Midway

While I know a lot of reviewers liked the 1976 version of "Midway", for someone who knows about aircraft, it's a frustrating film. Again and again and again, the film uses old footage...much of which show planes which never fought at this famous sea battle! And, in a few cases, you'd see fighter planes turn into dive bombers and the like....all due to sloppy editing and a 'it's good enough' attitude. Because of this, I strongly recommend you see the 2019 version, which gets around this issue by using CGI...and modern CGI is incredible and looks real. Well made, but not perfect, but a very good film for folks who are interested in war films and history.

By the way, I wrote a review for this a few months ago and it never appeared on this site. It was much more detailed...but I just haven't seen it recently enough to review it more in depth.

Especially when it comes to Ed Skrein's lines, the writing of this script was so bad. Attempts at drama come off as embarrassing. Also for some reason I just don't like Ed Skrein in this role. This movie could have been good, but it just had me shaking my head the whole time.

Critics are trashing this film, I went into it skeptical. After, I'm not so sure why. They tell a simplified story of the events leading up to, and eventually the battle of midway. You get to see two sides of life, the Japanese and the American forces. The script is fine, acting is pretty good in my opinion as well (shout out to Dennis Quaid, he is a great salty kinda guy). CGI was not that bad, especially for fast paced scenes. Only complaint is it is a bit long, which I understand due to how much they wanted to include. But there were 2-3 times I thought it might end, but there were still a few minutes left. In the end, a solid war movie that, in my opinion, does a great job showing some brutality of war, in addition to brothership and slice of life of the time. A solid film to honor the brave men and women that died for a better future.

Midway delivers a solid, visually striking depiction of one of World War II's most pivotal battles. Directed by Roland Emmerich, the film is packed with breathtaking aerial combat scenes, impressive special effects, and a clear respect for the historical significance of the events it portrays.

The standout feature of Midway is its dedication to historical accuracy. From the strategic decisions to the portrayal of key figures like Admiral Chester Nimitz (Woody Harrelson) and Lt. Dick Best (Ed Skrein), the film successfully immerses viewers in the high stakes of the Pacific Theater. The cast does a commendable job, with standout performances from Harrelson and Dennis Quaid, although some dialogue can feel a bit stiff and overly dramatic at times.

While the action scenes are gripping, the movie's pacing struggles in places. The focus on numerous characters and events, while admirable for its scope, can feel overwhelming and disjointed, leaving some storylines underdeveloped.

Overall, Midway is a respectful and thrilling tribute to the bravery of those who fought in the Battle of Midway. While it doesn't quite reach the emotional depth of films like Saving Private Ryan, its action-packed sequences and historical focus make it a worthy watch for fans of war movies and history buffs.

Midway feels like a made-for-TV movie. It's full of cliched dialogue, acting, and plot points. When most of your movie hinges on the lead actor's performance, and that performance turns out to be melodramatic and cheesy, you've got a problem. Also, the visual effects were inconsistent, swinging from impressive to corny. This isn't a bad movie, but it's going to be easy for me to forget about it.