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Pearl Harbor

Play trailer Poster for Pearl Harbor PG-13 Released May 25, 2001 3h 3m War Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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24% Tomatometer 195 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
This sweeping drama, based on real historical events, follows American boyhood friends Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) as they enter World War II as pilots. Rafe is so eager to take part in the war that he departs to fight in Europe alongside England's Royal Air Force. On the home front, his girlfriend, Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale), finds comfort in the arms of Danny. The three of them reunite in Hawaii just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
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Pearl Harbor

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Critics Consensus

Pearl Harbor tries to be the Titanic of war movies, but it's just a tedious romance filled with laughably bad dialogue. The 40 minute action sequence is spectacular though.

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Critics Reviews

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Joe Morgenstern Wall Street Journal Pearl Harbor is a blockheaded, hollow-hearted industrial enterprise. May 28, 2014 Full Review Andrew Sarris Observer The best way to see the movie is as I did: expecting nothing and being pleasantly surprised, and strangely moved, by Mr. Bay's audacity in filming his lovers in end-of-the-world close-ups, however briefly. May 28, 2014 Full Review Anthony Lane The New Yorker The effect of watching a Michael Bay film is indistinguishable from having a large, pointy lump of rock drop on your head. His new picture, Pearl Harbor, maintains the mood. May 28, 2014 Full Review Michael D. Reid Victoria Times Colonist (B.C., Canada) This formulaic three-hour opus seems to go on from here to eternity. Rated: 1.5/5 Apr 30, 2024 Full Review Sergi Sánchez Fotogramas 'Pearl Harbor' effortlessly self-parodies itself. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 2/5 Jun 22, 2022 Full Review Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens Although Pearl Harbor will fill Disney's coffers, it will fail to fill your heart or adequately honor those men and women who were Pearl Harbor. Nov 14, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Stephen C Success in 3 hours and 3 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG-13 for Images of Wound, Brief Sensuality, Intense War Sequences and Some Language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $198,500,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/09/25 Full Review thiago s Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/07/25 Full Review Audience Member Really good movie. The cast is very, very good. It tells an important story. So much respect for our WW2 veterans. Michael Bay did a great job with this one. Kate Beckinsale is the star, but a whole cast of characters make this one very good. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/25/25 Full Review Angela Q I loved the movie Pearl Harbor so much, and I cried SO MUCH during it. It was so sad and heartbreaking, and I loved the romance between Rafe and Evelyn, and the chemistry and acting were amazing, and the casting, too. Everything was produced really well, including the special effects. It was so emotional and really touching. It is now one of my favorite movies of all time. I would totally recommend if you're into sad, heartbreaking romances. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/30/25 Full Review Nadine N Pearl Harbor” is more than a war movie—it’s a love letter to resilience, heartbreak, and the weight of history. Directed by Michael Bay and set against one of the most devastating attacks on American soil, it doesn’t just recreate a moment—it makes you feel it. The action sequences are staggering—the attack on Battleship Row is raw, chaotic, and unrelenting. It made me understand, in a visceral way, just how quickly a normal morning turned into a nightmare. You don’t just watch it—you live it. But what caught me off guard was the emotion. The love triangle between Rafe, Evelyn, and Danny might be fictional, but the feelings it surfaces—grief, loyalty, guilt, and impossible choices—felt real. It reminded me that even during war, people are still just trying to find something worth holding on to. Yes, the film takes dramatic liberties. No, it’s not a documentary. But as a cinematic experience, it captures something rare: the ache of innocence lost, and the quiet strength that follows. By the end, I didn’t just feel like I had watched a war movie—I felt like I had remembered something important about what courage really looks like. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/28/25 Full Review Michael L While the film offers brief awe-inspiring and patriotic shots the overall story leaves a lot to be desired. The ending of the film was not a mix of emotions, rather just two, anger and confusion. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 05/23/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Pearl Harbor

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Movie Info

Synopsis This sweeping drama, based on real historical events, follows American boyhood friends Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) as they enter World War II as pilots. Rafe is so eager to take part in the war that he departs to fight in Europe alongside England's Royal Air Force. On the home front, his girlfriend, Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale), finds comfort in the arms of Danny. The three of them reunite in Hawaii just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Director
Michael Bay
Producer
Jerry Bruckheimer, Michael Bay
Screenwriter
Randall Wallace
Distributor
Buena Vista Home Video (BVHV), Touchstone Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co
Touchstone Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Rating
PG-13 (Images of Wound|Brief Sensuality|Intense War Sequences|Some Language)
Genre
War, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 25, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 23, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$198.5M
Runtime
3h 3m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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