# Best and worst movies about Pearl Harbor **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556 "2012-12-10T01:24:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Penrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/71e660/32.png) [@Penrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penrose)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/1 "2012-12-10T01:24:11Z")
The anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor was this week and several movies about it have been on TV. [A great list of Pearl Harbor movies can be found here](http://news.usni.org/news-analysis/news/pearl-harbor-screen). Some good, some awful. I don’t think the Michael Bay film was as bad as people think, but I still favor “The Final Countdown” about a US nuclear carrier that goes back in time and has the chance to intercept Japanese forces before they attack (as a kid I thought it was the greatest film ever made). Any other favorites? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/2 "2012-12-10T01:42:01Z")
The Michael Bay film IS as bad as people think. Worse, actually. The best is still _Tora Tora Tora_. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/3 "2012-12-10T01:46:34Z")
The original **From Here to Eternity** is probably the best. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/4 "2012-12-10T02:03:08Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The Michael Bay film IS as bad as people think. Worse, actually. > > The best is still _Tora Tora Tora_. +1 One scene I like is when the Japanese pilots are practising to recognize the silhouettes of the ships they will be after. Flash cards are held up and they call out the name of the vessel. One comes up the can’t name, and they’re told "It’s your own flagship idiots!’ with a slap upside the head, and they all burst out laughing. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/5 "2012-12-10T02:13:39Z")
best: Tora Tora Tora worst: Pearl Harbor those are all the Pearl Harbor movies I know exist ---
**Author:** ![toast\_pakora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@toast\_pakora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toast_pakora)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/6 "2012-12-10T02:27:24Z")
I like In Harm’s Way. It’s disconcerting to see the mid-60s hairstyles and fashions on the women though, seriously what’s up with that? I know period movies always have contemporary makeup but there’s usually a reference to the appropriate hair and clothes are the easiest part to get right, especially when it’s referring to a period only 20 years previous. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/7 "2012-12-10T02:34:17Z")
_Tora! Tora! Tora!_ totally deserves its three exclamation marks. _Pearl Harbor_ was an abomination. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/8 "2012-12-10T02:53:46Z")
I’ll just echo what others have said about _Tora! Tora! Tora!_ and _Pearl Harbor_. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/9 "2012-12-10T03:30:56Z")
> [@toast\_pakora](#): > > I like In Harm’s Way. > > It’s disconcerting to see the mid-60s hairstyles and fashions on the women though, seriously what’s up with that? I know period movies always have contemporary makeup but there’s usually a reference to the appropriate hair and clothes are the easiest part to get right, especially when it’s referring to a period only 20 years previous. To me, that was a jarring detail in _Tora Tora Tora_. The female parts were tiny–office workers, ladies at a party and one officer’s wife. No problem–it wasn’t that sort of story. The filmmakers worked very hard to get the military hardware right (or close enough–I know there weren’t enough real Zeroes to go around). Couldn’t they have hired _one_ expert on period style to dress the ladies? Still, I admire the film. Haven’t watched _Pearl Harbor_–I know enough history that just reading the reviews vexed me… ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/10 "2012-12-10T03:35:59Z")
With some good editing, namely removing Kate Beckinsale’s character entirely and all the pointless romantic/emotional baggage that character inflicted, _Pearl Harbor_ might be salvagable. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/11 "2012-12-10T04:01:22Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > With some good editing, namely removing Kate Beckinsale’s character entirely and all the pointless romantic/emotional baggage that character inflicted, _Pearl Harbor_ might be salvagable. What? Kate Beckinsale was the only good thing in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/12 "2012-12-10T04:13:31Z")
And if the movie was a straightforward wartime romance, I’d have no problem with her, but this was a blurry-speed blow-shit-up-good eyefest - the audience has no reason to care about the emotional entanglements of the characters, and indeed the entire subplot is a huge waste of time. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/13 "2012-12-10T05:22:44Z")
I haven’t seen _Pearl Harbor_ so I can’t confirm its awfulness, but without needing to see any others I can confirm that _Tora! Tora! Tora!_ is the best. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/14 "2012-12-10T06:51:30Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > And if the movie was a straightforward wartime romance, I’d have no problem with her, but this was a blurry-speed blow-shit-up-good eyefest - the audience has no reason to care about the emotional entanglements of the characters, and indeed the entire subplot is a huge waste of time. I’m not talking about her character. I’m saying any movie is improved by having Kate Beckinsale in it. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/15 "2012-12-10T07:10:06Z")
Another vote for Tora Tora Tora. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/16 "2012-12-10T14:21:34Z")
I agree about _Tora! Tora! Tora!_, having just watched it this weekend. Lots of time I “watch” a movie while surfing the Internet, but this is one where I had to turn my laptop off so I could read the subtitles. A question about the movie - if you listen to the Japanese when they say “Tora! Tora! Tora!” there’s an extra syllable at the end of the last Tora - what does that mean? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/17 "2012-12-10T14:28:23Z")
Another vote for _In Harms Way_. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/18 "2012-12-10T15:24:10Z")
As a side note, apparently if you can have only one black military character in a WWII film, it has to be Cuba Gooding Jr (The Tuskegee Airmen, Pearl Harbor, Men of Honor, Red Tails). Even if you have a bunch, he still has to be in the film. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/19 "2012-12-10T15:30:22Z")
I miss you more then Michael Bay missed the mark When he made Pearl Harbor I miss you more than that movie missed the point And that’s an awful lot girl And now, now you’ve gone away And all I’m trying to say is Pearl Harbor sucked, and I miss you I need you like Ben Affleck needs acting school He was terrible in that film I need you like Cuba Gooding needed a bigger part He’s way better than Ben Affleck And now all I can think about is your smile and that shitty movie too Pearl Harbor sucked and I miss you Why does Michael Bay get to keep on making movies? I guess Pearl Harbor sucked Just a little bit more than I miss you _Team America_ ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2012, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556/20 "2012-12-10T15:33:44Z")
Tora x 3 was a great movie. You had the slowly increasing tension on the American side as the pieces of the puzzle started falling in place while we see the Japanese methodically prepare for the attack. Some great scenes- the diplomats hunting and pecking away at the typewriter as the zero hour comes and goes, the honor band rushing through the national anthem as the attack begins, the flying insructor being surrounded by Zeros, the desperation in the naval officer trying to pass his warnings up the chain of command, and of course the combat footage itself. In contrast, Pearl Harbor was about an historic battle getting in the way of an improbable love triange. Make a romance movie or make a war movie. Don’t try to combine the two. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-movies-about-pearl-harbor/643556.md?page=2)