Pearl Harbor: Did I really say it would be up for Best Picture?

"There is one film in May, however, which looks to have a really good shot at not only becoming the summer's biggest success at the boxoffice, but also a serious Oscar contender -- Pearl Harbor. This film, from director Michael Bay, marks his move from the blockbuster action fluff of Armageddon to a much more serious Hollywood historical epic, and we know how the Academy loves those types of films. While I doubt that it will even come close to Titanic's numbers, this film should do very well, and I think it has a serious shot at being nominated for Best Picture, as well as several technical prizes."

Well, it's safe to say that I won't be saying those words again anytime soon. I truly thought that Michael Bay might take this opportunity to finally move into a new area for his directing skills, into a completely different type of film which could bring him much more respect. The previews showed every indication that he might do that. And I thought he might, just the way James Cameron emerged from an action-oriented, plot heavy cadre of films to the respectability and Oscars he deserved for Titanic. Unfortunately, it is not to be. And what a wasted opportunity it was. Suffice it to say, Pearl Harbor will NOT be in the Best Picture Oscar circle, Michael Bay will not have to worry about getting his tux ready for Oscar Night ... about the only thing correct in my original predictions is that the film will still likely be up for technical nominations, which it would certainly deserve.

I saw Pearl Harbor on the day it opened last weekend, the first show of the day. I was disappointed shortly after the film began. First of all, this film is the finest example of pure audience pandering and manipulation of the highest order ... on that level, it succeeds admirably! It's as if the filmmakers took the Hollywood Guidelines To Making A Film That Will Win at the Boxoffice book, and followed it to the letter. Almost every old war or epic film cliche is in this film.

The saddest element of this film is the complete lack of character development, and the complete lack of believability in the love story. It's so obvious that Michael Bay studied Titanic, and did everything he could to copy that film to achieve its kind of success. He frames a love story around a sad historical event, but where James Cameron actually spent time on character development, and allowed the love story to actually grow to the point where people could believe it, Michael Bay just follows the old brainless summer blockbuster mentality which he has become so good at, by just putting the characters together in "meet-cute" circumstances, and a minute later, they're madly in love.

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