10 Most Intense Aerial Dogfights In War Movies

The Michael Bay-helmed feature was derided for being incredibly historically inaccurate and was bogged down by romantic melodrama that did nothing to elevate the film nor humanize its characters. It can be argued that Bay's...unconventional sensibilities were not an appropriate fit for the film's somber subject matter but he did bring his signature ''Bayhem'' to the battle scenes.

Following the fateful attack, the US Pacific Fleet mounts a desperate response to save whatever remains from the attack. This leads to American servicemen taking to the skies in an intense scene that gives Bay a chance to indulge in his signature explosive excess. The dogfight trades wide shots and sparse editing for close-ups of the actors and quick cutting that places the viewer in the chaotic and confusing state that the servicemen endured that fateful day.

The set piece is further aided by Hans Zimmer's propulsive score and the shots having a sense of continuity and clarity rarely seen in films directed by Bay. It is unfortunate that the film's narrative and fact-based elements did not match up to its technical wizardry.