Two words: Um. Yeah. Two more words: Don't bother.

Look, I'm all for classic war movies, and Wake Island just ain't one of 'em. Now, I understand the need for a little artistic license, especially in the name of much-needed (and wanted) wartime propaganda flicks. I'm not against that. But there's a line.

First of all, let me point you here, to an historical account of the Battle of Wake Island. Back already? OK.

So maybe Wake Island the movie just embellished the facts a little. OK, a lot. I can give you that.

What I can't give this movie is a good rating based on that alone. With a barely-capable cast barely reciting badly written dialog that sounds like it belongs in some bad kids TV show, this goes on my list of war movie lemons.

Oh, and don't get me started on the special effects. Special in that short-bus kind of way. No care was taken to even pretend to get any kind of continuity. Shots of one plane, turn to shots of a different plane, or even some bi-plane! Eeek!

In short, this thing was rushed out the door by the War Dept. in '42, and it shows. Having just seen such classics deserving the title such as "The Sands of Iwo Jima" and "Sergeant York," this was not a pleasant experience.

I'm stretching to give this one a three. Of ten. Only because at the time, I'm sure they all thought they were doing the right thing, the filmmakers I mean.

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