Sorry everybody, but I saw the film yesterday and I enjoyed it, as much as one can enjoy seeing mass destruction, anyway. I did leave with a sense of awe over the devastation.
The attack WAS early in the morning in the film. Most of the sailors were in their bunks in the ships; the Cuba Gooding character was serving breakfast. The main characters were just waking up.
The Japanese Admiral(?) wasn't really keen on the idea of war with the US, but saw it as the only way. I honestly don't know what was going through the minds of the Japanese as they planned the real attack - who does? So no, they Japanese were not portrayed as bloodthirsty menaces just out to kill Americans for no reason - does that make it unrealistically PC?
I'll agree that FDR was "wimpy". I didn't care for that portrayal.
The love story was overly predictable, but they usually are - It's a MOVIE.
And of course, the Ben Affleck character runs around amid the bullets and doesn't get shot. Kinda like John Wayne. The hero (star) doesn't die. ITS A MOVIE.
I didn't go see it to get historical accuracy. I guess I had read enough about the movie to know that it was a love story set during Pearl Harbor, NOT a movie "about" Pearl Harbor, so I wasn't expecting anything more.
campfire