Midway (2019)

“That’s the bravest damn thing I think I’ve ever seen.” – William ‘Bull’ Halsey

Number of Times Seen – 1 (14 Dec 2019)

Brief Synopsis – Following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor that devastated the US Naval forces, the military command of the country tried to find a way to win a victory against the Japanese enemy.

My Take on it – As a fan of history and World War II in general, I was quite excited when this film was announced because I wanted to see how a modern adaptation of this film would play out.

They do a great job depicting the events that led up to this battle and the events of the battle itself.

The story is able to find a way to establish and develop many of the key figures in the battle early on in the film which helps keep things in perspective the whole way through because we are following certain character arcs during the battle.

Unfortunately, there are way too many characters in this story and as hard as they try, it’s extremely difficult to develop most of them properly enough, so we need to suffice with just a few to follow based on the way that the story is structured.

The cast of this film is spectacular and they have many talented actors playing somewhat smaller parts yet they help prove the ensemble nature of this film and its story.

Loved seeing Dennis Quaid, Woody Harrelson, Luke Evans, Mandy Moore, Aaron Eckhart and Ed Skrein in this film but Patrick Wilson is the main focus throughout and gives us a very intriguing perspective on all of these events.

They all help enhance the story as things unfold along the way.

The film expertly utilizes its special effects to show how dangerous these kind of battles were both in the air and on the sea and gives the viewer the feel as if they are right there next to these characters as the story moves along.

Bottom Line – Nice depiction of the events of this battle because they help establish many of the key figures earlier on in the movie. The characters still aren’t developed enough yet it’s easier to identify a number of them based on this story’s structure. The cast is great and is filled with some very talented actors who help enhance the way that the story unfolds. The special effects are stupendous and lets us get a clear idea of how dangerous these kind of battles can be especially since it often feels as if we are right there with the characters. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – It was Edwin Layton’s idea to invite John Ford to shoot footage of the Midway battle, as he thought it would be good for morale. Layton went to Nimitz and the Admiral agreed to give Ford and his cameraman the opportunity. The resulting footage would later be edited as the promotional documentary The Battle of Midway (1942). Ford, pleased with the result, gave Layton a bit part in Big Jim McLain (1952). (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)

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