I love this movie, but the original released in 1976 was close to four hours long. The abridged version, which is the only version available, cuts out Matt Garth's relationship with his girlfriend, the entire Coral Sea campaign and other side plots. Still, it tells the story of that fateful battle quite well.

I've loved this movie ever since my Dad brought me to see it at a theater in 1976 (when I was nine)!This movie is literally a 'who's-who' of great American and Japanese stars and super-stars, such as Charlton Heston; Henry Fonda; James Coburn; Hal Holbrook; Glenn Ford; Toshiro Mifune; Pat Morita; Robert Mitchum; Cliff Robertson; Robert Webber; Robert Wagner; James Shigeta; John Fujioka; Robert Ito...and, many more.I love this movie, and, I love how actual World War 2 footage is inserted into the film to add to the scenes. Yes, ha-ha!:D Sometimes, a certain type of plane is shown, and, in the next scene, it suddenly becomes another type of plane; but, who cares, the movie is great! The black-and-white scenes at the beginning of the movie are from "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" (1944) with Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson, and, Robert Mitchum (also in this movie). And...of course, a love story (a controversial love story for this period) is fitted into the movie, as in almost every other war movie ever made.A lot of people 'bash' this movie, but, I happen to love it; and, any and every library and collection of war movies isn't complete without this! :)

If You are Young and not that Familiar with the Stock WWII Footage that was used in this Film for that "The way it was." Feel, this Might be a Somewhat Satisfying Entertainment and a Primer for the Important Naval Battle. You also have to be a Youngster and New to Movies to Gloss Over the Bad Acting and Dialog and the Cartoonish Presentation of the Non-Battle Scenes and the Battle Scenes that were Lifted from Numerous Other Movies.Problem is that the Non-Battle Scenes are So Bad that Wading through the Waves of Anachronistic Haircuts and Over the Hill Actors Paraded Out for a Scene or Two do Nothing but make the Whole Exercise Quite Laborious.This is a Bomb. A Misfire. It is a Bad Production with Clunky Intertwines and Confusing Scenes of Aircraft and Flattops Floating and Flying Around with Hardly a Hint at their Position and what it All Means. Despite the Laughable On Screen Titles like...such and such Airplane, 30 Miles from such and such Ship. Even the Filmmakers Knew that None of this made much Sense to the Audience and so They Literally had to Spell it Out.Listing the All-Star Cast is Futile (some are only on screen for half a heartbeat and others like Glenn Ford just stare out a window), but Suffice to Say that Charlton Heston and Crew All Look Bored and Firmly Planted in the 1970's not the 1940's both in Style and Script.

As many others have stated, the flaws in this film are many. There is the unnecessary subplot of an American aviator and his interned Japanese/American girlfriend, which serves as nothing more than a gratuitous distraction. Limits in 1976 technology forced the use of cheap-looking special effects and recycled footage from other movies and war footage, often resulting in incorrect historical portrayals of the ships and aircraft present. Some historical plot details were omitted or glossed over entirely, mostly due to production and budget limits. And the acting was uneven, and in a few parts pretty bad, and sometimes failed to realistically portray a few figures.But there are few war movies that can generate as much excitement in me to this day like this one. I first saw this movie as a two-part NBC Movie of the Week when I was ten years old and instantly developed a passion for the Battle of Midway and WWII military history in general. The climatic scene of the dive bombers pounding the Japanese carriers into wrecks still gives me goosebumps thirty-five years later, as does the horror of watching a young fighter pilot nearly burn to death in his plane. The John Williams score was fantastic, as it was in many movies, and kept the sense of drama on the edge. And for me, the standout performances were by Henry Fonda as Admiral Nimitz, Glenn Ford as Admiral Spruance, and James Shigeta as Admiral Nagumo. Fonda brought to life Nimitz's cool but tough demeanor, and his willingness to take calculated risks based on his intelligence sources, rather than play it safe and guard what he has left. Ford played Spruance well as a calm, cerebral admiral that plays by his own instincts rather than the way the man he replaced (Halsey) would've played it. And I enjoyed Shigeta's portrayal of Nagumo as a leader who, despite his perceived material superiority, is wary of the lack of intelligence and communication regarding the whereabouts of the American fleet, and the uncertainty of what really may be waiting for his carriers as he undertakes his mission.It's real easy to pick apart the historical details of this movie, especially given more recent information and sources that weren't available back in 1976. But even allowing for that, the movie stays mostly true to history. And to those who aren't looking to nitpick details and just want to enjoy the story being told, there's more than enough "wow" in this movie even almost forty years later. I would recommend it as a primer for young kids (but not too young, there is some blood, language, and tense scenes) with an interest in military and WWII history that hasn't yet researched more comprehensive works written like Walter Lord's Incredible Victory, Gordon Prange's Miracle at Midway, and Anthony Tully/Jonathan Parshall's Shattered Sword.I would like to see Hollywood do another adaptation of the battle of Midway someday, but am fearful of them turning it turning into another Pearl Harbor, or becoming a political statement rather than the retelling of an incredible true story. Until that day comes, this one will have to do. And it does surprisingly well, if you can tolerate the flaws and just enjoy the show.