Released just a few years after the cultural phenomenonTitanicset new benchmarks both critically and commercially, directorMichael Bay’sPearl Harborattempted to replicate the love-story-set-during-a-tragic-historical-event formula with admirable but not astonishing results. Themovie will drop on Hulu next month, at a time when interest in its two male stars is arguably greater than it has been in a while.Pearl HarborstarredBen AffleckandJosh Hartnettin the central roles of a couple of buddies caught in a love triangle with the same woman, played byKate Beckinsale, during World War II.
Having debuted over the Memorial Day weekend in 2001, the movie generated considerable interest at the box office, although it earned mostly negative reviews.Pearl Harborconcluded its theatrical run with nearly $200 million domestically and approximately $450 million worldwide, against a reported budget of $140 million. Like last year’sOppenheimer, which is set during the same historical time period,Pearl Harborproved to be surprisingly successful in Japan. UnlikeChristopher Nolan’s acclaimed blockbuster, however, it didn’t shy away from showing the titular tragedy in graphic detail.
Pearl Harbor, did, however, receivecriticism for spotlighting the love triangle over the historical drama. The moviecurrently sits at a “rotten” 24% scoreon the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes— it’s tied as Bay’s lowest-rated non-Transformers movie, alongsideBad Boys II. The film’s audience score on RT, based on more than 250,000 ratings, stands at a so-so 66%. The website’s consensus reads, “Pearl Harbortries to be theTitanicof war movies, but it’s just a tedious romance filled with laughably bad dialogue. The 40-minute action sequence is spectacular though.”
Despite Poor Reviews, ‘Pearl Harbor’ Is an Indispensable Part of the Millennial Cannon
Pearl Harborwasnominated for four Oscarsand ended up winning in the Best Sound Editing category. Bay most recently directedAmbulance, which is incidentally his top-rated movie on RT, with a score of 68%. Affleck, on the other hand, has unfortunately been making headlines more for his divorce fromJennifer Lopezthan for any movie that he recently appeared in, which is just as well, considering his last release was the already-forgottenHypnotic, directed byRobert Rodriguez.
Hartnett is having a bit of a resurgence, thanks to a starring role inM. Night Shyamalan’sTrap, which has so far grossed over $70 million worldwide. He also played a supporting role inOppenheimerlast year. Also starringCuba Gooding Jr.,Tom Sizemore,Jon Voight,Colm Feore, andAlec Baldwin,Pearl Harboris now available on Hulu. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Pearl Harbor
A tale of war and romance mixed in with history. The story follows two lifelong friends and a beautiful nurse who are caught up in the horror of an infamous Sunday morning in 1941.
Watch on Hulu
