I'm a big fan of classic movies, but Wake Island is one of those buddy-buddy wartime films that doesn't quite fall into place for me. At the onset we're treated to a cast of M.A.S.H.-like characters with their pranks and foibles and stereotyped personalities, and the rest of the movie is basically combat. True to its age, Wake Island doesn't show any of the realism in warfare - typically we see the dirt get shot several feet in front of the actor and then the actor falls over - and we are treated to the overdone jingoism of the time. They've chosen the most uncharismatic actors to portray the Japanese and dress them up rather ridiculously. The actual history of the event is grossly misportrayed.
Make no mistake, this is an entertaining hour and a half to be sure. But while the story is interesting and the acting is more than capable, this film could have benefited from twenty minutes more of character development and twenty minutes less of explosions. Though nominated for Best Picture, that award rightly went to The Magnificent Ambersons.
Make no mistake, this is an entertaining hour and a half to be sure. But while the story is interesting and the acting is more than capable, this film could have benefited from twenty minutes more of character development and twenty minutes less of explosions. Though nominated for Best Picture, that award rightly went to The Magnificent Ambersons.