Midway

Midway
Image source: Google

Ratings: 2.5/5

Duration: 2 Hrs 18 Mins

Director: Roland Emmerich

Genre: Action, Drama, History

Release Date: 08 November, 2019 (India)

Star Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Alexander Ludwig, Cameron Brodeur, Darren Criss, Dennis Quaid, Ed Skrein, Greg Hovanessian, Jake Manley, Jake Weber, James Carpinello, Keean Johnson, Luke Evans, Luke Kleintank, Mandy Moore, Nick Jonas, Patrick Wilson, Tadanobu Asano, Woody Harrelson

Plot: Midway, an American war film based on real-life events. The film tells the story of the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude and bravery to overcome the odds. It centres 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, during World War II.

Review: From Independence Day to The Patriot to White House Down, Roland Emmerich enjoys making action-packed movies that celebrate American bravery in the face of jaw-dropping odds. Whether those odds are terrorists, the British, or ruthless extra-terrestrials is of little matter, as long as their force is mighty, intimidating, and can make for a David-versus-Goliath final showdown.

In that sense, the Battle of Midway seems perfectly suited to an Emmerich adaptation. It features a wide array of American heroes, the daunting opposition of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and one of the most decisive naval battles in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Emmerich takes us onto the ships being assaulted by Japanese dive bombers, onto the coast where the sailor’s families huddle inside for safety, and high into the skies with fighter pilots rush to intervene. Yet for all its action, and heroics, Midway falls far short of greatness. As it simply uses modern digital tools to re-enact narratives America has been telling itself since the 1940s.

While there are too many characters in the film, it is the strapping young Ed Skrein as Lieutenant Richard Dick Best, who stands out. Skrein not only brings the sense of urgency in the proceedings but also strikes the right balance between strong-headed and considerate.

Among the rest, Patrick Wilson does a fine job as Lieutenant Commander Edwin T. Layton, who successfully obstructs enemy actions. Nick Jonas (as the young Aviation Machinist Mate Bruno Gaido) looks the part due to his boyish appearance, but his performance doesn’t quite leave a mark.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Army too gets decent screen time and satisfactory performances. But featuring so many characters takes a toll on the film’s runtime that seems a bit too long. And despite a big budget and talented cast war-film genre reanimated with 21st-century production values will find little to love in Midway.

The film manages to educate, inform and entertain its audience about the historic battle and ends with pictures and brief information about each of the real-life heroes, those who changed the course of World War II in the Pacific.

Though the 1976 version was a hit, it may be that this movie is too serious for the popcorn horde, and not good enough for the awards season.