(May 31, 2001) — Ah summer, the time to sit back and enjoy all the movies studios have to offer. And what better way to start the season than with the latest from Jerry Bruckheimer. During any other year that statement would be completely ludicrous. But in 2001 the man behind such duds as “Armageddon” and “Gone in 60 Seconds” has finally come through with a winner. Despite a few stale performances, “Pearl Harbor” is a decent film that doesn’t glorify war and lets the love story come through. Ever since trailers for “Pearl Harbor” first appeared in theaters last year, action junkies have been salivating for this movie. And after seeing it for themselves those who thought this would be a non-stop, rock-em, sock-em thrill ride with Ben Affleck blowing away Japanese fighters left and right will be both surprised and disappointed. This is not Bruckheimer’s norm since it actually has a solid plot and characters we are able to care about. Going for that “Titanic” theme of love-can-triumph- through-a-tremendous-disaster, fighter pilot Rafe (Ben Affleck) falls in love with army nurse Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale). Wanting to fight the Germans before America was officially involved in the war, Rafe joins the British Air Force. After a heated air battle, Rafe is shot down and presumed dead. Thinking her true love is gone forever, Evelyn begins a relationship with Rafe’s best friend Danny (Josh Hartnett) while they’re both stationed at Pearl Harbor. So when Rafe shows up in Hawaii, alive and well, you can be sure they’ll be some fireworks; and I don’t mean those caused by Japanese bombs. Affleck gives a formidable performance as a likeable guy the audience will surely be able to identify with. A bit clumsy while on the ground, Rafe becomes intensity incarnate when he gets behind the controls of a plane. Affleck pulls off these emotions very believably and shows both the romantic and action-oriented sides of his acting ability. However, the real performances to watch are those from “Pearl Harbor”’s many supporting players. All of this film’s below title names, which include Dan Aykroyd, Jon Voight, Alec Baldwin and Tom Sizemore, show some marvelous acting. But the greatest sight to behold is that of Cuba Gooding, Jr. as real-life Pearl Harbor hero, Dorie Miller. Gooding makes the absolute best out of the much-too-little screen time he is given and delivers the film’s most inspiring performance. The only thing that brings down “Pearl Harbor” is Josh Hartnett. His acting job is not worthy of much more than your run-of-the-mill teen flick. A stale performance at best, Hartnett’s ability to evoke believable emotion is dwarfed by the massive amount of real talent he’s surrounded by throughout the film. The biggest fear surrounding this movie was that the special effects would overshadow the rest of the movie. Fortunately this does not happen in “Pearl Harbor.” The largest display of technical wizardy occurs during the actual attack on the Hawaiian naval base; which does not happen until about halfway through the film. This allows us to get to know all the characters and their problems before the flashy effects show begins. A delay of explosions greatly enhances the film’s “real movie” status. So if you go see “Pearl Harbor” expecting an adrenaline-pumping, edge-of-your-seat roller coaster ride, you’ll have to sit back for 90 minutes while an actual movie plays out. And despite Hartnett going belly-up for most of that time, “Pearl Harbor” is what real summer blockbusters are made of. “Pearl Harbor” is currently playing at theaters everywhere. Rated PG-13 for action violence and language.