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Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

It takes a moment to change history. It takes love to change lives.

2001183 minPG-13Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Director
Michael Bay
Starring
Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, William Lee Scott

The lifelong friendship between Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker is put to the ultimate test when the two ace fighter pilots become entangled in a love triangle with beautiful Naval nurse Evelyn Johnson. But the rivalry between the friends-turned-foes is immediately put on hold when they find themselves at the center of Japan's devastating attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Pearl Harbor?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Pearl Harbor streaming on Disney+ and Netflix and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Pearl Harbor?

Pearl Harbor earns 12 badges, led by Oscar Winner and Spectacle.

Show 4 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Pearl Harbor worth watching?

Pearl Harbor's Midcredits score is the 55th percentile of all films, from 647K ratings across 6 sources. 52% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

55th percentile

Better received than 55% of films

70th percentile among Action52nd percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)53rd
Approval (how many liked it)55th

62 /100

53rd percentile of all films

70th percentile among Action53rd percentile among 2000s

Critics 44 · Audience 64

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.4 — solid but not unanimous.

52% liked it

55th percentile of all films

68th percentile among Action52nd percentile among 2000s
52% rated it 7–1048% rated it 1–6

Critics 24% · Audience 66%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

1 Oscars won · 3 Oscar noms · 12 wins / 50 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Sound Editing
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Effects, Visual Effects

98th percentile

647K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Action97th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 27% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$140M
Opening weekend$59M
Domestic gross$199M
Worldwide gross$449M

Returned 3.2× its budget — 96th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a big, glossy Hollywood spectacle that delivers a thrilling, effects-driven attack sequence but buries it under a melodramatic, clichéd love story.

Fans praised

  • Attack sequence is spectacular and immersive, with gripping CGI
  • Josh Hartnett's Danny and the brotherhood bond provide emotional core
  • Hans Zimmer's score adds grandeur and emotional weight

Detractors panned

  • Love triangle dominates with cheesy dialogue and no chemistry
  • Historical inaccuracies trivialize a real tragedy
  • Suffocatingly long at 3 hours, with excruciating pacing

What stands out

Effects and spectacle80

Stunning attack sequence with CGI

Sound and music75

Hans Zimmer's haunting score

ActingDivisive45

Wooden performances with no chemistry

Emotional impactDivisive35

Manipulative but doesn't feel earned

CharactersDivisive30

Cardboard, clichéd archetypes

Plot and storyDivisive30

Predictable love triangle saps historical weight

PacingDivisive25

Bloated runtime with slow romance

Dialogue15

Laughably cheesy, nausea-inducing lines

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 25 points higher than men.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Under-30s

Under-30s scored it 17 points higher than over-30s.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 19 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Pearl Harbor like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Big and sweeping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be swept up in something big.

It is intense and leaves you fired up. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Big and sweeping.

Moods
RomanticTenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Epic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.Romantic · 8% of filmsSolemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its love story and patriotic heroism with earnest grandeur, never undercutting the melodrama or the solemnity of the historical event.
The rideThe mood swings from romantic buildup to tense battle sequences, with the heaviest emotional weight in the late attack and its aftermath.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional beginning (romance setup), middle (attack), and end (retaliatory mission and resolution).

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Fired up.

Rousing · 10% of filmsBittersweetHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you stirred by American heroism and saddened by the loss of Danny, but ultimately uplifted by the new family formed in his memory.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

with Tragedy underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film follows a love triangle that fractures a friendship, then heals through shared sacrifice and war, culminating in a hopeful new family; the tragic arc of Danny's death underlies the rebirth.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRomanticlove
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsFriendship · 9% of filmsSacrifice · 4% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film intertwines a love triangle with the bonds of wartime friendship and the ultimate sacrifice for one's country and comrades.
StanceThe film celebrates the heroism and sacrifice of its characters within a historically significant event.

The world

Mid 20th centuryRuralInstitutionalUrban
Orchestral modernForeground music · original score · Hans Zimmer
SettingPre-World War II America, focus on Army Air Corps and Pearl Harbor naval base
MusicHans Zimmer's sweeping orchestral score underscores the romantic and epic scenes.

Content guide

Is Pearl Harbor okay for kids?

PG-13

Pearl Harbor is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for sustained intense war sequences, images of wounded, brief sensuality and some language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (89/100), sexual content at moderate (42/100), language at intense (60/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (37/100) and frightening material at severe (86/100). Overall it is heavier than 99% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 21 other countries
  • UK12
  • CanadaPG
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Ireland12PG
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil12
  • BGC
  • Czechia12+
  • Denmark11
  • Hungary12
  • ItalyT
  • Netherlands12
  • Poland12
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO12
  • Spain7
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland12
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 84% of all filmsHeavier than 99% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 99%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 79%
Profanity
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 90%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 75%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 98%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence, frightening material, and language.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Pearl Harbor have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Pearl Harbor?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Ben Affleck
as Rafe McCawley
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Josh Hartnett
as Danny Walker
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kate Beckinsale
as Evelyn Johnson
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
William Lee Scott
as Billy
Greg Zola
as Anthony Fusco
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Ewen Bremner
as Red
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Alec Baldwin
as Doolittle
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Jaime King
as Betty
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Catherine Kellner
as Barbara
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Jennifer Garner
as Sandra
newcomer then · star now

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Pearl Harbor?

Movies like Pearl Harbor include Dark Blue World (2001), We Were Soldiers (2002) and Rangoon (2017). Of the 12 closest matches, most are films set during World War II, and most are period dramas.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

9 of these 12 share its world: war epic. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Pearl Harbor?

813 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: war epic. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.