Directed by:
Roland EmmerichScreenplay:
Wes TookeCinematography:
Robby BaumgartnerCast:
Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Luke Evans, Mandy Moore, Luke Kleintank, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Keean Johnson, Nick Jonas, Etsushi Toyokawa (more)VOD (4)
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Midway centers on the Battle of Midway, a clash between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy which marked a pivotal turning point in the Pacific Theater during WWII. The film, based on the real-life events of this heroic feat, tells the story of the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude and bravery to overcome the odds. (Lionsgate US)
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Reviews (10)
Roland Emmerich directed a film with big battles in which the visual effects occasionally are quite dodgy, but otherwise it's an epic spectacle. It's just that when they are not fighting, Midway is pretty rubbish. Mostly because of poor character work, a dysfunctional attempt to evoke some emotion and pathos, and an inability to make interesting characters out of twenty sailors, pilots, and officers. Fans of big war films won't be offended by Midway, but don't expect anything exceptional either.
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A rather terse and confusingly conceived story, which does not lack the typical Emmerich trademarks in the form of a first class CGI fest. At the same time, Midway lacks the sense of composition and clarity of the action scenes of Michael Bay’s Pearl Harbor. Fortunately, this time Roland shows pathos only at the end, and then only to a degree that is easily digestible. So bottom line, as long as the viewer can survive the rather unentertaining structure of the military moves on the chessboard, the bunch of guys in uniforms is pretty cool and the visual effects, although too artificial in places, are quite watchable.
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I was kind of looking forward to a war movie with a classic cut, a big gimmicky spectacle to provide entertainment and escape, and not be completely stupid at the same time. Well, unfortunately, what I got was a very long and mediocre bore with a crappy script that didn't give a damn about almost any of the characters, overacting actors, and some surprisingly stripped-down stunts (they looked like backdrops during the attack on Pearl Harbor) and action scenes that only had juice here and there. Forget humor or anything fresh altogether, this is as much a disappointment from my beloved Roland Emmerich as 10,000 BC was the other day. Bay's Pearl Harbor is an order of magnitude better, though it's no gem either.
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After the failure of Independence Day: Resurgence, Roland Emmerich restores his reputation and serves up a decent war film that won't make a dent in the world, but thanks to familiar faces, dynamic pace and almost uninterrupted action, it's sure to entertain in the cinema, as long you don’t think too much. Of the actors, Ed Skrein stands out the most as the bold and brash pilot who steals most of the scenes for himself, but Luke Evans, Woody Harrelson, Patrick Wilson and Aaron Eckhart are also good, so there are more than enough familiar faces. It's just a pity that they don't work too well with emotions, because there are so many characters that it's almost impossible to form a relationship with any of them. The action is very decent albeit 80% through a green screen, but if you don’t mind a CGI orgy you will get over it. I don't think plane crashes and aerial gunfights have ever been so entertaining and gripping, and I was entertained by the behind-the-scenes of the Japanese. There hasn't been a WW2 war film in the cinema this year, so fans of the genre should be grateful and not hesitate to go. 75%
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This action flick for guys reliably delivers all of the classic elements of Emmerich movies – superb casting, elaborate composition and over-the-top American pathos at the end. Unfortunately, the storyline is confusing – the strategies discussed over the maps and sometimes the continuity of the action scenes make no sense. Ideologically, it’s also pro-China, as without a Chinese investment, this film would probably never have been made (it could never attract enough moviegoers to pay for its technical execution). The digital aspect is excellent, especially in comparison with the recent (sixth) Terminator.
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Gallery (98)
Photo © Lionsgate
![Midway - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/165/027/165027915_1427cd.jpg)
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