Spruced-up war flick shines on DVD

Pearl Harbor: The Director's Cut -- R
Starring: Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale
Directed by: Michael Bay Director Michael Bay's ambitious World War II epic "Pearl Harbor" came under a hail of critical fire upon its release last Memorial Day. In wake of Sept. 11 and a new DVD-exclusive Director's Cut of the film, "Pearl Harbor" wears its earnestness much better than it did a little over a year ago. Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett headline the flick as lifelong friends Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker. As the two enter adulthood with war approaching they join the armed forces as Naval pilots and inevitably fall in love with the same fetching nurse, Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale). Personal struggles set a precursor to the devastation yet to come, and it's during the inevitable Pearl Harbor attack that the film really finds its legs. Without a doubt, this sequence is the centerpiece of "Pearl Harbor," and is executed brilliantly -- even more so now that ample amounts of carnage are reinserted to establish a sense of grittiness and realism that the film originally lacked. In addition to Bay's cut of "Pearl Harbor," which takes up two discs of the four-disc set, viewers are treated to a plethora of extras. The film boasts three separate commentaries -- the first featuring Bay and film historian Jeanine Basinger, the second featuring Affleck, Hartnett, Alec Baldwin (who portrays the great Jimmy Doolittle) and über-producer Jerry Bruckheimer and the third featuring cinematographer John Schwartzman, production designer Nigel Phelps, costume designer Michael Kaplan, supervising art director Martin Laing and composer Hans Zimmer. Bay's commentary is the strongest with he and Basinger taking a moment to draw parallels between Sept. 11 and Dec. 7, 1941. Affleck and Hartnett spice-up their commentary with a healthy dose of surprising humor, and the final commentary track gives listeners real insight into the film's production. Other extras include two documentaries from The History Channel, animatics of the film's numerous action sequences and hours of behind the scenes "Making Of" features. "Pearl Harbor" may be a somewhat flawed film (melodramatic much?), but it sets a new precedent in DVD technology. Never before has a disc delved so far into the making of a film. Drawbacks and all, "Pearl Harbor" is worth the greenbacks.