Review of Midway

Written by Wes Tooke and Directed by Roland Emmerich
Rating *****

I almost didn’t see this film because of the negative reviews. I knew something was amiss when I saw a 42% critic rating and 92% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Bottom line – The critics were wrong.

Midway is a must-see film, especially for anyone interested in WWII. The battle scenes are spectacular. This film had a 100 million dollar budget, and every penny is up on the screen. Mix in some archival footage that doesn’t look like archival footage, and you have an accurate portrayal of what it must have been like to witness these events.

While the battle of Midway is the highlight, the filmmakers spend plenty of time setting up the events leading to this pivotal air campaign. It was all about the aircraft carriers. The Japanese dealt the U.S. a severe blow when they attacked Pearl Harbor, expertly recreated here. But they didn’t get all of our aircraft carriers. If the Japanese were able to take out the remaining carriers, they would have a significant advantage in the war. Similarly, if the Americans were able to take out a few of the Japanese aircraft carriers, they would gain the advantage.

I’m not sure what the critics disliked. I read one review where the reviewer complained about banal dialogue. As one of the characters says in the film, “that’s cowboy bullshit.” I remember the critics gushing over Dunkirk, mostly because of who directed it. I hated that movie. See this movie on the big screen. You won’t be disappointed.