Forty minutes of dazzling special effects punctuate the-three hour story of two young guys - pretty boy Rafe (Ben Affleck) and his scruffy best friend Danny (Josh Hartnett) - and their love lives as they go off to join the war.

The childhood friends must face difficult decisions when they both fall for the same girl and realise that their love triangle dilemmas are not their only struggles in the quest for manhood.

Life on Pearl Harbor looks fun, with hula skirts and flowing beer, until the Japanese bust the party.

When the bombs drop the nurses who had previously been concerned with the colour of their nails come into their own and clear the field, saving lives whilst endangering their own.

The soldiers and civilians demonstrate courage and respect for human life amidst a three-hour-long terrifying raid on officers and their families. Altogether, over 3,000 people died.

Pearl Harbor seems to be a concoction of all the best bits from Titanic and Saving Private Ryan - perhaps without as much of the genuine intent to show human suffering and bravery.

Affleck plays Rafe, 'a slow reader' but damn, doesn't he look good in uniform?

This role is a challenge for a very talented actor. The depth and integrity of his part is played beautifully and the love story is where he's at his best.

Pearl Harbor is a good-looking film. When the planes whoosh by we can almost feel the wind. When the bombs drop, we feel the shudder.

And when loveable supporting characters get blown to bits, it's hard to suppress the waterworks.

Historians ripped this movie to shreds. References to Nagasaki and Hiroshima are conveniently missing, as is some information that has recently come to light - that American authorities possibly had prior knowledge of the Japanese bombing raid.

This film took a beating from the critics but taken not as a historical document but as a piece of Hollywood entertainment, it can be enjoyed on many levels.

Natalie Stone