The career of Pope of Judgment Roland Emmerich (“Independence Day”, “The Day After Tomorrow”) has been stagnating for several years. His science fiction blockbuster ‘Moonfall’, which appeared in cinemas last year, was also an outright failure: not only were the reviews weak, but the box office result was also more than acceptable.
Before ‘Moonfall’, Roland Emmerich took on the Second World War with ‘Midway – For Freedom’ and did not exactly create general enthusiasm. We are still very impressed by the war action, which is broadcast today, September 18 at 10:15 PM, without commercials on ZDF. In any case, the Swabian Spielbergle once again places all its cards on spectacle. If you like Emmerich exactly for that reason, you will also get value for your money here.
However, if you prefer to watch the film in its original English version or without commercial interruptions, you can easily switch to online retailers such as Amazon. There you can buy “Midway” on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K.
That’s what ‘Midway’ is about
Midway Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean consists of a ring-shaped coral reef almost six miles in diameter, two main islands and several small islets. Midway was discovered in 1859 and annexed by the United States eight years later. The islands got their name because they are located approximately in the middle of the sea route between California and Tokyo, making them the perfect stopping point for merchant ships.
However, the atoll only became world famous thanks to the air and sea battle between American and Japanese forces that raged here from June 4 to 7, 1942. After Japanese naval aviators surprisingly attacked the US Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the US also became involved in World War II. Supreme Commander Admiral Nimitz (Woody Harrelson) sends his best pilots to stop the numerically superior enemy…
“Pearl Harbour” by Roland Emmerich
From the outset, Roland Emmerich and lead cinematographer Robby Baumgartner set the tone for the direction in which “Midway” will develop over the course of its 140-minute running time: The attack on Pearl Harbor, which opens the film, overwhelms the viewer with a barrage of brutal actionwhich nevertheless makes tangible the traumatic basis of US participation in the war.
What is also certain after this opening: Where it says Emmerich, it says Emmerich. Flashing pathos and thunderous action continually go hand in hand in ‘Midway’, resulting in both spectacular performances but also reveals unbroken patriotism and heroism, which is often deeply disturbing in this country. At least Roland Emmerich avoids portraying the Japanese as faceless monsters. He probably learned something from his historical epic ‘The Patriot’, in which the British were absolutely evil.
In the official FILMSTARTS review, in which “Midway” received no less than 3 out of 5 stars, author Oliver Kube concludes: “Despite thick layers of pathos and a not entirely convincing hero, there is never a dull moment in Roland Emmerich’s lavishly staged Second World War spectacle.”
So if you’re hoping for a thoroughly charismatic, compellingly portrayed hero, you’ve come to the wrong place with Ed Skrein’s pilot Dick Best. That’s a shame, but not a particularly big problem, because ultimately Emmerich is only interested in one thing: bombast in abundance. The criticism is: “The detailed, turbulent, but never overloaded battle scenes are a lot of fun, at least for action junkies.”