New On Video: 'Pearl Harbor'

'Pearl Harbor' -- 60th Anniversary Commemorative Edition (PG-13)

No matter how you felt about the film during its theatrical release, there's no question that seeing "Pearl Harbor" for the second time on video will jolt you into viewing it from an entirely different perspective.

Sure, the film was over-dramatized with a "Titanic"-size love story element that nearly sinks it, but the sense of what it must have felt like when Pearl Harbor was under attack 60 years ago is greater realized in light of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 on New York and Washington.

Love story aside, the actual depiction of the attack on Pearl Harbor is certain to make viewers come away from this film with an even greater respect for the men and women who endured the horror of Dec. 7, 1941.

Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett star as longtime friends Rafe and Danny, two young pilots facing the uncertainties of a country on the verge of war.

A dim-bulb by nature, Rafe's boyish innocence attracts military nurse Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale), and a romance blooms. But when Rafe's plane crashes during a hellish overseas assignment and he is presumed dead, Danny and Evelyn find comfort in each other's arms. But when Rafe surprisingly turns up in Hawaii on Dec. 6, 1941, the three star-crossed lovers suddenly find themselves on a collision course with destiny.

Obviously, "Pearl Harbor" comes off as a "Titanic" wannabe, and post-Sept. 11 it also makes it all the more shameful that one of the darkest days in history would be used as a backdrop to tell a love story. I can't imagine somebody trying to do the same -- not in 60 years, not ever -- to use the events of Sept. 11 to tell a similar story. That's one war Hollywood simply will never win.

The attack on Pearl Harbor itself -- which doesn't come until 90 minutes into the film -- comes off as a mixed bag. There's no question that the warplane visuals are spectacular, and the sinking of the USS Arizona is heart wrenching.

However, a true lack of reality is essentially killed by the movie's PG-13 rating. Since filmmakers Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer were obviously gunning for the teenage girl "Titanic" demographic, the graphic depiction of war falls victim to a sickly sweet script. It really could have used a "Saving Private Ryan" jolt of reality to get its point across better.

No matter the rating, filmmakers are always entering dangerous territory when they mix fictional characters with real-life historical figures to tell a fact-based story--especially when the first 40 minutes of the film emphasize the fictional love triangle -- and only afterward delve into the impending invasion of the Japanese (and little time dedicated to the explanation of why).

While some of the roles in "Pearl Harbor" are hokey and clich?d, inspired performances by the likes of Jon Voight (as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt) help things along. Hartnett, Beckinsale and Affleck are all solid as the romantic leads, but the guys' turns as war pilots come off as too "Top Gun" -- and their heroics are overblown.

In the end, "Pearl Harbor" comes off as an entertaining film. However, the question is, should the event be used as a form of entertainment, with a smaller emphasis on informing its public about the real event?

At least the DVD version of film reconciles that misgiving with its special feature documentaries. Interviews with real Pearl Harbor survivors in "Journey to the Screen: The Making of 'Pearl Harbor'" give it the heart the film sorely needs, and juxtaposed with a chronicle on the making of the film, makes it fascinating to watch.

Smartly, the DVD producers chose to include the History Channel documentary "Unsung Heroes" on the double-disc set. It's a brilliantly-produced tribute to the men and women who lived through or died in the event, and its footage of the era makes it clear that at least Bruckheimer and Bay studied hard to ensure the look of their theatrical version.

Also included on the DVD is Faith Hill video "There You'll Be." Naturally, it emphasizes the love story footage from the movie, and it is indeed a beautifully inspired song. It's a shoo-in for the best original song category come Oscar time.

Also New:

"Made" (R)

"Swingers" stars Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn teamed again for Favreau's writing and directorial debut "Made," a mob comedy that comes off too often as overdone.

Favreau and Vaughn play Bobby and Ricky, two small-time hoods in Los Angeles who get a temporary assignment from their mob boss Max (Peter Falk) to become mafia "muscle" for a job in New York. However, Ricky's incessant need to be a mob big shot puts them at odds with a rival mob boss and puts the duo in danger.

There's no question "Made" has its share of amusing moments, but the relentless stupidity of Vaughn's goon-bah character quickly becomes caricature, and very annoying. Favreau adds a nice familial element to the film, however, that adds dimension, and Falk shines as a curmudgeon mob boss who has it in for Ricky, as does Sean "Puffy" Combs in a strong bad guy turn.

Favreau and Vaughn turn the DVD version of "Made" into a game of sorts, by using an action telestrator on one of its commentary tracks. It gives a football feel to the movie, and comes off as a unique way to further highlight the film. The disc's deleted scenes are naturally hilarious, even if the numerous takes they botch tries your patience. Three making-of documentaries are also featured on the disc.

"Untitled: Almost Famous Bootleg Cut" (R)

One of the best films of 2000 has gotten even better.

Although Cameron Crowe's youthful foray into rock journalism has been enhanced by adding 35 minutes onto his original theatrical version of "Almost Famous," it?s the commentary track on "Untitled" (his original title for the film) that truly makes the film worth another spin on DVD.

That's because Crowe is joined by his mother, Alice (Read the @ The Movies interview), for the tracks, and with it comes a refreshing take on the filmmaking process from the person, no less, that Frances McDormand's mother character is based on. But as close a relationship that she and Cameron share, it's fun to see how he reveals certain elements of his life to her for the first time while watching the film.

From the packaging to the grainy look of the DVD interface, "Untitled" allows for a greater depth of character, on film and in real life. Featured is interview footage with Crowe's mentor Lester Bangs (brilliantly played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman in the film), and Crowe's musical journal, through his top album picks of 1973 (the year the film takes place).

Disc two features the original theatrical version, as well as the fictional band in the film, Stillwater, in concert in Cleveland. Crowe did his best to make the band as real as possible, even including a six-song CD of Stillwater songs in the packaging. Led by Billy Crudup and Jason Lee, they're not too shabby for a group that literally came together for the making of the film.