The preview trailer for "Pearl Harbor" was certainly outstanding. For my money, I would've put millions in Buena Vista stock just due to it!  But, maybe that's why I don't have millions to play with!  It's so disappointing to find that the film couldn't come close to the power of what was depicted in the trailer.  It really gave the viewer a sense of awe, and it was stirring to watch. Unfortunately, the finished film at close to three hours, is just hard to watch.

Even more disappointing was finding that the scriptwriter, Randall Wallace, whose scripts for "Braveheart" and the upcoming "When We Were Young" were both excellent, really did a poor job here.  There's nothing here that rings true! Not so much of a line of dialogue seems remotely believable.  All of the characters say things that make the hokiest lines from the worst war films of the '50s seem like Paddy Chayevsky wrote them! 

There is no attempt to develop characters here.  Everyone is a cliche', from the Cuba Gooding Jr, character to the leads, none of them ever have any sense of being living, thinking, people.  While the trailer inspires patriotism, the way in which the Japanese are so cartoonish in their depiction, only inspires one to want to contribute to the A.C.L.U. !

To give credit where it's due, the fight scenes are spectacular, but is it worth an hour of hell to get to? Or an hour more afterwards? Well, the magic of dvd at least allows the viewer the chance to skip to it!

As far as the transfer goes, BUENA VISTA deserves credit for making this one of the best looking dvds released by them  so far! It's incredible to look at, but it's also a lot like looking at a spectacular picture of paint drying!

There's no grain anywhere in the transfer.  While the contrast varies at times, it's generally on the mark. The colors are extremely vibrant and without a hint of oversaturation anywhere!  Fleshtones are perfect throughout!  This is a slick, well-polished transfer!

The soundmix is presented in options of either Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1. While the DTS has a distinct advantage in terms of imaging, both mixes offer a multitude of directional and rear speaker effects. As with all Michael Bay films, this is a noisy film!  However, the mix allows for the bombs, bullets, and dialogue to resonate clearly, without overshadowing one another.  One minor disappointment relates to the film's score. For some reason, it doesn't have the power it did in theaters. While it sounds great on the front soundstage, the rear speakers never seem to fully compliment it as they should.

An interesting note, this is the first dvd to offer an optional "Dolby Headphone Track."  One can use their headphones and hear rear effects, even through a 2.0 soundmix.  It doesn't rival what one hears with true 5.1 sound, but the delayed effects of echoes does seem to work for the listener, and it's not a bad option, if one simply must watch it at night while everyone's asleep, although the viewer will be asleep soon enough!

A french 5.1 mix is also included.

A special Director's cut is coming later in 2002, but for now the supplements offered on this two-disc 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition will have to suffice.

There are two documentaries offered here. "Journey to the Screen:The Making of Pearl Harbor" is pretty lengthy at 45 minutes.  This is filled with behind-the-scenes footage, and fans will enjoy the various shots of the huge sets and interviews with central characters. 

The better of the two documentaries, "Unsung Heroes of Pearl Harbor", was made for the History Channel.  While it's entertaining, it actually offers more fact than the entire film does!  It manages to stir one's emotions without ever seeming corny.

A Faith Hill music video is also offered, along with the wonderful theatrical trailer and teaser trailers.  All are offered with 16:9 enhancement and in 5.1 sound.