MIDWAY (2019)

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Midway (2019) movie poster
On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked with devastating results. The United States entered WWII, beginning the clash between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy. As the war escalated, Admiral Chester Nimitz (Woody Harrelson) and intelligence officer Lieutenant Commander Edwin T. Layton (Patrick Wilson) desperately sought the upper hand for America. Gathered information led to the battle for control of Midway Island from June 4-7 in 1942. This confrontation became the pivotal turning point of the war in the  Pacific Theater.

Superb battle sequences and a solid ensemble cast bring this harrowing conflict to life. Director Roland Emmerich ("Independence Day") is no stranger to delivering
grand cinema and his latest effort is not an exception. Most of the money spent is up on the screen with stunning visuals. The stellar performers add the emotion. The story by Wes Tooke focuses on real-life participants, especially dive bomber squadron leader Lt. Richard 'Dick' Best (Ed Skrein). Romance is kept to a minimum with only a few scenes involving Best and his wife Anne (Mandy Moore). Besides the above-mentioned historical figures portrayed by Woody Harrelson and Patrick Wilson, several others are featured. Among the included are Vice Admiral William 'Bull' Halsey (Dennis Quaid), Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle (Aaron Eckhart), Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance (Jake Weber), Lt. Commander Wade McClusky (Luke Evans) and Lt. Commander Eugene Lindsey (Darren Criss). Nick Jonas gets to display some acting chops as Aviation Machinist Mate Bruno Gaido. Famed director John Ford (Geoffrey Blake) is shown shooting footage for the Navy during the battle. To its credit, both sides of this conflict are presented with Tadanobu Asano leading the Japanese cast members as Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi. A thunderous music score by Harald Kloser and Thomas Wanker adds to the booming soundtrack. The nearly constant barrage of gunfire and bomb blasts wears thin after awhile and sometimes it's difficult to tell what's happening to certain characters. Filled with flag-waving heroics, this patriotic film serves as a welcomed reminder that when we are pushed, we push back. "Midway" goes all the way as a gallant epic. (3.5/5 CAMS)

Rated PG-13 (for sequences of war violence and related images, language and smoking)
Running Time: 138 minutes

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