audience didn’t know a kiss was coming, is elementary. The last half of the film runs better, with the exception of the marginal ending. You are looking at your watch after the first hour, knowing there are still two hours to go.
“Pearl Harbor” is rated PG 13, but be aware of intense war violence, profanity and suggestive love scenes.
Marie Asner
Copyright 2001 Marie Asner
