Directed by: Michael Bay
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Ben Affleck, Jon Voight, Cuba Gooding Jr., Kate Beckinsale, Josh Hartnett, William Lee Scott
Stupidity: In the scene where the Japanese pilots are attacking the main airfield, at one point in the background, you can see a Bofors Anti-Aircraft gun, yet nobody bothers to use it.
Suggested correction: Maybe it doesn't have any ammo, or there is nobody around who actually knows how to use it. These things can happen in a surprise attack on what is basically a holiday resort.
Factual error: For some reason, Danny believes Rafe's story that he's been officially assigned to an RAF Eagle Squadron for "combat training." While almost 7,000 Americans did volunteer to fly for England before Pearl Harbor, these were either as civilians or Americans who joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. It was against the law for any citizen to fight for a belligerent power while America was neutral, so Rafe's superiors couldn't have ordered him to fight for Britain, and Danny would have known that.
Admiral Yamamoto: I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant.
Trivia: Despite the numerous historical errors and gaffs in the movie, the only historical "fact" the filmmakers managed to do research on (and admit to supposedly) is that they consulted bottle collectors on what types of bottles to use during the battle scenes to administer blood.
Question: The IMDb lists a cameo by Matt Damon during the attack sequence. Can someone point out exactly where he appears?
Answer: He is in the scene where the smaller air-base is being attacked by the Japanese. You have to look really closely but he is the driver of one of the jeeps right before the Japanese bomb drops (the one that seems to be a dud and then explodes). Also, Matt seems to be one of the gunners on one of the first ships at Pearl Harbor to return fire (this is not verified but in slo-mo, one of the gunners seems to be him).