I've been an avid war movie junkie since I was but a wee boy. I still am. Lately I've revisited one of my favorites. Midway. I have seen this movie countless times on TV but recently picked up a DVD copy of the special edition. I have previously spotted several flaws in the film but forgave them since there is only so much real combat footage to be had and the movie does blend it rather well, rather well for 1976 anyway. However as I viewed it late one night I spotted a rather troubling image! An SBD(dive bomber dauntless) was attacking a Japanese carrier( I don't remember which one and it doesn't really matter) which opened fire on the diving aircraft. When the scene switched back to the plane it was a German twin engine BF-110! I am serious, I had to pause the footage and slowly rewind it frame by frame to be sure. I am sure. The footage clearly shows a twin engine plane exploding, frame after frame the image develops in which you can see one of the engines blowing off the wing and then a black cross(swasitka) on the opposite wing. The scene changes suddenly and the plane is never shown again. Did the editors miss this or did they assume the public was too ignorant to spot it? Either way this is a terrible blunder. A German plane at Midway attacking a Japanese carrier!? Wow! Beyond this the acting and dialog is as other reviewers have stated, dreadful! The extra scenes made for the TV release as well as a VERY SHORT docu with Charleton Heston add little to the original release. Honestly, I like Charlrton Heston but I'm not sure why. His acting is always the same. Bad. Still there is a draw to him. There are a number of early acting cameos by Erik Estrada, Robert Wagner and the like which are very entertaining after so many years(almost 30). The overall history reproduction is good with the good and bad luck shown clearly. This battle should have favored the Japanese but instead was the beginning of their demise in the Pacific. I still recommend this movie but watch closely for planes to change from SBD's to TBD's and so on as they mix and match real footage with models and props. An engrossing if flawed 1976 WW2 classic!
Review of Midway
