This film is another missed opportunity.Dreyfus's performance as a pilot who everybody loves for his lively persona and humor (during his living version at least) is delightful .He incarnates convincingly one of the most likable characters you can encounter in a movie.His popularity is exposed and manifested carefully until it reaches the absolute climax.And then we have the major twist of the movie and of course Spielberg has to ruin what he so carefully achieved by leaning towards the melodramatic as he almost always does .The easy predictable solution that compromised the quality of even the would be masterpiece "Shindler's List" reducing it to a two thirds worthwhile experience and almost totally ruined "Empire of the sun" again haunts this effort.Spielberg has and seeks for no excuses.His approach is the easy commercial one and it is made consciously.But for the thinking viewer it is another let down.Of course the film was not meant to be an epic and many would argue that as a light drama it fulfills some basic expectations .Still, after a flying start and a near perfect first half you expect much more and the disappointment for the soap opera that follows is great . A movie is supposed to be watched throughout .More realism and less dramatic pretension and supernatural interventions would have benefited this film greatly.Parts of Spielberg films are to be included in the very best in cinematic history.This film has its share of very good "light" moments.But as a total it is definitely average at best.And it hurts to admit that once again another of the films that include one of my favorite first halves has to be rated as low as any other mediocre film.Worth your while only if you are prepared to be lifted high only to be thrown down again.Without a parachute...5.5/10
