Of all the genres Hollywood has produced since the beginning of films, one of the oldest and prevalent is that of the war genre-it has been around since the silent film era. And because of this aspect, these films have garnered quite the fan base. "All Quiet on the Western Front" '30, "Glory" '79, "Saving Private Ryan" '98, "Pearl Harbor" '07,"War Horse" '11 and even the upcoming "1917"--these films show us what it is like behind enemy lines and what kind of nightmare it is. So, it should be no surprise that "Midway" would give us that same feel.
"Midway" centers on the Battle of Midway, a clash between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy which marked a pivotal turning point in the Pacific Theater during WWII. This film, based on the real-life events of this heroic feat, tells the story of the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude and bravery to overcome the odds. At a time when the relationship of Japan and the US was deeply strained, even before Pearl Harbor, the horrific act of Pearl Harbor sparked the US military to find a way to retaliate since the security of the west coast of the US was otherwise at risk.
The USS Enterprise was approximately 170 miles off the west coast of Hawaii, so it wasn't affected by the tragedy. Intelligence officer, Edwin Layton (Patrick Wilson) warned the military of an upcoming attack of Pearl Harbor which afterward were willing to listen to him about when and where another attack from Japan would happen. So the President, FDR ordered Adm. Chester W. Nimitz (Woody Harrelson) to lead the efforts of an impending attack, and he consulted with the admiral of the Enterprise, William 'Bull' Halsey (Dennis Quaid). Through Halsey's crew including Dick Best (Ed Skrein), Wade McClusky (Luke Evans), Clarence Dickinson (Luke Kleintank), Bruno Gaido (Nick Jonas) and others, they masterminded an attack whereas the US had to win lest Japan be able to launch rockets toward the US west coast.
Others to round out the cast are Mandy Moore as Ann Best, Dick's wife, Aaron Eckhart as Jimmy Doolittle, Keean Johnson as James Murray, Etsushi Toyokawa as Isoroku Yamamoto, Tadanobu Asano as Tamon Yamaguchi, Darren Criss as Eugene Lindsey, Brandon Sklenar as George 'Tex' Gay, Jake Manley as Willie West and Jun Kunimura as Chuichi Nagumo.
This was directed in an epic way by veteran Roland Emmerich ("Franzmann" '79, "Making Contact" '85, "Stargate" '94, "Independence Day" '96, "The Patriot" 2000, "The Day After Tomorrow" '04, "2012" '09, "White House Down" '13, "Stonewall" '15) plus others, a TV movie and shorts. Emmerich had to have yawned through this production considering this is definitely familiar territory. And although it being a film he's used to helming, it certainly was a monumental project logistically. The different units, editing, photography, production design, visuals, etc, had to be a major headache. Why else would Lionsgate have taken a chance with him? All characters came across as real as they could be, and with this being his bazzilionth film, he is busy and has two films that have been announced--"Stargate" and "Moonfall". It was written by a relative newcomer, not only to the industry, but his first feature film, Wes Tooke (TV). Certainly for being this writer's first film, it was as cohesive as it possibly could've been. The issues are there--it was a bit choppy as the story went from the Pearl Harbor attack to the Battle of Midway, and there were a couple of other places of lack of continuity. This writer has the potential of being a fine writer--he just needs more work. Given the chance, his next few screenplays should indicate his talent or not. The TV experience hasn't been aplenty, but surely has served him. But, if he can acquire possibly another project that's not too large, it might just fit him better. And the visual effects predominantly designed by Pixomondo were captured well.
If this genre is a favorite of yours, you'll revel with this. It starts with the Pearl Harbor attack and goes into the other battles leading up to the Battle of Midway, so it will be a feast for the eyes. If you want to experience it in an interesting way it will be also shown in a 4DX format.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG-13 138mins.
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