tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post2251969658446046955..comments2024-03-25T06:50:31.379-05:00Comments on The War Movie Buff: NOW SHOWING: Midway (2019)War Movie Buffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-81149952137556687642021-02-10T21:49:00.939-06:002021-02-10T21:49:00.939-06:00I'm not sure about this movie being that faith...I'm not sure about this movie being that faithful to the events portrayed when it screws things up while trying to get some good points in. It is good to see the Japanese war gaming and their dismissal of the losses that might occur, however it was not Adm Nagumo who overrode the decision. It really does not give the Japanese aircraft tho shot down the torpedo planes much of a look while showing AA firing as being the most responsible. As usual in a CGI film the Japanese ships (which look good but too clean) are grouped so tightly that it seems impossible no to hit something by dropping anything. Adm Yamaguchi's "suggestion" to attack and the sighting of the American fleet are both shown to be too late but the time is so compressed that this not clear. The Browning-Spruance contretemps is not shown nor is the Hornet's ineptitude.There is much more but... Thankspapajohnlokihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01160291528287047845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-89272709103625215642020-03-02T12:45:13.126-06:002020-03-02T12:45:13.126-06:00I thought you might be interested in this, given t...I thought you might be interested in this, given the dedication to both the Americans and Japanese in the film<br />Historian Parks Stephenson has given good reasons on why it’s a bold move to honour some Japanese who fought in the war, while not ignoring Japan’s wartime atrocities.<br />https://stonescryout.org/?p=2871Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-78240861018426175442020-01-25T09:49:44.368-06:002020-01-25T09:49:44.368-06:00Thanks. You make some good points. I appreciate ...Thanks. You make some good points. I appreciate the input. You might want to check out my War Movie Lovers group on FaceBook.War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-68233379568879034132020-01-24T15:06:56.235-06:002020-01-24T15:06:56.235-06:00In my opinion, the new Midway film is superior in ...In my opinion, the new Midway film is superior in nearly every way to the old movie. As far as the actual portrayal of the battle, the film is remarkably accurate. There are some very minor details which are incorrect- some examples include the portrayal of far more B-26s than were actually involved in the battle, TBDs carrying both torpedoes and bombs, more Dauntlesses are shown being shot down diving on the carriers than were actually lost, and both aircraft and ships are shown far closer together in formations than they would have been in actuality. A perhaps not as-minor detail which is incorrect is the idea that the Japanese would invade the US west coast successfully in the wake of a US Navy failure. While the IJN was indeed a formidable force, the Japanese could not have realistically carried out a successful invasion of the western United States. Already deeply involved in the war in China for years, the Japanese Army would have been stretched beyond its limit in the event of an invasion. The IJN could also not have supported such as invasion successfully, which Admiral Yamamoto near perfectly well. However, on the whole the movie gets the actual flow of events correct. Some details are even depicted which audiences may believe to be fictional but were in fact truth; Bruno Guido’s shootdown of a Japanese bomber, which cut the tail of the Dauntless he was sitting in in half happened in reality. Guido’s execution by the crew of Japanese destroyer crew is also true- both he and his pilot were thrown overboard with weights tied to them. Another seemingly unlikely event which also occurred was the near-miss of a crashing B-26 which nearly hit the bridge of the Akagi; this aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and narrowly missed crashing into the Akagi's bridge; it cannot be known for sure if the plane was out of control or if the pilot was trying to deliberately hit the bridge. On the whole, the movie is remarkably accurate- I struggle to think of a movie which has made as much of an effort to be true to history since 1970’s Tora Tora Tora.<br /><br /> There has been some criticism of the movie in that the filmmakers chose to primarily show the Enterprise’s air group’s role in the battle. There are positive and negative aspects to this decision. On one hand, some of the battle’s events are skipped- we don’t see the Yorktown being attacked repeatedly, and only see the carrier burning and sinking following the successful Japanese torpedo attack. The attacks on the Mikuma and Mogami are also not shown. However, it did provide a greater focus on the aircrew aboard the Enterprise, which ultimately became the most storied US warship of the Second World War. <br /><br /> <br /><br /> Midway is certainly one the most true-to-the-events World War II movies to be released in many years. While the film uses a heavy amount of CGI to tell its story, CGI has progressed to a point where it closely resembles reality. If there is one major criticism I have for this movie, it is that some of the dialogue is perhaps a bit clunky. In spite of this, I highly recommend Midway for those interested in the subject- it is a very substantial improvement on its 1976 predecessor and it is a worthy retelling of the battle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-33662711976651690602020-01-22T13:31:36.710-06:002020-01-22T13:31:36.710-06:00In the movie, a stunned officer asks if the B-26 w...In the movie, a stunned officer asks if the B-26 was trying to hit the bridge on purpose, and Nagumo nervously suggests "his controls must have locked up", but his body language indicates that even he is uncertain, and the near-collision left an affect on him which it did in real life. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-31529416875831795982019-12-21T23:44:47.813-06:002019-12-21T23:44:47.813-06:00Re: Japanese atrocities in China. Added mostly to ...Re: Japanese atrocities in China. Added mostly to secure Asian financing and distribution deal.<br /><br />Re: Dauntless - The Battle Of Midway. A pretty good movie considering its budget was a fraction of the usual Hollywood production. I enjoyed it.André7https://www.blogger.com/profile/04529840090218454738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-76465237167774924922019-12-21T02:22:13.024-06:002019-12-21T02:22:13.024-06:00While I know the usual "Cheer for American&qu...While I know the usual "Cheer for American" was there, in the cringe line "This is for Pearl!" (which I would have removed), I am glad they didn't have a moment with the B-26 that narrowly missed crashing into the Akagi's bridge, by showing a scene of the pilot trying to crash the plane into it, while crying out "For America!", and just left it ambiguous, like it was in real life, by leaving it unclear whether the plane was trying to deliberately hit the bridge or was simply out of control due to battle damage.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-2753529339546494342019-12-20T17:45:48.973-06:002019-12-20T17:45:48.973-06:00Agree. In some ways, it has cutting edge technolo...Agree. In some ways, it has cutting edge technology with an old school plot.<br />War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-90246996940689717492019-12-20T17:44:36.722-06:002019-12-20T17:44:36.722-06:00Neither Midway movie covers the sinking of the Yor...Neither Midway movie covers the sinking of the Yorktown.War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-58295730142387234622019-12-18T14:45:01.387-06:002019-12-18T14:45:01.387-06:00I also had a problem with Best's character in ...I also had a problem with Best's character in the film, especially since I have heard he was far different in reality (Apparently, he was confident but he wasn't cocky). And honestly, I am incredibly bored with the ‘hero has a crisis of confidence about 2/3 of way through the film’ trope, which occurs in 99% of every movie these days. It’s dull storytelling.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-71439180935511935262019-12-14T13:35:35.238-06:002019-12-14T13:35:35.238-06:00Also sad that they omitted most of the Midway raid...Also sad that they omitted most of the Midway raid, especially the defending Wildcats, most notably the heroic sacrifice of Major Parks. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-590772398731780322019-12-14T13:15:32.063-06:002019-12-14T13:15:32.063-06:00Also disappointing they omitted the sinking of the...Also disappointing they omitted the sinking of the Yorktown. The wreck of the Yorktown was remarkably intact for a ship that sank in 1942. In fact, she was so strong when heavily damaged, that she survived for a long time after the battle had technically ended, as if she wanted to see the last Japanese carrier sank before she went. And when she finally sank, it was said to very quiet, almost peaceful. And the fact that even at the bottom of the ocean, she still looks strong, upright on her keel. It’s as if even in death, the ship remains defiant and proud. She seemed like a good ship.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-82328327676252362302019-12-14T13:15:04.557-06:002019-12-14T13:15:04.557-06:00Of course, we shouldn’t forget the war crimes the ...Of course, we shouldn’t forget the war crimes the Japanese committed. Plus, it didn’t matter if some Japanese were good men, every step they were still taking forward was a step for Imperial Japan which had to be defeatedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-27033953916084472272019-12-10T21:29:23.048-06:002019-12-10T21:29:23.048-06:00Thanks. Good insights. Actually, once the war wa...Thanks. Good insights. Actually, once the war was over, most Hollywood movies about the Pacific treated the Japanese more than fairly because they were now a valuable ally in the Cold War. I agree that the individual Japanese soldier and airman was mainly motivated by desire to serve their country. The big problem was their military culture's attitude toward captives. This is evident in the killing of Gaido. Of course, the officers are mainly to blame for that.War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-29352464899018146672019-12-10T12:32:50.037-06:002019-12-10T12:32:50.037-06:00"This film is dedicated to the Americans and ..."This film is dedicated to the Americans and Japanese who fought at Midway. The sea remembers its own."<br /><br />Emmerich portrays the Japanese in a largely human light. Many are depicted as courageous, professional men with some even presented as reluctant combatants. The dedication has come under attack by some people, who see it as a disrespect to the Allies and a political correctness.<br /><br />While I can understand the criticisms, I actually think it was a bold honest statement, and an excellent idea; it is not unreasonable to attempt to restore some semblance of humanity to the utterly dehumanised Japanese soldiers. The recent discoveries of Akagi and Kaga, surely act as a humbling reminder that the unforgiving Pacific was a mass grave for casualties on both sides, and certainly did not differentiate between its victims. As Emmerich states: “The sea remembers its own.” It's just like how many war graves, especially from WW1, have both German and British soliders buried side by side together, as if saying, that despite being enemies in life, in death, they are united. This film isn't the first time that a acknowledgement of both sides in war was dedicated. In the video game, "Heroes of the Pacific", the main character says "some of (the Japs) must have been good men too". In the U-boat simulator video game, Silent Hunter III, the manual says "This game pays homage to everyone - Allied or Axis - who served at sea during the crucial years of World War II." Heck, the opening text of "Das Boot" notes the 30,000 of 40,000 German submariners that died. The makers of the movie have said that was supposed to be a tragic fact. Nazi or not, dying on a U-boat, especially underwater was a horrible death. <br /><br />From the text, it’s clear that Emmerich wants the audience to see the Japanese as human just as the Americans are. Why he wants us to know this I’m less clear on. He doesn’t show much "good" characterisation to the Japanese, especially when they murder Bruno Gaido, other then Yamamoto who is presented as a reluctant warrior, and several other officers and sailors who get very little screen time. Maybe he wanted to evoke the feeling of defeat that they must've felt. Politics, and governments aside, right and wrong sides aside, they were still soldiers. Maybe he wanted the audience to draw their own conclusions on them if they care to. Some of the Japanese, especially the ones who murder Gaido were clearly evil. Some (there are real life examples) were the opposite, and just wanted to fight honorably, and even respected their enemies and might have been opposed to the brutality done by their comrades. Others were probably varying degrees of indifferent. Most of all, during the course of the Battle of Midway, I would say the Japanese as a whole were just men doing a job, and their personal politcs were irrelevant. They wanted to survive the battle just as much as the Americans did. And given how well the war was going for Japan then, morale would have been high and they probably thought they would win the war. Maybe Emmerich left the audience to decide on some of the minor Japanese characters we see; are they honorable or brutal men; are they good or bad men? Rather, my guess is that Emmerich is trying to avoid looking like he’s glamorizing the Americans by indirectly acknowledging the Japanese are human too. If that’s what he wants, he’s doing it in a rather poor way. Especially since he shows the Japanese reprisals towards Gaido and the Chinese civilians who helped the Doolittle radiers. But perhaps he simply wants audiences to know that some of the Japanese were good men too. Maybe he wanted to portray both sides as just men fighting each other under orders without truly making any side the bad guy or good guy and leave it up to the viewers to decide who they think is a good or a bad guy. Regardless of his motives, I applaud his choice to acknowledge both sides as human beings in the film’s epilogue.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-18207685725525905632019-11-25T10:34:30.412-06:002019-11-25T10:34:30.412-06:00Ugh. Picked up a cheapie "Dauntless-The Battl...Ugh. Picked up a cheapie "Dauntless-The Battle of Midway" which is a bizarre cross between "The Perfect Storm" and the War and Remembrance chapter on Midway. It got Spruance-Browning conflict mostly right,but avoid it.papajohnlokihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01160291528287047845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-20746374476468369272019-11-19T18:55:13.844-06:002019-11-19T18:55:13.844-06:00That actually happened.That actually happened.War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-76977565247391568502019-11-15T07:58:05.981-06:002019-11-15T07:58:05.981-06:00I like how the movie included the B-26's near ...I like how the movie included the B-26's near collision with the carrier's bridgeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-48466404996032076462019-11-14T07:57:04.911-06:002019-11-14T07:57:04.911-06:00"Midway" is a rollicking war film. HIsto...<br />"Midway" is a rollicking war film. HIstory buffs need not apply." Adam Graham, reviewer posted on Rotten Tomatos. LCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03146393047895889252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-58630814646360031982019-11-14T07:55:02.630-06:002019-11-14T07:55:02.630-06:00Most of the history related websites think this is...Most of the history related websites think this is a horrible movie. I lost all desire to see it when I saw a Zero flying between trees on a narrow street in the trailer. On Rotten Tomatos the reviewers give is 42%, but the audience gives it a 92%. I think our chances of seeing another epic like Tora, Tora, Tora or The Longest Day with Saving Private Ryan like effects is pretty much zilch. The audience is will to pay big bucks for this dreck.LCBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03146393047895889252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-49590863862950634232019-11-12T08:50:00.334-06:002019-11-12T08:50:00.334-06:00Nope. Only Dauntlesses versus Zeros.Nope. Only Dauntlesses versus Zeros.War Movie Buffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05999735218343872013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7201660899514011402.post-71887733398483967152019-11-11T17:29:24.594-06:002019-11-11T17:29:24.594-06:00Are there any fighter dogfights? I'd love to s...Are there any fighter dogfights? I'd love to see a Thatch Weave maneuver.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com