Verdict
Summary
When George Lucas made Star Wars, he basically emulated World War II movies, with his X-wings and maverick pilots trying to destroy the Death Star in one shot, and now we have Roland Emmerich’s big budget CGI-enhanced Midway, which emulates Star Wars with cutting edge aerial dogfights and one-in-a-million bomber shots, so we’ve finally come full circle.
Plot:
The story of the Battle of Midway, told by the leaders and the sailors who fought it.
Review:
Following the events of Pearl Harbor in World War II, strategic military analyst Edwin Layton (Patrick Wilson) may have cracked the next attack to come from Japan: the Midway islands in the Pacific, where the U.S. has a small base that could become a Japanese base if it is attacked and taken over. With Japanese warships mounting up in the ocean, and the clock ticking, General Nimitz (Woody Harrelson) is called in to oversee the strategic command that will decide the fate of how the war will turn. A team of maverick pilots – led by Wade McClusky (Luke Evans) and his commander (gruff Dennis Quaid) – must get their groove on after the jarring defeat of Pearl Harbor, and their most reliable pilot Dick Best (Ed Skrein) might be their last best hope of dive bombing the Japanese battleships and aircraft carriers when they do come. Also in the mix is pilot Doolittle (an underused Aaron Eckhart), who ends up behind enemy lines and must make it back to safety on foot.
When George Lucas made Star Wars, he basically emulated World War II movies, with his X-wings and maverick pilots trying to destroy the Death Star in one shot, and now we have Roland Emmerich’s big budget CGI-enhanced Midway, which emulates Star Wars with cutting edge aerial dogfights and one-in-a-million bomber shots, so we’ve finally come full circle. While a little on the lengthy side at almost two hours and twenty minutes, Midway has some exhilarating battle scenes that look incredible, and the supporting cast is as dependable as you could get. I loved Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor, so it’s no wonder I enjoyed this film too, but what it needed most is a lead actor who stood out from the pack. Ed Skrein is okay as far as actors go, but he can’t really carry a movie as a lead (see his Transporter movie for proof). Dennis Quaid, Woody Harrelson, Patrick Wilson, and Aaron Eckhart are only supporting this time, so I’d hoped for a more reliable lead hero. Still, fans of war films and areal war action should feel extremely lucky to get a picture as technically proficient as this take on the Midway battle.
Lionsgate’s new blu ray / digital release of Midway is out now, and comes with an audio commentary by Emmerich, plus 6 featurettes and a trailer.
