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Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding Jr., Tom Sizemore ... see more see more... , Jon Voight , Colm Feore , Mako , Alec Baldwin , William Lee Scott , Michael Shannon , Scott Wilson , Peter Firth , James King , Catherine Kellner , Jennifer Garner , Dan Aykroyd , William Fichtner , Jesse James , Frederick Koehler , Sara Rue , Ewen Bremner , Guy Torry , Bret Roberts , Jaime King

When the Japanese military launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on that fateful day in December of 1941, the United States was caught completely off guard by the formidable force of 350 heavily ... read more read more...armed aircraft -- leading to one of the most tragic events in U.S. military history. How could the military base not have known about such a massive attack? Was it due to the amazing strategy of the Japanese pilots, or did their fighters just hit the right place at the most unexpected and vulnerable time. Perhaps it was a bit of both. Now, thanks to Eagle Rock Home Video, viewers can explore this landmark day of infamy and find out how the attack on Pearl Harbor still resonates with the U.S. military over half-a-century after the fact. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

73% liked it

830,379 ratings

Critics

25% liked it

166 critics

DVD Release Date: December 4, 2001

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Stats: 42,005 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (42,005)


  • March 9, 2012
    Michael Bay is gay. Direct quote:
    -Ben Affleck: "You are so beautiful it hurts"
    -Kate Beckinsale: "It's your nose that hurts"
    -Ben Affleck: "I think it's my heart"
    WOW. RLY?
    I don't even wanna get into the reasons why this movie sucks.
  • January 13, 2012
    An okay film! The love story adds nothing whatsoever, but the battle sequences are stunning. It's disappointing because scenes like that deserve to be in a better film.
  • December 7, 2011
    In almost every Michael Bay film I have seen, it seems as if the man wants to laugh, "And you thought I could actually make a good film!" I wouldn't say that PEARL HARBOR is terrible, but it's the worst I've seen of Mr. Bay. If ARMAGEDDON, a mediocre feature at best, was truly ... read morethe end of the world, per se, PEARL HARBOR is as if the remains of the world dropped to absolute zero.

    Full Review: http://wp.me/p1Urcx-wH
  • October 29, 2011
    Just fast forward to the Pearl Harbor scene, because the action is pretty good. The rest of the film is a throwaway soap opera with terribly cheesy dialogue.
  • fb729949618
    October 26, 2011
    fb729949618
    I think I'm with everyone else in saying that this movie was a let down. It's too focused on love and not focused enough on the affect this event had on America. The attack on Pearl Harbor affected millions, so when making a film titled "Pearl Harbor"........show that! Don't focu... read mores on ONE love story for the majority of the film.
  • October 11, 2011
    Very below average film that just happens to have a good recreation of the Pearl Harbor attacks, over Americanised and way too 'top gun-ish' for the period. Affleck is a serious no no for casting and the love plot is just pointless filler before the raids. The effects are amazing... read more and show some of the best cgi on offer this is true but that's it.
    The battle makes the movie and does recreate the devestation well, its good for the memory of those lost but the film as a whole is poor as you are simply waiting for the attack, the rest is just uneventful and meaningless.
  • September 11, 2011
    Pearl Harbor is a terrible experience, it craps on one of the most tragic US moments, and Micheal Bay turns a historical event into a action film god I hate Micheal Bay. The plot is so terrible its hard to explain, I mean what does two best friends fighting over a girl have to d... read moreo with Pearl Harbor, and with side scenes of Alec Baldwins words of wisdom, and also who bright idea was it to make it 3 hours long, I could barely watch 1 hour. The cast was also awful, I mean Ben Affleck is so whiny and such a bad performance, and Josh Hartnett is just a way to make girls sweat at the theatre, and they make Kate Beckinsale a tramp in the film, so basically nobody in this film was ugly. The visual effects wouldbe okay, IF THIS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AN ACTION MOVIE, ITS SUPPOSED TO BE SAD NOT ACTION PACKED!!!! The score was pretty good, I had no complaints about that. Basically in a nut shell. after all these years I have seen Pearl Harbor, and its just another shitty Micheal Bay movie.
  • August 8, 2011
    Despite the unrelated love story, Michael Bay's effects and the war scenes are very good, and very cool, but I couldn't help but feel like I was watching a big pile of shit. [I realize this film is prior to Transformers] Bay, this isn't Transformers, it's okay to limit your budge... read moret, and you need to realize that this is not and will never be Titanic! Bay's response: "What does "limit" mean?" Perhaps if we had James Cameron or Chris Nolan, this could've been something great, but unfortunately, it's not.
  • fb733768972
    July 9, 2011
    fb733768972
    I may be alone here, but I think Pearl Harbour is extremely underrated. yes, it has it's stupid moments of forced acting and humour, but that is just something you have to get used to if you are walking into a Michael Bay feature. If your looking for a compelling story, look some... read morewhere else, but if you want fantastic emotion, your are surprisingly in the right spot. This three hour war film had me laughing at the film for the first half hour from it's stupidity, but after time passes, I feel that the film slowly corrects all of the dumb humour and stupid dialogue and disperses of it by the time the half-hour long climactic war scene is underway. pearl Harbour is in absolutely no way a great film, but I had a lot of fun with it, and I cared which characters lived and died, even if it was predictable. This film should have classic written all over it from it's title, but what it is, is just jaw-dropping entertainment from start to finish. That's all I really wanted after I realized what I had been in for once again...
  • June 30, 2011
    Of course Michael Bay was never gonna go for documentary realism- especially about an event with the invincible American military being caught with its pants down. The movie is market-driven, manipulative processed cheese. Even so, I'll admit it's an occasional guilty pleasure to... read more let myself be manipulated for pure popcorn entertainment.

Critic Reviews


Todd McCarthy
July 22, 2008
Todd McCarthy, Variety

The bombs explode brilliantly but the story is a bust in "Pearl Harbor." Full Review

Stephen Hunter
November 16, 2001
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

For my money a much better heartbreaker, thrillmaker and tear-tweaker than Titanic. Full Review

Peter Rainer
September 7, 2001
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

The woe and horror of the event is steamrolled by a surplus of special and digitized effects. Full Review

David Hunter
June 7, 2001
David Hunter, Hollywood Reporter

Mostly tests one's patience with unseaworthy dialogue and performers drowning in oily cliches.

Richard Schickel
June 6, 2001
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

The net result of this mighty effort is perhaps predictable: near total inconsequence. Full Review

J. Hoberman
May 25, 2001
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

Hollow tubthumper. Full Review

May 25, 2001
USA Today

One of the wimpiest wartime romances ever filmed. Full Review

Geoff Pevere
May 25, 2001
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

It blows up as good as anything movie technology has yet detonated, and it leaves you feeling absolutely, incontrovertibly numb. Full Review

David Edelstein
May 25, 2001
David Edelstein, Slate

A movie that's nothing but selling points. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
May 25, 2001
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

It gets the job done. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Facts


    • Rafe McCawley: Danny, you can't die. You can't die. You know why? 'Cause you're gonna be a father. You're gonna be a daddy. I wasn't supposed to tell you. You're gonna be a father.
    • Danny Walker: No, you are.
    • Rafe McCawley: God your so beautiful that it hurts.
    • Evelyn Johnson: It's your nose!
    • Rafe McCawley: No I think its my heart...
    • Gooz: I got a girlfriend.
    • Jimmy Doolittle: There's nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.
    • Danny Walker: I think World War II just started.

Pearl Harbor : Watch Free on TV


Pearl Harbor Trivia


  • Who appeared in all of the following films: Rat Race, As Good As It Gets, and Pearl Harbor?  Answer »
  • Her filmography includes movies like "Pearl Harbor", "The Aviator", "Van Helsing" and "Click"  Answer »
  • I, for real, used hypnotherapy as an aid to quit smoking, speak Afrikaans, turned down a role in Pearl Harbor, gained 30 pounds for a role, have won the Oscar and said my favorite actor is Tom Hanks. Who am I?  Answer »
  • Name the actor/actress that has been in the following movies - Click, Serendipity, and Pearl Harbor?   Answer »

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