The period aerial combat and cinematography in Tora! Tora! Tora! is unsurpassed to this day, IMO.
This just made me laugh.
They did a great job, especially considering that they had to dress up AT-6 Texan trainers as the Japanese planes since no flyable versions of the actual Japanese planes existed. Also several points for showing what actually happened.
I see they paid tribute to 70’s and 80’s action films by having the planes all made of Explodium.
The Midway planes being CG is probably it. Forgot Dunkirk did the proper legwork there.
Okay, now that was sweet. I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t seen that movie but I’ve always meant to. Soon I will accomplish that.
You’ll love it. The casting, acting, script and cinematography is fantastic all the way around. And Jason is absolutely on point when he says:
He means +1000 points, because it is completely accurate. All real people represented. No “inspired by events” typical Hollywood brain melting historical goo.
This thread really delivers. Not only do we have someone who loves this movie, we have a recommendation for a movie called Tora Tora Tora! I never would have watched a movie with a name like that, knowing (and having heard) nothing else about it.
Tora! Tora! Tora! to be precise. :)
Tora was the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) codeword for the pilots who were involved in Operation AI (trans Operation Z - the attack on Pearl Harbor) to indicate to the Strike Task Force at sea that complete surprise had been achieved. it was to be sent back via radio at the beginning of the first wave. The title is from what Commander Fuschida (who led the first wave, IIRC) actually did. He shouted “Tora! Tora! Tora!” over the radio net.
Edit - “Fuchida”. Also, it was his radio operator, Petty Officer 1st Class Norinobu Mizuki, who actually sent the message.
It’s a classic. I still liked Midway better!
“USS California! Roll Out!”
Thanks! I always thought Tora! Tora! Tora! was probably a bullfighting movie or something because of the name. I have no interest in bullfighting.
Fuchida delivers the message to his operator at the 6 minute mark. Also, this video is a good Michael Bay garbage film versus Great Fleischer/Masuda/Fukasaku film attack scene comparison.
Ah, damn it, now I want to see a Michael Bay film. That never ends well.
No, it doesn’t. And I’d argue that Pearl Harbor is probably the very worst Michael Bay film.
Say what you will about Pearl Harbor as a film, and I have much to say and most of it not good, but I really like the way that scenes shots are composed.
The planes are perhaps unrealistically low at times, but visually it carries the theme well.
Tora! Tora! Tora! Is a much better film though @Rock8man, limitations of tech at the time and all, I would rather watch that any day.
Modern tech may allow previously impossible shots, and is a great tool. But is only that. Cool bomb drop shots do not compensate for a miserable bloated run time due to a crappy three way romance.
Yes, but the failure to show how planes actually look in the sky, and sound in the sky and below, while having and using that tech, is completely mystifying to me.
And having real Warhawks destroyed at the real Hickam Field is not substitutable by the tech.
I never get how some filmmakers miss this. Use your tech, but tech doesn’t do it all, man.
Use the tool for the job, not do the job for the tool and all that.
Still, if I were to pick a scene that shows the poor comparison between the films, that one would not be it. Its one of the few areas where Pearl Harbor does well. As for sounds, well, I can’t comment on that other than, with one headphone in and a non expert plane ear it sounds fine.
Agree. I shared it because it had the use of “Tora!” in it, not specifically for the comparison.
Now this…
Ah yes, the famous truck filled with explodium.
Yeah, there is something to the kinetics of motion. The plane at 3:45 of that clip, spins around and you see the propellor fly off and flip through the air briefly? That’s quality detail there.
Oh yes, Tora! did a hell of a lot more with less and made it look much more realistic in the bargain. My only very minor nit pick is that you could tell that last P-40 blew up without being hit by gunfire.