Based off the real-life events following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Midway is an epic historical war film that tells of the Battle of Midway which involved the clash between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
After the events of Pearl Harbor, morale in the American Fleet is at an all time low until new Commander-in-chief Admiral Chester W. Nimitz (Woody Harrelson) begins to plan how they can retaliate to the Japanese Navy. He is able to do this with the help of Intelligence Officer Lieutenant Commander Edwin T. Layton (Patrick Wilson) and Naval Aviator Lieutenant Richard “Dick” Best (Ed Skrein). Together, they plan the Battle of Midway.
Edwin T. Layton is determined to do what is best for his country and even though he spends more time at work than at home with his wife, he will do anything to win the war so that when the war is over, he can spend the rest of his life with his wife. Richard “Dick” Best is arrogant and is reckless when he is flying his plane, but when a friend of his from the academy is killed during the Pearl Harbor attack, Dick wants to help retaliate against the Japanese Navy. His wife Anne Best (Mandy Moore) understands that it is dangerous, but she also supports her husband as a Naval Aviator.
While the special effects in the film looked really good and the scenes depicting war were impressive, I felt that despite Midway having an a quite the ensemble cast, the dialogue in the film was flat and at times made the film seem less interesting than it actually was. Because the dialogue was flat, in my opinion, the film didn’t make the characters as fleshed out as they could have been and were a bit two-dimensional. Midway seemed like it was dragging along at parts, however the battle sequences were still very exciting to watch.
As with a lot of films that are based on historical events, I do wonder about the historical accuracy of the events that are depicted in the film and how true they actually are. But I do understand that some details may need to be changed for the benefit of the film.
Midway is a film that looks like an enticing tale about an interesting time in history. Sadly both the writing and characters fail to deliver and turn a great idea into an unenjoyable chore to watch, the further it goes on.
If you are still curious, Midway is available to buy or rent both physically or digitally on streaming services now.