On T List of Movie Reviews
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Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
3/09, 5/11
3/09:
One critic described Tora! Tora! Tora! as "Terrible! Terrible! Terrible!"
I didn't think the movie was. Yeah, the first half is boring because everything is told in a matter-of-factly way.
After the intermission, things start to pick up by showcasing the true meat I had long been waiting for.
The special effects, which won the Academy Award, aren't bad and still hold up well. Moreover, they're more lucid and clear
than the crap I've been seeing nowadays. When I say this, it's so remarkable that I can sit back and enjoy the
spectacle without developing a splitting headache.
However, the attack on Pearl Harbor as shown doesn't look comprehensive as it should be. At the same time, the
cast is bland, and there isn't a particular standout. It's probably the biggest reason why Tora! Tora! Tora! works
because it's not about the stars but what happened on the day of infamy.
It's great to see the characters be introduced by captions, so I can know who they are which is a rarity when it comes to
war pictures featuring tons of people. For a long time, I never knew what the word "tora" meant. It stands for "tiger" but
is really a short radio codeword for "lighting attack." Yeah, these guys in Pearl Harbor never knew what hit them.
The famous line that's uttered by Admiral Yamamoto: "I fear all we have done is to awaken the sleeping giant and fill him
with a terrible resolve"? Never happened, but it's still cool. As for the direction, it's done through two sides: Japanese
and American. Yet there's a distinct difference in the energy level between them, hence the double directors. The aerial
scenes with the Japanese fighters are stunning while the display of the American ships is neat.
All in all, Tora! Tora! Tora! paints an accurate picture of what happened on December 7, 1941.
5/11:
The special effects of Tora! Tora! Tora! are still outstanding.
The low-key cast is what makes the film work. Now, I don't have to be distracted by big stars making their silly
one-minute cameos that add nothing of value to the grand scheme of things. Rather, it's about allowing
the story to evolve in a step-by-step manner to show what happened in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. It's a great piece
of cinema, and of course, the special effects is the main show, especially during the last half hour.
All in all, Tora! Tora! Tora! is a great war picture that deserves to be seen and admired for its simplicity by getting
down to the basics.