Pearl Harbor | Based on a True Story

[@jagannathbarman6712]

Anyone from History buff?

[@progKansas]

Jagannath Barman I watch history Buff.

[@ernestspencer4879]

Yup - I was watching Tora Tora Tora, and this lamentable bit of a movie was the train wreck I had to hear the post mortem on.

[@frogchip6484]

Yep, gotta say this was such a disappointment of a movie, it's like a movie version of Battlefield 5's campaign.

[@k.a.2253]

Yeah and l have to say he said every word right about this movie,l would put this into comedy genre bcs their acting and making a love story of a important historical event is actually rofl funny

[@muura1712]

Jagannath Barman Hell yeah brother

[@ancientnumbat4631]

The iceberg was innocent. The Titanic hit it.

[@CynicalHistorian]

#IcebergDidNothingWrong

[@jimmy2k4o]

If anything the titanic was in the icebergs house and the berg was standing its ground.

[@ernielara1553]

Water got in the boat coz of the big hole.

[@ernielara1553]

Then water got in through the hole created by the ice.

[@jasonshaneyfelt1039]

@@CynicalHistorian You should do Titanic

[@furrymessiah]

Roger Ebert, as much as I hate the man, had the best quote for this film: "Pearl Harbor" is a two-hour movie squeezed into three hours, about how on Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese staged a surprise attack on an American love triangle

[@gratuitouslurking8610]

Honestly, the sad part is that Roger Ebert still gave it a better score then he did Tora! Tora! Tora!. It was only a 1-star difference, but when the clearly superior historical movie gets a 2 star, and the man who made EXPLOSIONS BORING got a 3...

[@Denotsmai87]

"from the vagina that started all the rumour's about the Bermuda Triangle..coming this fall in a cinema near you!!" ahahahahaha

[@HoppouChan]

Gratuitous Lurking or simply the fact that it is a negative point that the viewer knows how the movie will end. I mean...don't watch historical films then, if you have a problem with that?

[@l.jboylan6704]

thats because hes a critic of film not history waterloo and totr tora tora are basically documentryies of course he didnt enjoy them

[@rbeard7580]

LOL - true dat!

[@matthewyoung9040]

My grandpa was stationed at Naval Base Pearl Harbor and I got to watch it with him in theater while on leave from the Marine Corps. His exact words, "they turned it into a love story." Thankfully I got a chance to sit down with him and talk about his real life experiences. I miss him.

[@chrislondo2683]

Matthew Young my great grandfather who was a sailor and died onboard USS Arizona during the attack.

[@shinjaokinawa5122]

@@chrislondo2683 My condolences.

[@johnnyklebitzrevenge4793]

My great grandfather was there as well. Thankfully, he didn't live to see this piece of shit get released

[@Urlocallordandsavior]

The same thing can be said with "Titanic" though.

[@memento-mori-amor]

@@shinjaokinawa5122no need to feel sorry. The man died doing his duty. Let us honor his devotion instead of feeling sorry he died.

[@greenmonsterprod]

I don't hate "Pearl Harbor"; I just found it to be riff-fodder. "Tora Tora Tora" is far superior.

[@FlyingFocs]

Yeah, once you learn about the behind the scenes drama that Bay had to deal with (he basically wanted a remake of Tora, studio heads wanted their own Titanic) and even with watching certain scenes in the movie, you could see what this film could have been. Maybe not great, but at least serviceable.

[@blue24angels]

The only good thing visual is the attack but that is the only good scene

[@teghanchambers3729]

Exactly blue24angels

[@brucelindahl9814]

The new Midway movie has a better pearl harbor scene than the pearl harbor movie

[@sirboomsalot4902]

Bruce Lindahl I wouldn’t say that. As much as I liked Midway (fight me), the sinking of the Arizona was completely wrong

[@cheerfulpessimist952]

I think part of the reason people despise this movie more than others is because it has a very poor story. The other movies you mentioned; like Braveheart and The Last Samurai, have stronger stories despite their historic inaccuracies. If the viewer can become invested in the story than they are more willing to overlook other flaws. Braveheart is the story of a nobody rising to prominence and fighting against tyranny, The Last Samurai is the story of a man haunted by his past seeking redemption. Despite these stories having nothing to do with actual history, audiences love them. They can relate to the characters and get immersed in the story, despite it being a bastardization of what actually happened. Alternatively; the hate could just be the result of the insufferable romance plot pissing off viewers.

[@BountyFlamor]

The movie is very long also (like Titanic; coincidence??)

[@VersusARCH]

PH Story is very cheesy (It's classic Bay) but actually its dynamics is good - much more entertaining than the far more historically accurate Tora Tora Tora and it showed at the box office. And this is a history buff speaking.

[@thunberbolttwo3953]

Or the last part.With the doolitle raid.Which had nothing to do with pearl harbor.

[@midgetwthahacksaw]

VersusARCH Sure, at the time. Nowadays, everyone I know who is interested in the events of Pearl Harbor love Tora! Tora! Tora! I saw PH when I was young and just getting into history and I hated it! When my father showed be Tora! Tora! Tora! I was more invested because the motives and politics and events just flowed so well and I was LEARNING something. Tora! gives you your entertainment but you have to understand the stuff that builds up before the Battle. The Battle itself IS the payoff.

[@kunicross]

Yea the story is just terrible, it feels so constructed and just unnecessary well its propably very much reminiscent of bays later transformer movies... Pearl Harbor feels like you just could cut away the love triangle and would end up with a pretty decent action / war movie...

[@DUARTE99]

Braveheart and The Revenant were entertaining cinematic achievements and well acted. Despite the heavy historical inaccuracies. Pearl Harbor (2001) had some stunning cinematography but that's it. The story was ludicrous and the acting even worse.

[@jimmy2k4o]

DUARTE braveheart has politically retarded Scotland.....it’s made a toxic party successful by using the type of ignorance that movie spreads to win votes

[@michaelt.5672]

@@jimmy2k4o A movie isn't enough to create or carry a political movement. There are plenty of real reasons for such developments happening. The movie might be RESONATING with those people and inspired some in their rethoric, but it isn't the cause of it.

[@mrglowinthedark498]

The revenant didn't even need to be historically inaccurate the story was still incredible

[@happypapi1903]

Randall Wallace wrote it too. He also directed the equally terrible The Man In The Iron Mask.

[@kszirovecz]

There's another big mistake with the blonde nurse that gets killed in the hospital attack. After she gets engaged to the pilot that stutters, she tells Kate Beckinsale's character that they're going to wait 2 years until she's 19. How is a 17 year old a Nurse? Nurse requirements in the military during WW2 required a nurse to have completed a 3 year nurse training program after graduating high school. Even if she lied about her age, like she says, there's still no way she graduated high school and completed 3 years of nurse education by 17.

[@harunakongouclass573]

She didn’t even exist

[@TheForsakenEagle]

In the movie, she said she ran away and lied about her age.

[@senorpepper3405]

Just close your eyes....and believe.

[@derrickbradley761]

One thing you missed, was the fact that the 2 fighter pilots, were able to jump from the P-39 into the B-25's with no additional training, especially with the added challenge of being able to take off from a carrier. P.S. Great work with all your reviews, I enjoy them all, keep it up.

[@davidcopplestone6266]

I thought that was bullshit too . Why waste the training of a fighter pilot in a bomber?

[@scottlynch5286]

They flew P-40s, not P-39s.

[@tcofield1967]

Taylor and Welch flew P40Bs. Several other pilots flew P-36s during the attack. More P-36s made it into the air than P-40s.

[@kennethcrist443]

Because up until about 1939 all pilots in the USAAF trained in all types of planes and then were assigned to a particular squadron. About 1939 they began to train fighter pilots only, bomber pilots only, etc. Of course, before '39 the pool was much smaller and with no war on they could take the extra time to train pilots. I have no idea when the fictional characters trained as I only saw the movie once a long time ago, but it is quite possible that they trained that way.

[@MrHockeycrack]

Anyways, the true strike force of Doolittle was picked from most experienced B-25 bomber crews of the 17th Bomber Group only. (source en.wikipedia.org, I trust it here.)

[@CynicalHistorian]

*This was sneak-demonetized after being fully monetized (even after manual review) for 3 years. So please consider donating to my patreon: www.patreon.com/CynicalHistorian general reference and mistakes: 7:00 - They were B-25's, not B-17's 10:30 - The RMS Queen Mary was an ocean-liner, not a cruise-ship 12:50 - That might actually be a barrel roll, but simply a trick of the camera makes it look incorrect - but that clip from _Tora Tora Tora_ after it is assuredly a correct one

[@HTHTucoTheRat]

Glad you said something about the about the attack being carried out by the Mitchell and not the Fortress. I was already firing up my WW2 buff nerd rage. :-)

[@Morgan8378]

you should do one on the red tails movie, now there is a great piece of garbage.

[@stitch2k1]

at 12:50, that isnt even any form of a roll. An aileron roll is where you dive to gain speed needed, then pitch up and jam the stick over so when you are wings level you are flying level. But also thanks for noticing that, I cant remember the last time I saw someone call out that shit lol.

[@MrEvanfriend]

And here I went and paused the video to correct you on the planes flown from USS Hornet. However, that's clearly a modern carrier they're flying off. USS Hornet wasn't that shape.

[@MrEvanfriend]

Also, the Spitfires in the Battle of Britain parts are wrong. Those are Mk. Vs, which were later on. The Battle of Britain was fought with Hurricanes and Spitfire Mk. Is.

[@agp11001]

As to "Why do people hate on Pearl Harbor more than, say, The Revenant?" First of all, I guess it's because on top of the contrived love story, Pearl Harbor's acting is just incredibly sub-par. Yes, Gibson hams it up to 11 in Braveheart, but has a great supporting cast to fall back on (Cosmo, Gleeson, O'Hara, McGoohan) - and I think most people would agree that the acting in The Revenant was great. Second, Pearl Harbor has the same problem as Transformers: It's a movie that treats its source material as background filler. I don't watch Transformers to see a story of Shia LaBeouf trying to dip his wick into Megan Fox's private parts, I want to see giant transforming robots beating the shit out of each other. I don't watch Pearl Harbor to see a Affleck and Hartnett struggling over Beckinsale, I want to see the attack and the events leading to it (that's why Tora! Tora! Tora! is so great - it shows exactly that, and with equal respect to the US and Japanese side).

[@eyeswideopen7450]

Exactly what I thought. The Events shwon on the sreen should always be shown to tell the story of the characters. The revenant is so focused on what is happening to Hugh Glass. Everthing you cann see has an impcat on the story that is HIS story. Pearl Harbour is not a story. It is series of explosions and shoots of planes and ships, with some persons that dont have a personality but only a name....

[@greekswaglord-dathistoryla201]

the nostalgia critics dad was a navy seal so it makes sense for him to be angry

[@CynicalHistorian]

didn't know that. One of my grandpas was UDT during the war, and those frogmen were the predecessor to the Seals. But the Critic has been much more forgiving of WWII inaccuracy elsewhere.

[@ProxyMinePro]

The Cynical Historian. I know you hate Oliver Stone, but can you mave a video about another movie of his : W. the one about George Bush Jr. Please and thank you.

[@greekswaglord-dathistoryla201]

i would love to see the review

[@askingstuff]

I googled his father. I didn’t find evidence his father was a navy seal

[@jagannathbarman6712]

His father was in Navy, but not a seal

[@aportos]

Think on this. Google has the Life magazines available from 1930 on. The December 8, 1941 issue was printed before December 7 to be shipped and arrive on Dec 8. Inside it discusses how MacArthur will fight the war with the Japanese once it is started. So its very true we knew will all certainty the war was coming. Just the where and when were in question.

[@CynicalHistorian]

I had to look it up just to see the article myself. For anyone interested, here it is: books.google.com/books?id=Yk4EAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=true

[@juanmanuelpenaloza9264]

I've seen anime about WW2 with more historical accuracy...

[@principalityofbelka6310]

@AniMan Melayu Girls Und Panzer Shuumatsu No Izetta (Somewhat accurate) The Cockpit Anthology Kouya No Kotobuki Hikotai Strike Witches (Kinda accurate) Kantai Collection

[@gavinl1565]

@AniMan Melayu. Hential.

[@HarunaKaiNi]

@@principalityofbelka6310 kancolle's not historically accurate it got history revisioned (which sucked), making japan win wars in battles hope they change this on season 2 (battle of leyte gulf)

[@fireinthehole1986]

AniMan Melayu Barefoot Gen from 1983. Warning: Contains graphic imagery.

[@aidenbutcher8461]

@@rc59191 you hear girls and ww2 and you know none of it happened

[@coco26006]

We actually watched Tora, Tora, Tora in my high school history class. its a pretty good movie. though my highschool history class was great because we did in depth analysis of battles of the second world war, not all of course just the notable ones such as bastogne, Kursk, and Iwo Jima.

[@coogrfan]

"American officials knew about the incoming attack before the Japanese ambassador..." The message in question spoke of an attack, but made no mention of where it might take place.

[@aaroncohen2700]

@@indy_go_blue6048 Don't forget we were reading their naval messages. Washington didn't warn the west coast/pacific American territories of an attack because they didn't want the Japanese to know that they were reading their messages.

[@shinjaokinawa5122]

@@aaroncohen2700 Plus a Great many thought the attack would be against Dutch Harbor in the Aleutians because it was closer to Japan. If I have that right.

[@tylerjerabek5204]

@@aaroncohen2700 we were decoding many of the messages but nothing was said that would indicate Pearl plus the Japanese maintained radio silence as they were coming East across the Pacific

[@gunmunz]

22:43 You know what makes that great stunt work? The actors are actually running for their lives..

[@AudieHolland]

Miraculously, nobody died.

[@a.morphous66]

That movie’s battle was amazing.

[@morgangrey4020]

That was from the Movie Tora Tora Tora though,which like you said they were really running for their lives.

[@frogchip6484]

It's fckn genius. Just give a few neo-nazis some guns and the right uniform and get some Allied soldiers and boom you got a sick battle scene! No need for CGI, just a couple dead Germans bc plot armour.

[@themage1016]

gunmunz you came from History Buffs didnt you?

[@Loverrover]

3RD generation Navy veteran here! I met quite a few guys while in the navy who couldn't swim. My dad who served during the Korean War couldn't swim while he served and never learned to swim. Being able to swim is not a requirement to serve in the Navy and they do not teach you to swim in boot camp, but what they do teach you is how to survive in the water if you go overboard, they basically teach you how to float. Also just for the historical content here, my dad's uncle served onboard The USS Missouri during the war and was onboard during the Japanese surrender!

[@gregortheoverlander4122]

Eh, I don't know about that. Maybe for guys that don't go onto ships. I know a guy who was in the navy and never even saw a boat. But my dad was a chief and went on a fuckload of cruises and he said that part of testing was proving you could swim 500 meters (maybe more or less I can't remember exactly) in under a certain amount of time. If you aren't far enough away when a ship like a carrier sinks then you'll be sucked under with it. Though I don't know if failing that test actually disqualifies you from going on the cruise. As far as I know you don't need to know how to swim to join the navy, but by the time you are out of basic you will know how to swim. Just looked it up. The test you have to pass is called the Navy Third Class Swim Test. And EVERYONE has to pass that. The first part of the test is diving off a 10 foot diving board and swimming 50 meters. Not hard, but that's swimming right there. If you can't swim at all you have to wake up early and go to remedial swimming classes. I totally believe that your dad didn't know how to swim though. My uncle was on those river boats in Vietnam and he never learned how to swim either.

[@Loverrover]

I went thru boot camp in 1996 and there were a few guys who couldn't swim if they couldn't they went thru the shallow end of the pools were the instructors gave them basic swim lessons so they could pass it. Once you jumped off that board ( or pushed if you were scared to jump) there are seals and divers there that will get you out so you don't drown. When I was onboard my ships I met quite a few guys who couldn't swim. Before we even did the swim we were taught how to use our dungarees as flotation devices if we were to fall overboard. The instructors at the pool were divers and seals and told straight up that we are here to teach you how to survive not how to swim and they asked who in the group couldn't swim and that they would get special instruction and would be able to complete the evolution before the day was done. It was an all day process and no one went to remedial swim classes it was done then and there and we didn't swim the whole pool it was a huge Olympic size pool, they used one end for the swim and the other end for the overboard training. I wouldn't doubt they have remedial training now since boot camp is shorter than it was in my day and the base was completely rebuilt 5 years ago. It's nothing like it was in 1996 and definitely not 1969. I eventually qualified 2nd class swimmer and even got certified scuba while I was in the navy. I love the water and the sea and am proud to say that there is now a 4th generation sailor in my family as my son has also enlisted in the navy!

[@IJX89]

Shit, in Australia not only do Sailors have to past a lengthy swim and sea survival test, even the Airmen and Soldiers have to pass swimming tests lol. What modern Navy has sailors who can't swim??

[@Pure_Havoc]

yea its pretty whack. A couple of my friends in the Navy say it wasnt a requirement to know how to swim. In the Marines on the other hand, there were a few guys in my platoon that had to repeat swim week.

[@TopHatPenguin]

LaDaryl Barker do you mean requirement then or now? Because when I was at the naval academy we had to do a 2 mile swim test. Idk if that’s just a thing for the academy or a requirement so I’m actually curious

[@fortis3686]

Personally, this movie is more of a guilty pleasure for me instead of a Historical film.

[@spaceman081447]

The Doolittle raid flew B-25s, which were shown, but the narration at about 7:00 said B-17s.

[@jeffnettleton3858]

Civilians!

[@tacomancers12356789]

Those American volunteer pilots in Burma were called the Flying Tigers, and I know that because in my hometown, one of the residents that lived there was a Flying Tiger, but was shot down in '43 (I believe), so there is a building in town dedicated to him and another building in the then high, now middle school that I attended when I was younger.

[@DTavona]

There was actually a process by which American military pilots could resign and go work for Chennault and the Chinese government. These pilots were guaranteed that if war broke out, they could return to US service at their former rank, and the military regained pilots with combat experience. And you are correct, it was made abundantly clear that the resignation had to be on file. Pappy Boyington of VMF 214 was one of those pilots.

[@bobbakian7369]

I like flying tigers that don't get shot down

[@100RAmen]

the flying tigers are the first the biggest American super hero in China. Chinese people who remember flying tiger see them as the embodiment of whats great about US. at the time Chinese civilian and Chinese military from all factions alike will give their life to defend a downed flying tiger pilot and hide them for month to get them back to base. because China lost all its babe stage air force (heroic but very new pilots and old air craft) to japan very early in the war, and since Japan have being bombing cities mass murdering civilian as well as troops on the ground. the first p40s taking down Japanese bomber was nation wide news.

[@treerat7631]

Roosevelt signed a executive order letting americans serving in the Chinese army .

[@troybullard4066]

The Flying Tiger pilot from you're hometown; is his name Capt. John Hampshire, of Grants Pass, Oregon ?

[@davidhoffman6980]

Uh.. at 9:13, you pointed out that the footage was of a Pershing Tank, but you forgot to mention that the twin spires of the Cathedral in the background are of the COlogne Cathedral in Germany. The Germans didn't do any blitzkrieg in there own country.

[@redcoatgaming4141]

Oktoberfest got out of hand

[@brookethebaron9270]

Isn't Oktoberfest celebrated in Munich?

[@HoppouChan]

TooRandom well, it got out of hand, so Bavaria invaded the Ruhrpott :P

[@TheSuperRedtail]

Another mistake, that video comes from 1945 in the battle of Cologne, 4 years even after pearl harbour happened, In fact for the moment pearl harbour happened, neither the pershing nor the sherman even existed.

[@thurin84]

weeeeeellll the did blitz through the polish corridor and Alsace Loraine so they did, sort of.

[@Scarn3]

All my friends revile the Pearl harbor movie. I bought the extended version of it and watched it. Truthfully I liked it.

[@CameronM1138]

I went into it knowing it'd be super inaccurate with not much time dedicated to the actual attack and thought it was pretty decent for what it was. Not amazing, and the writing was definitely weak at times, but still enjoyable.

[@GhostofCicero]

I lived in Hawaii while this was being filmed. I was really excited about the whole production. The Navy even allowed the premier to be held on the deck of an aircraft carrier in Pearl Harbor, may PH veterans attended. I saw the film soon after and just felt sick. I can't imagine how those veterans must have felt watching that pile of shit on a screen floating in Pearl Harbor.

[@waltwilkerson1437]

You never disappoint, always very high quality. I just wanted to say thanks and keep it up!

[@masterbaiting22]

Your channel is really good dude, a must for history and film lovers. How do you not have more views?!?!

[@illuminaticomfirmed6948]

I feel like its more for history lovers because for some reason this guy can't see a similarity between adaptions and based on true stories, if its good, people will ignore the changes, if its bad, people won't. That's kinda why no one gives a damn braveheart was inaccurate,

[@leviticus2001]

Because KZbin doesn't like historical accuracy. He made a recent video on that if you're interested.

[@Eantrin]

"You must fly for hours to reach the moored fleet at Pearl Harbor and destroy any assets you can find. Ships, planes, fuel reserves, anything the Americans can use against us in the war to come. Your top priority are any carriers you may find there." Gotcha, blow my whole payload on a random hospital most sailors won't use when the war is so deep in the pacific.

[@ImperialGamer5]

So, I just watched the Nostalgia Critic's review on this movie, and I am currently watching yours. I wanted to say that all of your reviews and also with History Buffs' review of Tora! Tora! Tora! are so great, because for me, I most likely every else who watches this movie: I only wait for the attack scene and then find something else to watch. But, my point is I'm okay with this movie, but I would rather Tora! Tora! Tora! than this although I have only seen clips. "You want your confirmation, Captain? TAKE A LOOK. THERE'S YOUR CONFIRMATION!!!"

[@wdcain1]

13:15 "Why do so many newer movies make combatants into blithering idiots?" I guess because directors, producers, and audiences would have a hard time believing that regular people would be competent at the job they're trained for. It's sad but I've noticed most movies these days only grizzled and hardened professionals act intelligently while rookies aren't expected to.

[@anthonykeane4984]

I actually looked forward to this film coming out as a history buff and fan of tora tora tora . wow was I disappointed filled with errors and terrible lines and plot . the serving American airman joining Eagle squadron in uniform just put me off straightaway I don't think I've seen another Michael bay film in its entirety since he's a total hack

[@thisisjeffwong]

Anthony Keane 13 hours is quite good.

[@captainjoshuagleiberman2778]

The interesting thing is Tora Tora Tora was a joint Japanese/American production. The Japanese scenes were shot by a Japanese crew with Japanese actors, while the American scenes were shot by an American crew with American actors.

[@delavalmilker]

It's like they tried to mix the attack on Pearl Harbor with Days of Our Lives.

[@falloutthemodder7591]

KZbinr: this film is more accurate than a lot of the films I review Every history channel: brother why did you betray us

[@kyleshiflet7932]

My great grandfather was at Pearl Harbor when it got bombed then went to serve on a cruiser in the pacific

[@hemmingwayfan]

Anyone else just get here from History Buffs?

[@kyleshiflet9952]

Me

[@jamescstanley5018]

Yep!

[@419Films]

Came here thanks to History Buffs. So glad I did. :-)

[@tonifakerman9639]

My grandfather showed me tora tora tora when I was 7, “it means tiger tiger tiger” I’ll never forget that

[@urbanredneck2353]

>Talks about Pearl Harbor >Shows Tora!Tora!Tora! clips >Savage

[@pattyeverett2826]

Speaking of inaccuracy, the radio shown is a 1950s European radio. It did not exist during the Pearl Harbor attack. There are plenty still around that did exist then. I have a few.

[@fremenchips]

I think the main reason for the hate is something you mentioned but not as a decisive factor, namely the bloated love story and unbearable length. The movie is three hours of really bad acting, even a really good movie like Return of King had people squirming in their seats by the last half hour. Whatever you want to say about Titanic at least Winslet and Di Caprio had good chemistry and we never really lose focus of those two as opposed to Pearl Harbor's bloated cast, you didn't even mention the Cuba Gooding Jr. subplot.

[@AGB-]

fremenchips mmmmmm that's a good point. If the movie had been a about the friendship the pilots had, more about action, shorter run time, and had no love story then it might of had less hate. Never considered that might of made people ignore the inaccuracies.

[@richardsturges2736]

It was B-25 mitchells, not B-17's. Okay, saw the OP corrected himself. Watch 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, which is a very good dramatization of the crews and the training up to the mission itself, and then the crew's struggles to make it back.

[@jonljacobi]

What changed is that Japan fell under the sway of a sadistic and aggressive military regime.

[@raymondyee2008]

I heard on IMDB that the visitor’s centre at Pearl Harbor and the gift shop at Ford Island do NOT sell copies of the movie. Can’t blame them honestly.

[@8fox261]

Yeah, Micheal Bay stretches 'suspension of disbelief' to well past the breaking point..

[@GhostofCicero]

Why are those other inaccurate movies you mentioned given a pass while this one is shit on? Maybe because they were pretty good movies despite the inaccuracies. This movie was awful. That made it an easy target.

[@FranzPerez21]

This is exactly why. Braveheart is a terrible historical movie and does a disservice to those who watch it, but most viewers will actually enjoy the battle scenes. Even the characters and the plot are palatable, even though they're shallow. Pearl Harbour had nothing going for it except the explosions.

[@Krajcik1964]

I'm afraid you missed one of the biggest inaccuracies in the movie. The U.S. never sent a fighter pilot up in a B-25 for the Doolittle Raids.

[@roomtemperaturechilipepper3192]

It’s kinda funny how two fighter pilots suddenly can fly bombers

[@CynicalHistorian]

actually one of the fighter pilots this supposedly depicts became a bomber, and without much additional training. So that's a misconception

[@Wookie120]

Yeahhhhh, flying a B-17 off of a carrier would have been a feat for sure!

[@ClearTrackSpeed]

12:50, No that was actually a Barrel Roll. An Aileron roll is where the aircraft does not change altitude but spins. A Barrel roll Changes both Vertical and Lateral Position of the aircraft.

[@dmitrynightingale6614]

Mickel Bay should have said to Doug Walker AKA nostalgia critic "I regret you feel that way" just wanted to keep this drama alive and I don't care how you feel. ^_^

[@CynicalHistorian]

Topical, lol

[@storiesfromtheoldcowboy8876]

I hope someone has already mentioned this.... IT WAS B-25S NOT B-17S that Doolittle used.

[@grimmreapergaming5858]

Comment: "if you wouldn't be so cynical"Channel name: The *Cynical* historian.

[@MariaThePotterNut]

The revenant and Braveheart are so far removed from us personally, meanwhile not only are people from the time of Pearl Harbor still alive, but some of our grandparents were even there. That's probably why it's such a big deal how inaccurate it is, and how bad a movie it is as a story. Like Braveheart isn't accurate, but it's still engaging, and who doesn't love a good rebellion movie?

[@LeonKennedy1345]

I think you've been watching too many CinemaSins videos judging by that ending! I love that kind of stuff, great editing. Also, dont play down the American element in the British war strategy. After the fall of France, Churchill had two basic aims: - first and foremost; resist invasion and keep morale high - 2nd but more important in the long term, get America into the war. I cannot understate the importance of this to us British. We did not have the resources to resist indefinitely, our empire was under assault and we were fighting the Japanese and Germans simultaneously, losing to both. I am not a Churchill fanboy, nor am I a cheerleader for American influence. But as I understand it, British success in the war hinged on American involvement, with Churchill constantly lobbying FDR and sneakily increasing American involvement through aid packages and loans etc. Great video.

[@Neverhoodian]

Well said. Churchill himself stated that, while news of the attack was appalling, it also put his mind at ease that the Allies would win the War now that America was involved.

[@schell0118]

Philopoemen Flamininus But it's OK to downplay the efforts of the RAF? They fought against the most advanced and most well represented air force of the time, outnumbered 6 to 1 and beat them. They did this without any help from Americans despite that disgraceful line in the 'Puke Harder' film (at 11.30 in this video).

[@LeonKennedy1345]

Nowhere in my comment did I downplay the efforts of the RAF. In fact I will remind you that the highest scoring fighter squadron in the RAF during the Battle of Britain was the 303rd, a Polish squadron. So we actually needed quite a lot of help from whoever was willing to give it - even a few Americans.

[@schell0118]

Philopoemen Flamininus I'm well aware of the record of the Polish squadron and it has no bearing on my comment. I'm also aware of how thinly spread the RAF forces were in the Battle of Britain (and that includes all nationalities involved) but again it has no bearing on what I wrote because I didn't say they were all British. They were all RAF however. In the film under discussion there was a scene in which an RAF officer lauded the American pilot as though he had been indispensable whereas the non-American pilots were insignificant by comparison. That is an insult to the efforts of real life heroes who were responsible for one of the most vital victories of the second world war. We also had Canadians, Australians, French, Belgian and even some Irish amongst others, all of whom contributed at least as much (most likely more) than the few Americans who were involved. So this film was far from guilty of downplaying the American contribution to that particular campaign, nor was anyone else. On the contrary, in its efforts to exaggerate those achievements and massage the egos of American viewers, it cast scorn (whether maliciously or carelessly), on all other nationalities involved. This is something I will never forgive the makers of this shite film for.

[@LeonKennedy1345]

I still dont see how my comment played down the RAF. Also, I fail to see how the RAF is relevant to a discussion about Pearl Harbour. I can tell you feel strongly about this PoS film. Most people feel the same, which is why it was shocking to me to see Cypher defend the film. I dont like the film, but im willing to defer to the opinion of the American, who the film is most definitely aimed at. Maybe Cypher dismisses this films flaws the same way a Scottsman dismisses the flaws in Braveheart? Or an Englishman dismisses the flaws in Zulu?

[@tlm21189]

The whole swimming aspect of that argument is very bad because I know guys that are in the navy now that can't swim and its 2019 so at 1941 I can believe a lot of guys couldn't swim

[@goldencrisp4671]

17:11 WE DID!! We burned Tokyo to the GROUND in 1944-1945 and even THAT didn’t convince the Japanese to Surrender

[@IgorSalaj3578]

But atomic bombs that have erased Nagasaki an Hiroshima from the face of the Earth sure did.

[@TheStarcoMarco]

@@IgorSalaj3578 Well no. It was actually the Soviet invasion of Manchuria was the reason why Japan surrendered to the Allies and not the bombs but who cares. If you said Japan surrendered to the Allies because of the bombs, they should have surrender in August 9th instead of August 15th.

[@Alex_FRD]

Watching Doug Walker rip this movie to shreds for portraying the Navy as a horde of incompetents was extremely satisfying.

[@m.smassey564]

6:30 holy crap, when I saw this I kind of freaked out cuz I looked on my dresser and I saw an old replica of the December 8th 1941 Monday evening St Louis star 7th War extra the newspaper that talked about the Jap attack on Pearl Harbor and that exact interview the exact same moment, I just thought it was really really cool seeing video version of this newspaper.

[@seangallagher9435]

With the naval personnel needing to swim, you don’t need to be able to when you enlist, but in basic training they teach you that at least today. There isn’t an excuse for that

[@cassuttustshirt4949]

B-25s were used in the Doolittle Raid, not B-17s.

[@harryjoe24424]

I can only really comment on the swimming. I served in the navy semi recently and swimming is a requirement but plenty of sailors even today cant. they show up to boot camp, are "taught" to swim and leave boot camp still not knowing. It seems dumb that a person would join the Navy not knowing how to swim but loads of people are convinced that its not an issue or believe that they will never go on a ship

[@nucleargandhi5141]

They showed the incorrect aircraft carrier

[@CruelestChris]

Two incorrect aircraft carriers, actually, it's the supercarrier USS _Constellation_ in some shots and the late-WW2 carrier USS _Lexington_ in others.

[@billthom19]

The Japanese did not declare war in their message on December 7, it was only a declaration of a break in negotiations. They declared war in their own newspapers the next day. They intended the attack to be a stealth attack.

[@ashleyl3861]

Btw they were flying B-25s off the carrier, not B-17s ;)

[@CynicalHistorian]

yep, thanks. I'll mark it down in a note

[@BoarhideGaming]

Good god, I want to see a B-17 take off from an aircraft carrier, that really would be something

[@graceskerp]

Yeah, a Fort could have taken off; it would have 'landed' in a hurry.

[@stickiedmin6508]

They did launch (and recover - 29 touch-and-go landings, 21 unarrested full-stop landings, and 21 unassisted takeoffs) a C-130 Hercules off The Forrestal once... I don't know if it could have managed the same feats on the much smaller deck of The Hornet, but it may well be (hypothetically) possible to launch a B-17 off a modern supercarrier. --S

[@phanchan1215]

O

[@spookerredmenace3950]

I am here because of History Buffs

[@teghanchambers3729]

Me too

[@daemonspudguy]

I know I'm 4 years late but, I'm gonna mention that it wasn't the Nostalgia Critic who blew up there. Doug has actually said that he legitimately had that reaction when he watched that.

[@Braendis666]

Nick Hodges from History Buffs sent me here :)

[@alexkorman1163]

Some soldiers In the navy during ww2 couldn’t swim. Their were cases on the uss missippi where soldiers couldn’t swim.

[@KiCreativeStudioJP]

22:20 And the Oscar goes to...Suicide Squad. lol I Gave this video a like just for that clip.

[@troodon1096]

It won that Oscar for best makeup. It was a terrible movie, but the makeup was indeed quite good.

[@davidsopotyk6652]

The crop duster thing I think we can let slide that's not so bad for accuracy

[@AnonYmous-db2yy]

7:10 I guess you could say the Doolittle Raid... *Did little.*

[@ph89787]

10:42. Sorry I need to address this. RMS Queen Mary was an ocean liner. The high freeboard (side) is a dead give away. Additionally she was already painted grey and was a troop transport.

[@benhaver9737]

13:45 I know first hand accounts aren’t the most reliable, but at my Great Grandfather’s funereal (Who served in the Pacific Front) The priest claimed that he actually paid someone else to impersonate him because he couldn’t swim. So I don’t think it’s that far fetched that some sailors couldn’t swim

[@stephenwright8824]

Pacific _Theater,_ not Front. Source? My maternal grandfather was in the Marines, second wave at Guadalcanal, hated being a Marine but according to a 20-year man my uncle (his son) met on Okinawa in the late Sixties, was ironically "a good Marine."

[@erika_itsumi5141]

I can't believe you didn't grill Nastalgia Critic calling the USS Oklahoma a "Battle cruiser" in the "I can't swim" scene. The USS Oklahoma was a Navada Class Battleship, the US Navy never had Battle cruisers, they had draw up plans and ideas for battle cruisers, but they were never built.

[@Zevonfan524]

*starts with a nitpick about crop dusting* Oh, it’s gonna be like that... *gets out popcorn*

[@frankroche9015]

you owe me a chocolate milk, it just came out my nose.

[@PaulMcCaffreyfmac]

It's like being punched in the face with a boxing glove that leaves C.G.I. impressed on your forehead

[@Seek1878]

I've always said Pearl Harbor would be a decent film if they edited out the main cast.

[@brentgranger7856]

I was stationed in Pearl Harbor when this film was shot. I had the opportunity to be an extra in "Pearl Harbor," but was not selected. A good friend of mine is the sailor in the back of the jeep when the officer informs Admiral Kimmel of the USS Ward attack. After watching the film, I was disgusted and happy I was not in that disaster. My only compliment is Faith Hill's "There you'll Be." Watch "Tora! Tora! Tora!" instead!

[@jasbaklinski]

B-25 mitchels were the bombers used. Not B-17s

[@bryantaylor9874]

Japan also got screwed by their fellow allied nations at the end of ww1. They helped win the war and then got sat at the kiddie table in Versailles.

[@samuelchoong2611]

i really enjoy the movie though ...... watching pearl harbor to Michael bay's films of today, its like 10 time better

[@cassuttustshirt4949]

This has probably been said a thousand times but it wasn't B-17's (way too big!) but B-25 Mitchell bombers.

[@seegurke93]

I like the movie even though it has nearly nothing to do with the real thing. :) Hans Zimmer again did a great job, too

[@nickp.6144]

Woah woah woah, wait a minute. At 7 minutes, you called Doolittle’s planes that were flown of the carriers “B-17’s.” Those were not B-17 Flying Fortresses, but they were B-25 Mitchell’s. I don’t need to explain why.

[@FEDEXLuchs]

B-25 Mitchells were flown not B17s those boys are too big

[@IceAxe1940]

That's what she said.

[@JuanDiaz-qm3hg]

Don’t forget the angled decks on the aircraft carriers. In ww2 the carriers had straight decks while the movie shows Korean War and Cold War carriers to portray them.

[@Nico6th]

I never really watched that one as a "history movie". I watched it for the action scenes and effects... so, yeah, I usually skip the romance scenes, same with Armageddon xD

[@aewhatever]

But it sells. Would these movies made as much if it was packed with more romance then it intended content.

[@jeffmcarthur5617]

SO interesting you bring up about some naval personnel not being able to swim. It's a point I was tempted to make on the Nostalgia Critic's video, but I figured I'd be splitting hairs. I wrote a book about Al Capone's long-lost brother who was a Prohibition agent. He had a son in WWII who was in the navy and could not swim. He also had a problem in that he sleep walked. Those two issues combined could have caused a very big problem.

[@SuperLusername]

Say what you whant but the score by Hans Zimmer is 10/10

[@istvansipos9940]

only the nurse scores higher in this movie. but she scores way higher

[@TheHoagie13]

FDR didn't have POLIOMYELITIS/"POLIO"!!!! *Franklin Delano Roosevelt had Guillain-Barré symdrome!!!* (GBS) I just want y'all to know!!!

[@stalinsmyth8370]

The Doolittle raid used b25s NOT B17s

[@barnacle_bill2257]

I'd like to point out a misconception at roughly 6:53 maybe, the planes that were in the doolittle raid were b-25s not b-17s. B-17s have a different fuselage shape and are 4 engined heavy bombers while b-25s are 2 engine medium bombers. Just a small misconception and no hate intended.

[@DarkenedArc]

Here's the thing Michael Bay WANTED it to be R-rated gritty war film with zero romance to actually PAY respect to the soldiers. Wanna blame someone? As you mentioned, the studio wanted all the sweet Titanic money and it actually got so severe, Bay almost left the production of the film entirely. But for fucks SAKE can we NOT lose our heads because it's Michael Bay and apparently that gives people some moral righteousness to drag his name across the mud? I have criticism of Bay for but people honestly devolve into fucking manchildren whenever they hear his name. Hell how many people are even going to acknowledge Bay wasn't even 100% at fault and was sort of the victim of greedy executive production just because it's Michael Bay?

[@AGB-]

TheCrossboy ok that makes sense. Not to be pedantic but do you have a source? I don't disagree with you I'm just being skeptical.

[@DarkenedArc]

There's actually a director's cut of this movie that is far more graphic director's cut that tries to at least add element of the original version bay wanted. www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1971890 I'm pretty sure Bay wanted to make a good war film but hey dat titanic money the studio wanted to make.

[@AudieHolland]

I don't hate this movie. I understand they wanted to draw in the female audience so just showing the heroic work nurses must do in wartime wasn't enough: women want romance... Also, NO SMOKING in this movie. When EVERYONE was smoking back in those days. Even in the 1960s, "The Flintstones" cartoon series had Fred Flintstone advertising cigarettes during commercial breaks. And medical doctors approved of 'our brand' cigarettes because they did not cause any health problems. Hey, doctor said so... What I liked was that they showed the role and work of black crewmembers aboard US naval ships. In "Tora Tora Tora!" they also show this but you only see the one black enlisted man who drives around the admiral before he jumped at the chance of manning a machinegun and shot down a Japanese fighterplane. The criticism that the aerial dogfights look like Star Wars space dogfights means nothing. George Lucas actually used WW2 aerial dogfight footage as inspiration for the Star Wars space battles.

[@AGB-]

100% true about the Star Wars dogfighting. In some sci-fi circles Star Wars is oddly criticized for having WW2 dogfighting that wouldn't work or make sense with spaceship nor jets. In my opinion WW2 dogfighting looks better than modern jet combat.

[@lelandframe6927]

Wrong movie mentioned for the "black enlisted man who drives the admiral around". THAT was "Pearl Harbor". (He gets less screen time in "Tora Tora Tora".) Doris Miller (yes, that was HIS name!) was a Messman 3rd Class on the USS West Virginia. He was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross. The citation reads: "For distinguished devotion to duty, extraordinary courage and disregard for his own personal safety during the attack on the Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. While at the side of his Captain on the bridge, Miller, despite enemy strafing and bombing and in the face of a serious fire, assisted in moving his Captain, who had been mortally wounded, to a place of greater safety, and later manned and operated a machine gun directed at enemy Japanese attacking aircraft until ordered to leave the bridge." Nearly two years after Pearl Harbor, he was killed in action when USS Liscome Bay was sunk by a Japanese submarine during the Battle of Makin.

[@rorystockley5969]

Man, your production quality has improved so much! Really enjoying these more recent videos.

[@n00btub3r2012]

You should review All quiet on the western front

[@daleyjeeper6188]

I work on a cruise ship were as part of the safety certificate I had to get it proving that I can swim before joining the ship. However I've met a lot of crew members who say they cannot swim. So wouldn't be surprised if a few navy guys couldn't swim "well"

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Let loose with the righteous fervor of an Historian scorned. 19:50 - I felt the same exact way when George Lucas turned one of the most impactful and sorrowful events in Galactic History, the Clone Wars, into fodder for a shitty CGI cartoon and a vapid, hollow love story. No respect for history.

[@Neverhoodian]

I know, right? The way he deliberately misrepresented the Clone Wars was nothing short of sickening, casting the sinister "Clone Masters" and their Spaarti clones as the "good guys" fighting for the Republic, when in actuality they were the ones who attacked the Republic in the first place. It spits in the faces of all those brave Republic conscripts and Jedi Knights who gave their lives to stop their insidious advance. All that hoopla over "Separatists" and their "droid armies" was pure fabrication and speaks volumes of his obvious anti-droid bigotry. And no, Palpatine didn't suddenly overthrow the Republic and destroy the Jedi through some "Order 66" nonsense. It was a gradual, insidious process that took years. If it was as sudden as he claimed the resulting public outcry and calls for impeachment would have been Palpatine's downfall. He also has some sort of anti-religious bias the way he portrayed the Jedi as emotionless, cloistered monks who didn't believe in love, when in fact they actively encouraged relationships and raising children (the Force is strong in Jedi families, after all). And don't get me started on his portrayal of General Anakin Skywalker. Turning one of the most likeable, relatable and charismatic Jedi into a petulant, entitled egotist with creepy stalker tendencies was just weird. Hell, he couldn't even get the details of Padme Skywalker's death right. Recovered Republic archives clearly state her daughter Leia was four years old when she died (around the same time children begin to retain memories). And the vehicles...what even were those? Venators? ARC-170s? AT-TEs? I've never even heard of them. Where were the Victory-class Star Destroyers, the Dreadnoughts, the T.I.E. Fighters, the AT-PTs? Clearly the man has never consulted a technical holo-encyclopedia of Clone Wars vehicles in his life.

[@willmungas8964]

Watch the Clone Wars show though lol possibly the singular best Star Wars content in existence besides the OT

[@fyllingenoy131]

That POV shot at 20:59 is so odd-looking. It looks like something you'd see in a war movie directed by Wes Anderson.

[@Yourmomma568]

pearl harbor was bad. i had a hard time paying attention and parts of it made me cringe. the last samurai was a good movie, even if inaccurate. (good imo btw)

[@Hoplophile1]

Doolittle's raid on Tokyo used B-25s, not B-17s.