Anyone seen the movie "Australia?"

[Tanaka]

What did you think about the Japanese attack on Darwin? Historical? Thoughts?

[JamesM]

Not planning to see it!

[JeffroK]

I'm unaware that the movie makes any claim to historical accuracy, Its a love story based in the Northern Territory and coincidently the japanese raid Darwin.
 
 
IMHO, its a chick flick with lots of cattle and some beautful scenery.

[DivePac88]

Look for a review of this movie in the Australian Womans Weekly.

But I did hear the Cattle looked pretty good.

[Jones944]

Fairly historic mix of aircraft, I saw some Kates and some Zeros and maybe a Val or two. It did look like the Kates were dropping torpedoes onto land targets, though. The Zeros all looked like they were carrying drop tanks that doubled as HE bombs too.

However, the attack played such a minor role in the overall movie that I would not recommend sitting through the movie waiting for the attack. I did and wish I hadn't. The movie didn't deliver on its promises, I'm afraid.

[m10bob]

Sounds like the Australian version of PH?(The film)..

[JeffroK]

I dont remember any Aboriginals in PH, in fact I think only 1 African American makes it.
 
PH linked itself very closely to the Bob, PH & Doolittle raids, the raid on Darwin is just a incidental in "Australia". I think "Australia" has more stories in it than PH.
 
The whole movie also has the feel of a yarn, things are exaggerated (especially Kidmans English accent)

[Q-Ball]

Speaking of Kidman, the new Tom Cruise WWII flick looks to me, from the trailer, like another movie that will completely irritate me. Anyone heard different?

Been awhile since somebody made a good WWII movie.

[Canoerebel]

Yeah, what's up with the movie industry.  They make incredible movies like "Titanic" and "Saving Private Ryan" (both have flaws, but both are also majestic efforts at portraying historic events).  You would think these movies would teach them what people like, yet then they threw out some very weak follow-ups (Thin Red Line, Pearl Harbor, Wind Talkers, arg to all three).
 
I will not see Australia.  After what Kidman and the other actors did in Cold Mountain, I couldn'nt take any more.

[Charbroiled]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

Speaking of Kidman, the new Tom Cruise WWII flick looks to me, from the trailer, like another movie that will completely irritate me. Anyone heard different?

Been awhile since somebody made a good WWII movie.

I also heard that it will irritate you.[:D]

[jeffs]

PH was survivable if you fast forwarded all the love scenes!

[Q-Ball]

Pearl Harbor? Oh my holy god Jeff, don't even get me started. The angled flight deck on Akagi, the fighter pilots assigned suddenly to the Doolittle raid, the North Carolina-class BB......just shoot me!

Roger Ebert said it best:
"Pearl Harbor' is a two-hour movie squeezed into three hours, about how on Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese staged a surprise attack on an American love triangle".

The love scenes are the only things that could have happened in WWII!

The last good WWII movie was Private Ryan. Band of Brothers counts if it's a movie, that series was EXCELLENT! Looking forward to the Pacific one.

[rockmedic109]

Tora, Tora, Tora was far better than Pearl Harbor.  A better movie in all ways.  More than 30 years old and it still has the best attack scenes of the Pearl Harbor attack. 
 
The three Arleigh Burkes getting blown up was too much.  But even the computer graphics failed.  The Oklahoma turning turtle on an axis way below the waterline was awful.  And fighter pilots involved in rescue operations on the Oklahoma?  I guess nobody did any historical research for the movie or they thought that since it was so long ago, nobody would remember or know enough of what happened to worry about.

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: rockmedic109

Tora, Tora, Tora was far better than Pearl Harbor.  A better movie in all ways.  More than 30 years old and it still has the best attack scenes of the Pearl Harbor attack. 

The three Arleigh Burkes getting blown up was too much.  But even the computer graphics failed.  The Oklahoma turning turtle on an axis way below the waterline was awful.  And fighter pilots involved in rescue operations on the Oklahoma?  I guess nobody did any historical research for the movie or they thought that since it was so long ago, nobody would remember or know enough of what happened to worry about.

It is Hollywood after all... [:D]


Leo "Apollo11"

[Apollo11]

Hi all,

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

The last good WWII movie was Private Ryan. Band of Brothers counts if it's a movie, that series was EXCELLENT! Looking forward to the Pacific one.

I love "The Thin Red Line" (I kow tha many of you don't [8D])... and two Eastwood movies: "Flags of Our Fathers" and "Letters from Iwo Jima" [:)]


Leo "Apollo11"

[Q-Ball]

Forgot about the Iwo Jima movies...They were also very good. Band of Brothers is my favorite though.

[Charbroiled]

Where Eagles Dare
A Bridge too Far
Tora, Tora, Tora
Kelly's Heros
Battle of the Bulge
The Longest Day
The Great Escape
The Desert Rats
The guns of Navarone
Force 10 from Navarone
The Bridge over the River Kwai
Raid on Rommel
Battle of Britain
Midway

Ahhh, the classics. How would you rate them? How they are listed is how I would rate them (favorite on top). Anymore that I missed?

EDIT: Added movies

[Q-Ball]

Where Eagles Dare is a GREAT movie!

Don't forget The Great Escape. Another excellent film. The 60s had alot of good WWII movies for whatever reason.

[Charbroiled]

ORIGINAL: Q-Ball

Where Eagles Dare is a GREAT movie!

Don't forget The Great Escape. Another excellent film. The 60s had alot of good WWII movies for whatever reason.

How could I have forgot "The Great Escape".....also, "The Bridge over the River Kwai" and "Kelley's Heros"

[Canoerebel]

Don't forget "Stalag 17," which may be the best WWII movie ever.
 
Q-Ball, I agree with you about "Where Eagles Dare," a very entertaining movie.  It is based upon a book by Allistair MacLean, as are several other movies mentioned above (Guns of Navarone and Force 10 from Navarone).  MacLean wrote some awesome books, the best of which were Where Eagles Dare, Ice Station Zebra, HMS Ulysses, Golden Rendezvous, and Night Without End.  He also wrote some real clunkers, so beware.  But for you guys who still enjoy an good old-fashioned read, track down those books and enjoy some really enjoyable time.