Pearl Harbor

Play trailer

Pearl Harbor

PG-13

2001

3h 3m

History

Drama

War

Action

Romance

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

24%

Tomatometer

195 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

This sweeping drama, based on real historical events, follows American boyhood friends Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) as they enter World War II as pilots. Rafe is so eager to take part in the war that he departs to fight in Europe alongside England's Royal Air Force. On the home front, his girlfriend, Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale), finds comfort in the arms of Danny. The three of them reunite in Hawaii just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Pearl Harbor tries to be the Titanic of war movies, but it's just a tedious romance filled with laughably bad dialogue. The 40 minute action sequence is spectacular though.

Read Critics Reviews

Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

May 28, 2014

Pearl Harbor is a blockheaded, hollow-hearted industrial enterprise.

Go to Full Review

Andrew Sarris

Observer

May 28, 2014

The best way to see the movie is as I did: expecting nothing and being pleasantly surprised, and strangely moved, by Mr. Bay's audacity in filming his lovers in end-of-the-world close-ups, however briefly.

Go to Full Review

Anthony Lane

The New Yorker

May 28, 2014

The effect of watching a Michael Bay film is indistinguishable from having a large, pointy lump of rock drop on your head. His new picture, Pearl Harbor, maintains the mood.

Go to Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

May 25, 2026

2.5/5

Pearl Harbor is a film of uneven ambitions that never quite reconciles its competing priorities.

Go to Full Review

Michael D. Reid

Victoria Times Colonist (B.C., Canada)

Apr 30, 2024

1.5/5

This formulaic three-hour opus seems to go on from here to eternity.

Go to Full Review

Sergi Sánchez

Fotogramas

Jun 22, 2022

2/5

'Pearl Harbor' effortlessly self-parodies itself. [Full review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Mitchell S

@Mitchstur 18 hrs ago

It's hard to feel for any of the main characters, but at least it's somewhat entertaining with its humor and tributes to the real life tragedy.

See more

Lucy T

@RT99539324 23 hrs ago

I came for the music, to hear it in context. The first half is a bit fragmented, but the score sometimes stays in the same key and holds it together, and once the bombing starts the film becomes far more captivating. Orchestra for honor, choir for the human side, drums as the heartbeat: the music suits the war genre well.

See more

John P

@Nimitz68 5 days ago

I have a degree in Military History and focus on Civil War times. Whether its Gettysburg, Gods & Generals, All Quiet, Pearl, Saving Private Ryan, Fury, etc.. etc.. there is a level of history mixed with entertainment. This type of movie allows your minds eye when reading what actually happened. Fictional, but who to say that something like this happened, at some point, to some fly boy and a nurse, somewhere. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, put into perspective the period. Sit and watch. Watch the other movies I have mentioned.. then, pickup a book about each period and then decide. How do you see the book... the stories.

See more

J K

@RT56851640 Oct 8, 2026

I love this movie..the romance ..the time it happened....all the creation of the planes making them like from the era......Kate so beautiful as always...the scenes about the war...I have watched it like 6 times in my life...I guess young people dont appreciate movies from 2000's .. And real history because that really happened ..to warriors who fought and died.

See more

Joe K

@JDK55 Oct 7, 2026

Good CGI scenes, but everything else was almost laughable.

See more

Tam B

@RT76976074 Sep 29, 2026

Decent classic film, it was enjoyable to watch and I liked the final twist at the end. Personally the film isn’t one I would watch again, more so as it’s not my typical genre. For those that love war films, this one is good. Would recommend as something to see

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Michael Bay

Director

Ben Affleck

Rafe McCawley

Josh Hartnett

Danny Walker

Kate Beckinsale

Evelyn Stewart

Cuba Gooding Jr.

Doris "Dorie" Miller

Tom Sizemore

Sgt. Earl Sistern

Enemy at the Gates

53%

82%

Enemy at the Gates

Watchlist

Black Hawk Down

77%

88%

Black Hawk Down

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Black Hawk Down

Hart's War

60%

48%

Hart's War

Watchlist

Regeneration

60%

76%

Regeneration

Watchlist

Jarhead

60%

68%

Jarhead

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Rank Michael Bay’s 10 Biggest Box Office Hits

Critical Consensus: "Transformers" About As Much As Meets The Eye

Kate Beckinsale as "Barbarella"?

View more photos

Synopsis

This sweeping drama, based on real historical events, follows American boyhood friends Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Hartnett) as they enter World War II as pilots. Rafe is so eager to take part in the war that he departs to fight in Europe alongside England's Royal Air Force. On the home front, his girlfriend, Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale), finds comfort in the arms of Danny. The three of them reunite in Hawaii just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Director: Michael Bay
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Distributor: Buena Vista Home Video (BVHV), Touchstone Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Rating: PG-13 (Images of Wound|Brief Sensuality|Intense War Sequences|Some Language)
Genre: History, Drama, War, Action, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 25, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 23, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $198.5M
Runtime: 3h 3m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings