Who doesn’t appreciate a good old fashioned war film? Midway might fit your needs if you like a story told over again but with better technology.
The film revisits the 1942 three day battle via land and sea of which the U.S. Navy conquered against the Japanese force at Midway Atoll. First it was John Ford who was rewarded a wounded arm while shooting a short documentary. That was followed up with an explosive version in 1976 directed by Jack Smight. Now it’s Roland Emmerich’s (White House Down, Independence Day) turn in the directors chair as he covers his version of the Pacific naval war that lasted longer than this 140 min movie does.
This film has a strong cast with the likes of Nick Jonas, Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Luke Evans and Mandy Moore. The stage was set on location, with the Dept of Defense’s permission at Joint Base Pearl Harbor near Honolulu and CGI fight scenes, of course. It’s a fairly good movie but why tell the same story over and over? Hollywood needs to move on with some original works. Lt. Dick Best (Skrein) swoops down on a Japanese ship like a well-tuned eagle to blow it up. The effects were amazing.
The pilots were brave men as in machinist Bruno Gaido (Nick Jonas) who hops in a grounded plane and fires on the enemy to protect the carrier. Woody Harrelson as Admiral Nimitz played a straight-jawed officer and with Dennis Quaid plus Patrick Wilson in the mix, we have a war movie penned by Wes Tooke about war told by all who fought it. Mandy Moore as Dick Best’s wife has a second career next to singing. It hits theaters everywhere November 8. 3 1/2 stars (out of 5).
