8. Attack On Pearl Harbour (Tora! Tora! Tora!)
20th Century FoxMichael Bay may have attempted to capture the chaos and surprise of the Japanese pre-emptive strike on the U.S Hawaiian military base of Pearl Harbour but it was the older, less CGI-filled Tora! Tora! Tora! which did a far better job of producing an epic battle scene. The 1970 films title literally translates as Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! conveying the speed and incredible cunning with which the Japanese launched their attack. Divided into two separate American and Japanese productions, the film gives a surprisingly objective presentation of the events which would trigger the United States entry into WWII we are told that American arrogance is in-part to blame for why the attack on Pearl Harbour came as such a great surprise. The film uses full-scale replicas of American planes and the fleet which would prove so effective that it would be honoured with the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. The battle sequence is unforgettable with no added soundtrack to heighten the gritty tension and artlessness of warfare. Tora! Tora! Tora! makes it clear how vulnerable the U.S military base was as Japanese planes swoop down and attack and why the event was such an embarrassment to President Roosevelt and the U.S.A .