Midway Movie

[Anachro]

I have very much been out of the loop for awhile busy with real life. I have been hearing mixed things about this new movie and, par for the course, the chasm between critic and audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes is quite large. So, to that end, I'm wondering what those here think of the film.

Worth a watch? What's your review of it independently as a movie, as a depiction of the battle? Alternatively, how terrible inaccurate is it in the depiction of air/naval warfare, of the battle itself? Etc.

I'm thinking of going to see it this weekend and will offer a review.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Anachro

I have very much been out of the loop for awhile busy with real life. I have been hearing mixed things about this new movie and, par for the course, the chasm between critic and audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes is quite large. So, to that end, I'm wondering what those here think of the film.

Worth a watch? What's your review of it independently as a movie, as a depiction of the battle? Alternatively, how terrible inaccurate is it in the depiction of air/naval warfare, of the battle itself? Etc.

I'm thinking of going to see it this weekend and will offer a review.

Hey Anachro,

Safe to say this topic has been discussed at length in the four threads you commented on this morning. Check 'em out and you should have a pretty good feel for forumites' opinions.

[jagsdomain]

I loved it and was surprised. Will be getting the dvd when it come out

[Anachro]

I was going to see Midway at my local theater yesterday, but sadly the film is already no longer showing. I had checked and it WAS showing just before thanksgiving, but it seems they removed it right after Thanksgiving. Oh well, guess I'll watch it when it comes out on home video (through netflix and such).

[Hanzberger]

I actually took my son yesterday to go see it and he loved it~! (12) He has little to no interest in WW2. After 2hrs 20 mins, he was like "its over already?"
The movie is fast paced, it needed another 20 mins on the actual battle of Midway IMO. (explaining how my squadrons were destroyed to setup the final events)
Worth the watch on the big screen. (I rarely go to the movies, rarely)

[dr.hal]

How does it compare to the 1970s Tora Tora Tora which made an extraordinary attempt to keep to history. The older "Midway" was a joke! I just don't want to spend money on another joke.

[rustysi]

Hey dr., how ya been. Haven't seen you in a while.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: dr.hal

How does it compare to the 1970s Tora Tora Tora which made an extraordinary attempt to keep to history.

In hindsight, and to provide the same objective comparative to the excellent Tora Tora Tora is not fair comparison, IMO. Tora Tora Tora used AT6 Texan aircraft for its "Zeroes" and its "Kates".

Could you imagine what a bloodletting it would be in a modern movie (with this crowd expecially) if they got the wrong engine nacelle or engine cowling wrong on an SBD? An 'extraordinary attempt' to keep to history? With oversights like the aforementioned, I can't give it the same clean bill of health that I once did. What's good for the goose and all that.

If historical inaccuracies didn't bother you enough to besmirch TTT, then why let picayune inaccuracies or modest artistic licensure derail your interest in modern films?

IMO, the new Midway is better than the old.

[Hanzberger]

Wow I can't believe you guys are claiming the new Midway is better then the old. I was telling my son (from distant memory) that the 1976 movie was better in detail. (events)
I will have to go back and watch it soon after seeing the new movie. As long as they get the story correct I'm good with both. I'll leave the technical stuff up for you to decide.
Getting my son out and having him enjoy a bit of history was great. (we also had fun sneaking candy in....)[:D]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Hanzberger

Wow I can't believe you guys are claiming the new Midway is better then the old. I was telling my son (from distant memory) that the 1976 movie was better in detail. (events)
I will have to go back and watch it soon after seeing the new movie. As long as they get the story correct I'm good with both. I'll leave the technical stuff up for you to decide.
Getting my son out and having him enjoy a bit of history was great. (we also had fun sneaking candy in....)[:D]

Like A Bridge Too Far and The Deerhunter, I saw Midway (the 1976 movie) in the theater with my father for the first time. Just he and I. Those were special bonding moments for me. We also regularly watched WWII movies at home together. A lot of my liking of the original movie comes back to these nostalgic moments.

If you parse out the details of the movie-interspersed and poorly edited combat footage of disparate non-historic planes, nonsensical Nisei-themed unrequited love interest, ginned up father-son conflict, use of movie footage from Thirty Seconds over Tokyo and Tora Tora Tora verbatim, there's a lot to be critical about.

[Canoerebel]

I'm with Chickenboy. I saw the original Midway once (and only once) on the big screen with my WWII-veteran dad. I was 15. I don't remember much about the movie, haven't seen it again, and didn't show it to my history-loving children. That suggests that I didn't really like the movie, even though I have no strong memories from 43 years ago! Yet, overall, my memory is that it wasn't a bad flick.

I saw tons of WWII movies with him and have lots of good memories of Mister Roberts, Stalag 17, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Bridge on the River Kwai, and fun if unlikely flicks like Battle of the Bulge and Where Eagles Dare.

I heard my two boys discussing Where Eagles Dare this weekend, after watching the television show The Man in the High Castle. When they got weary of the Germans and Japanese "winning," one of them said, "We need to watch Where Eagles Dare," presumably to set things right. The good guys are supposed to win!

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I heard my two boys discussing Where Eagles Dare this weekend, after watching the television show The Man in the High Castle. When they got weary of the Germans and Japanese "winning," one of them said, "We need to watch Where Eagles Dare," presumably to set things right. The good guys are supposed to win!

Are they 21? This 'alternative' way of watching the movie may be of interest to them:

[BBfanboy]

CB, your advice is wasted on CR - he's a teetotaler and his sons would never drink in front of him if they drink alcohol at all.
Not sure the drinking to the movie game works with tea as the beverage ... other than to induce bathroom breaks.

[Anachro]

Use Dark n' Stormy's for the shots and tell CR its just ginger beer. People often mess up the ratio so badly it might as well be...

[Canoerebel]

Indeed, I don't drink, nor do my children. We are relics of another age and ethos.

Wasn't it Admiral King that said, "Never trust a man that doesn't like to drink or who doesn't like women?"

I'd have trouble with the admiral on one account but not on the other.

[John 3rd]

Hmmm...

My reaction to the new move was hmmmm...B-/C+. Don't really know until I see it again. Will wait for the disk and watch it again for final judgement.

[AcePylut]

I saw it twice. Once on my own, next time with my 14 year old. I enjoyed it the second time around more than the first time.

We live close to Charleston, SC, when the 2nd USS Yorktown is a museum. Since watching it with my 14 year old, she wants to go back and visit the ship again (we've been there twice in 4 years). She'll appreciate it more, until she gets sick of hearing me say "this is what it was like for the sailors in the movie, so appreciate what they did!" or some other Midway Movie reference for the 14,000th time.

I'm contemplating watching the movie with my 6 year old. I remember watching Midway in the movies when I was 4/5 years old with my dad (the movie began a lifelong love of aviation, and it was from that movie that I fell in love with the Zero, as you can tell from my avatar lol), this might do it for my son. And then they will both want to go to the Yorktown and have a little more appreciation for it.

[dr.hal]

Hi Rusty, yes sorry as I've been busy with "other" things. But I'm back looking at WITP. During the spring to fall my small sailboat keeps me busy (my "other" woman, weighing in at 2,5 tons). I hope you're well.... Hal

[dr.hal]

Ok Chickenboy, fair enough. Thanks for your views. But I think TTT did make more of an attempt to keep it real given the lack of technology back then (remember they build a one to one scale Nagato on a beach to portray Yamato's flagship, amazing!). But you're right, one can always nitpick at the fringes. What I think I was alluding to was the basic concept and story line without excess "fluff".

[Footslogger]

ORIGINAL: dr.hal

Hi Rusty, yes sorry as I've been busy with "other" things. But I'm back looking at WITP. During the spring to fall my small sailboat keeps me busy (my "other" woman, weighing in at 2,5 tons). I hope you're well.... Hal

Your other woman weighs 2 tons? My dad used to play this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjfAx_rbq6M