‘Midway’ is a surprisingly respectful depiction of the battle

Posted on November 15, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

Easily the biggest surprise of last weekend was director Roland Emmerich’s World War II epic, “Midway.” Emmerich, known for special effects-filled disaster blockbusters such as “2012” and “The Day After Tomorrow,” manages to put together a compelling look at one of the most pivotal battles of the Pacific Theatre.

I must admit a good bit of my trepidation over “Midway” was less about Emmerich himself but instead my memory of 2001’s “Pearl Harbor.” In that movie, Michael Bay tried to replicate the magic of “Titanic” by telling a fictional romance set within a major historical event. It didn’t work.

Fortunately, Emmerich and screenwriter Wes Tooke (“Colony”) forego fictional characters for representations of actual people who took part in the battle. The result is a lot more respectful and engaging than I expected.

Beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor, the film follows the sailors, pilots and officers who would all eventually play a role in the Battle of Midway. The wide-ranging cast includes Woody Harrelson (“Zombieland”), Dennis Quaid (“A Dog’s Journey”), Aaron Eckhart (“The Dark Knight”), Patrick Wilson (“Insidious”), Luke Evans (“Dracula Untold”), Ed Skrein (“Deadpool”)and Mandy Moore (“This Is Us”).

Subscribe to our e-Edition and read the rest of the story. Already a subscriber? Click here to sign in.