Midway

Wuchak 6/23/2021 3:58:29PM 8.4

***Just the facts, Jack*** Intelligence officer Edwin Layton (Patrick Wilson) warns that a Japanese attack is imminent, but his advice is disregarded and the Japanese use their carrier fleet to attack Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Admiral Chester Nimitz (Woody Harrelson) swiftly assumes command of the heavily weakened US Pacific Fleet. After the Doolittle air raid on Tokyo & Honshu 4.5 months later, events lead up to the Battle of Midway on June 4–7, 1942. Ed Skrein plays cocky pilot Dick Best while Dennis Quaid is on hand as carrier commander William "Bull" Halsey. "Midway" (2019) tackles the Battle of Midway and events leading up to it without throwing in a dramatic fictional story, like the love triangle of “Pearl Harbor” (2001). While I loved “Pearl Harbor” and proudly stand by it, “Midway” chooses to stick to the facts and is thrilling from beginning to end. The main cast members are all real-life figures and there’s a tribute to each at the close. This is superior to the 1976 movie because Roland Emmerich had the CGI technology to pull off the battle scenes which take place in & above the Pacific Ocean near the atoll of Midway, which is located a little over a thousand miles west of Hawaii. The flick successfully takes the viewer right into the midst of the fight on the water, in the air and under the water. It’s exciting, horrific and revelatory. The film runs almost 2 hours and 18 minutes. GRADE: A-

JPV852 6/23/2021 3:58:34PM 8.4

Admittedly I have a love for anything involving World War II and although the dialogue was a bit spotty and some of the visual effects were okay at best, I still found this to be a pretty good war movie and nice performances all around. Probably doesn't rank all that high compared to others about Midway and Pearl Harbor, yet still found it to be worth checking out. **3.75/5**

Peter McGinn 4/7/2023 1:54:40AM 8.4

I am not a fan of war movies (and therefore not an authoritative reviewer) so I can only say that I thought it was fairly entertaining. Woody Harrelson and Dennis Quaid were as good as I would expect them to be and the large cast certainly held their own. I felt there were some war movie cliches here and there, but the Japanese were portrayed with respect and, I assume, realism. The battle felt like a very near thing to me, like it could easily have gone the other way with a bit less bravery and persistence on the part of the American fliers. Plus it showed only two planes returning in the end, but someone said they lost half their men. Perhaps the rest landed on different carriers and was just unclear. But as I said, I knew little of the details of the battle going in.