Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
(A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo' (directed by Mervyn LeRoy & based on a true story) is a stellar WWII drama told with patriotic integrity, thrilling action, & emotional catharsis. I was shocked by how much I was entertained; even despite the too-soft ending. The plot involves the secret retaliatory attack on Tokyo just 4 months short after Pearl Harbor was obliterated. It chronicles a group of Air Force fliers, all of them volunteers, who knew nothing of the mission ahead of them and blindly jumped into their B-25 bombers under the stern supervision of Lieutenant Col. James Doolittle (Spencer Tracy, in a rare supporting role). During extensive military training, the volunteers, led by Major Ted W. Lawson (Van Johnson), must take-off of large Navy aircraft carriers for the first time ever, jet across the Pacific Ocean for Japan disguised as Japanese planes, & drop some bombs on an unsuspecting Tokyo.
Of course, matters don't go as smoothly as one would have liked (or else ther'd be no movie, really). Ted Lawson's plane - nicknamed the "Ruptured Duck" - runs out of gas after the intense Tokyo attack and must crash land on China's jagged coastline close to (but not quite at) their safe haven; where the other American bombers await. From here on out, the story follows Lawson (now gravely injured), his comrades (including those played by young Robert Walker & young Robert Mitchum), their various post -crash issues, and their wives/girlfriends back home who worry, fret, & can't wait for their loved ones to (hopefully) return safe & sound.
I really, really dug this movie. Sure, it's a Rah-Rah patriotic WWII drama that paints the Americans as saintly, and the Japanese as mostly horrific. But the acting is excellent, the story is both informative & interesting (watching twin-engine bombers take-off from an aircraft carrier for the 1st time ever) and the detailed flight training/take-offs/trek across the ocean/air bombing scenes are absolutely spellbinding. I laid in bed clutching my pillow & blanket through most of these scenes; stunningly realized, creating optimal drama & suspense in tandem. I commend director Mervyn LeRoy, as well as his top-notch special effects team for blending live-action, footage of documentary-styled aerial sequences, & state-of-the-art (for the time) special effects to enhance the tension level of what we're seeing onscreen. Just, wow.
Van Johnson - very popular in the mid-1940s - anchors the film with both his inherent warmth & bravery in action as Major Ted Lawson. Phyllis Thaxter is very appealing as his sweet, loyal bride Ellen; who happens to be pregnant while Ted is away on the mission. Johnson & Thaxter's scenes together are both playful & tender. And Spencer Tracy is excellent in the small role of Doolittle (going small so that his friend Van Johnson could shine in the lead role). We seem him mostly in the beginning & very end of the film, but he makes a stoic, inspiring impression whenever he pops-up. Now, as I mentioned above the final 20 minutes or so go a bit soft (you know, 1940s Hollywood schmaltz). But the cinematography, winsome performances, & thrilling action sequences override any niggling issues. 'Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo' is sincere, entertaining, & honors the men who carried out this extremely dangerous mission.
Of course, matters don't go as smoothly as one would have liked (or else ther'd be no movie, really). Ted Lawson's plane - nicknamed the "Ruptured Duck" - runs out of gas after the intense Tokyo attack and must crash land on China's jagged coastline close to (but not quite at) their safe haven; where the other American bombers await. From here on out, the story follows Lawson (now gravely injured), his comrades (including those played by young Robert Walker & young Robert Mitchum), their various post -crash issues, and their wives/girlfriends back home who worry, fret, & can't wait for their loved ones to (hopefully) return safe & sound.
I really, really dug this movie. Sure, it's a Rah-Rah patriotic WWII drama that paints the Americans as saintly, and the Japanese as mostly horrific. But the acting is excellent, the story is both informative & interesting (watching twin-engine bombers take-off from an aircraft carrier for the 1st time ever) and the detailed flight training/take-offs/trek across the ocean/air bombing scenes are absolutely spellbinding. I laid in bed clutching my pillow & blanket through most of these scenes; stunningly realized, creating optimal drama & suspense in tandem. I commend director Mervyn LeRoy, as well as his top-notch special effects team for blending live-action, footage of documentary-styled aerial sequences, & state-of-the-art (for the time) special effects to enhance the tension level of what we're seeing onscreen. Just, wow.
Van Johnson - very popular in the mid-1940s - anchors the film with both his inherent warmth & bravery in action as Major Ted Lawson. Phyllis Thaxter is very appealing as his sweet, loyal bride Ellen; who happens to be pregnant while Ted is away on the mission. Johnson & Thaxter's scenes together are both playful & tender. And Spencer Tracy is excellent in the small role of Doolittle (going small so that his friend Van Johnson could shine in the lead role). We seem him mostly in the beginning & very end of the film, but he makes a stoic, inspiring impression whenever he pops-up. Now, as I mentioned above the final 20 minutes or so go a bit soft (you know, 1940s Hollywood schmaltz). But the cinematography, winsome performances, & thrilling action sequences override any niggling issues. 'Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo' is sincere, entertaining, & honors the men who carried out this extremely dangerous mission.