Midway Dvd

Midway is a 2019 American epic war film about the Battle of Midway, a turning point in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Directed by Roland Emmerich, who produced the film with Harald Kloser, it is written by Wes Tooke. The film features an ensemble cast, including Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Luke Evans, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Dennis Quaid, Tadanobu Asano, and Woody Harrelson.

A passion project of Emmerich’s, he had trouble getting financial support for the film before finally fundraising most of the budget and officially announcing it in 2017. Much of the cast joined in summer 2018, and filming began in Hawaii that September, also taking place in Montreal. With a production budget of $100 million, it is one of the most expensive independent films of all time.

Midway was theatrically released by Lionsgate in the United States on November 8, 2019. It received mixed reviews from critics; while it was praised for its visual effects and historical accuracy, its screenplay and tone were subject to criticism. The film opened at 1 in the United States and grossed $125 million worldwide.

Plot

In December 1937 in Tokyo, US Naval attaché intelligence officer Lieutenant Commander Edwin T. Layton and his counterpart are discussing the US and Japanese positions in the Pacific Ocean during a state function. Layton is warned by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto that if the Japanese oil supply is threatened by the US, the Japanese will take immediate action. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese use their carrier fleet to strike at Pearl Harbor. The attack leads the US to enter World War II. Naval aviator Lieutenant Dick Best and the Air Group (CAG) of the carrier Enterprise fail to find the Japanese carrier fleet, exacerbating his rivalry with his commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Eugene E. Lindsey.

The Attack on Pearl Harbor (December 1941) seriously damages the US Pacific Fleet, but left the base still operational for forward fleet actions, the Marshalls-Gilberts raids (February 1942), Doolittle Raid (April 1942), and the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 1942). It finally describes the planning for the Battle of Midway (June 1942), depicting the creation of a complicated battle plan. Admiral Yamamoto and Nagumo outline a complicated battle plan to strike Midway using the four available carriers of the Kido Butai. Joseph Rochefort and his cryptology team begin intercepting messages concerning a location the Japanese identify as “AF”. Layton speaks with Admiral Chester Nimitz, who informs him that Washington believes “AF” to be a target in the South Pacific. Layton disagrees, believing the intended target to be Midway Atoll.

After meeting with Rochefort, Nimitz instructs the team to find a way to definitively prove that “AF” is Midway. After Layton instructs Midway to telegraph in the clear (unencrypted) that they are suffering a water shortage, cryptologists working for Rochefort intercept Japanese communications concerning water shortages on “AF”, confirming that “AF” is indeed Midway. In preparation for an ambush of the Japanese fleet, Nimitz orders carriers Hornet and Enterprise recalled from the Coral Sea and demands that the damaged Yorktown be made ready for combat operations. The gamble pays off and all four of the Japanese carriers are destroyed in the battle of Midway. During the battle, Best suffers from respiratory issues including coughing up blood, but is awarded the Navy Cross and became one of two pilots to hit multiple carriers in a single day.

On June 4, the Japanese launch an air attack against Midway. Initial attempts by US land-based aircraft to strike at the Japanese fleet carriers fail. A crashing Martin B-26 Marauder narrowly misses striking a carrier’s bridge. A shaken Minoru Genda asks if the aircraft was attempting a suicide ramming, although an uncertain Nagumo nervously suggests that the plane was out of control due to battle damage. Nautilus, a US submarine attacks an enemy carrier but the torpedo misses its target. Torpedo Squadrons from the American carriers attempt to attack the Japanese Carrier Force but are all shot down and not a single torpedo scores a hit. The destroyer Arashi keeps the submarine pinned down so that the carriers can escape. Upon spotting the Arashi, the Commander of the Air Group (CAG) of the Enterprise, C. Wade McClusky, correctly infers the Japanese destroyer is rushing back to the main Japanese fleet and leads his planes to follow its course. Anti-aircraft fire from ships and Japanese planes combined with evasive maneuvers keep the carriers safe. However, the attacks keep the Japanese carriers off balance and unable to prepare and launch their own counterstrike. Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi orders Nagumo to launch his strike as soon as he can. On the Akagi, Nagumo experiences hard knocks while being tossed about the carrier as the bombs drop in the water around his flagship. The buffeting he encounters during the bombing, as well as the destruction of two of his other carriers demoralises him, before Best scores a direct hit on the Akagi. With his own ship in flames, Nagumo goes into a state of shock and is reluctant to transfer his flag but is persuaded by Genda. Admiral Yamaguchi and the captain of the Hiryu go down with the ship. Hiryu is then scuttled.

In Pearl Harbor, Rochefort intercepts the Japanese order to withdraw and passes it to Layton, who then informs Nimitz and his elated staff.

Cast

Allies
Actor Role Notes
Ed Skrein Lieutenant Richard “Dick” Best Executive officer, Bombing Squadron Six, USS Enterprise
Patrick Wilson Lieutenant Commander Edwin T. Layton Intelligence officer, US Pacific Fleet
Luke Evans Lieutenant Commander Wade McClusky Air group commander, USS Enterprise
Aaron Eckhart Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle USAAF flight commander, embarked on USS Hornet|CV-8|6}}
Nick Jonas Aviation Machinist’s Mate Bruno Gaido Aviation crew, USS Enterprise
Woody Harrelson Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Commander-in-chief, US Pacific Fleet
Dennis Quaid Vice Admiral William “Bull” Halsey Commander, Carrier Division Two
Darren Criss Lieutenant Commander Eugene Lindsey Commander, Torpedo Squadron 6, USS Enterprise
Jake Weber Rear Admiral Raymond A. Spruance Commander, Task Force 16
Brennan Brown Commander Joseph Rochefort Chief Cryptanalyst, Fleet Radio Unit Pacific
Alexander Ludwig Lieutenant Roy Pearce Watch officer, USS Arizona
David Hewlett Admiral Husband E. Kimmel Commander-in-chief, US Pacific Fleet
Keean Johnson Chief Aviation Radioman James Murray Radio operator, Bombing Squadron Six, USS Enterprise
Mark Rolston Admiral Ernest King Chief of Naval Operations
Luke Kleintank Lieutenant Clarence Earle Dickinson Pilot, Scouting Squadron 6, USS Enterprise
Brandon Sklenar Ensign George Gay Pilot, Torpedo Squadron 8, USS Hornet
Jake Manley Ensign Willie West[3] Pilot, Bombing Squadron 6, USS Enterprise
Eric Davis Captain Miles Browning Halsey’s chief of staff, USS Enterprise
Kenny Leu Zhu Xuesan Chinese school teacher, who visited the US in 1992
James Carpinello Lieutenant Commander William Brockman Captain, USS Nautilus
Russell Dennis Lewis Ensign Frank Woodrow O’Flaherty Pilot, Scouting Squadron 6, USS Enterprise
Jacob Blair 2nd Lieutenant Hank Potter USAAF flight navigator embarked on USS Hornet CV-8
James Hicks Lieutenant Junior Grade Edwin Kroeger Pilot, Bombing Squadron Six, USS Enterprise
Geoffrey Blake Commander John Ford Film director stationed at Midway Island on Special Duty
Japanese
Actor Role Notes
Tadanobu Asano Rear Admiral Tamon Yamaguchi Commander, 2nd Carrier Division
Etsushi Toyokawa Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto Commander-in-chief, Combined Fleet
Jun Kunimura Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo Commander, 1st Air Fleet (Kido Butai)
Peter Shinkoda Captain Minoru Genda Air Operations Officer, 1st Air Fleet
Nobuya Shimamoto Captain Tomeo Kaku Commanding Officer, Hiryū
Hiro Kanagawa Commander Isamu Fujita Commanding Officer, Makigumo
Ken Takikawa Lieutenant Takashi Moroishi Torpedo Officer (XO), Makigumo
Hiromoto Ida General Hideki Tojo Prime Minister of Japan
Hiroaki Shintani Emperor Hirohito Emperor of Japan
Ryuta Kato Japanese Junior Officer (Yamat) Junior Officer, Hiryū
Civilians
Actor Role Notes
Mandy Moore Anne Best Dick Best’s wife
Rachael Perrell Fosket Dagne Layton Edwin Layton’s wife
Dean Schaller Jack MacKenzie Ford’s cameraman
Christie Brooke Millicent McClusky Wade McClusky’s wife