In June 1942, six months after Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, a key naval battle is fought in the Pacific. I wasn’t sure what to expect with ‘Midway’. On the one hand, I’m a sucker for old fashioned war epics – and that includes the 1976 movie of the same name. On the other hand, it is directed by Roland Emmerich who has a patchy track record at best that includes real stinkers such as ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’, ‘10000 BC’ and the abomination that is ‘The Patriot’.
The faults in ‘Midway’ are, indeed, pretty apparent. Some of the dialogue is a bit clunky, such as a Japanese sailor helpfully exclaiming that “it’s a tinderbox” just before a ship explodes and a pilot proclaiming “this is for Pearl Harbor” as he drops a bomb. The characterisation is quite sketchy, especially when it comes to the hero of the piece, fearless Dick Best (Ed Skrein) who is a pretty cliched figure. Also, some of the CGI, especially in the Pearl Harbor sequence is a bit shonky. It improves during the main battle, but overall compares unfavourably with the 1976 version, where real aircraft were used.
But despite the flaws, this is, in many ways a really enjoyable movie. The build up to the battle is clearly and interestingly depicted, with it staying surprisingly close to the facts. The action scenes in the main battle are thrilling and the story of the four day encounter unfolds in a clear way. Also there are some notable performances in the smaller parts, particularly by Woody Harrelson as Nimitz and Dennis Quaid as Halsey.
Not as good as the 1976 ‘Midway’ or the peerless ‘Tora Tora Tora’, this is nevertheless very entertaining stuff.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10