The Admiral (aka Isoroku Yamamoto, The Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet) [Blu-ray]

While I found this movie is very entertaining, and the CGI and music are excellent (for example, in a very touching scene in which Yamamoto salutes departing Zero fighter pilots he knows he is sending to their deaths while waving his cap), the movie takes a lot of liberties with history to create a quasi-hagiography of a 20th-Century figure for a 21st-Century Japan in need of a hero.According to historians, the scene in which Yamamoto salutes his departing flyers did actually happen when he was in command of Operation I-Go at Rabaul, and he did have a reputation for caring for his men on a micro level. His relationship with Admiral Yamaguchi Tamon was probably close to the way it was depicted, although Yamaguchi was significantly shorter and a lot less handsome (think guy who kind of looks like Mr. Potato-Head who works in the accounting department) than depicted.However, the movie airbrushes the huge strategic mistakes he made (for example by blaming Midway primarily on Nagumo, where it was Yamamoto who blundered on a grand scale by separating his forces in the first place and by severely underestimating U.S. capabilities), the atrocities committed by those under his command (such as the execution of captured American flyers at Midway and the general level of brutality used by all sides during the Pacific campaign), his actual political ambitions (which likely influenced his anti-war sentiments, since they would cause harm to his political foes in the Army) and various unsavory aspects of his personal life (his constant womanizing and his love for a geisha he kept in Japan, which caused his family life to be a lot less happy than is depicted). As others have remarked, the movie also takes significant liberties with the various historical events.All that said, I was very entertained by the movie, and the kernel of basic truth remained. Had Yamamoto's anti-war views triumphed, Japan could have avoided a great deal of bloodshed, but from the time Japan invaded China, war with the United States seemed foreordained.

Excellent movie about Yammamoto. However there were three DVD options, Blu Ray, regular, and Region 2. I assumed that the second option would be Region 1 but it is not. It can play on my laptop but the this was somewhat disappointing that the vendor did not specify that or eliminate that second option so theres no confusion. The region 1 or all region version probably is called Isoroku.

A beautifully filmed movie. The detail of the Japanese warships are nothing short than stunning. Bravo to the actor playing the admiral. Great performance. This movie portrays the personal side of Admiral Yamamoto and his struggle to avoid war with the USA. While I enjoyed the movie, I must caution that this is historical fiction. The sequence of events leading up to and including the Battle of Midway don't mesh with reality. Also the filmmakers took poetic license with the events surrounding Guadalcanal. That said, the movie does give you a glimpse into the Japanese viewpoint of the war. Four stars.

This biography of Adm. Yamamoto from a Japanese perspective provides considerable insight into the conflicts between Army and Navy leadership at the outbreak of World War II until the time of his death. although some might see it as a bit too reverent in style, it captures the essential conflict between duty and conscience that has made Adm. Yamamoto so admired a figure in both Japanese and American popular imaginations.

A view from the Japanese side of the career of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Gives details on his resistance to Japan joining the Axis and how he was promoted to command the combined fleet to keep him from being assassinated, The film is in Japanese with english subtitles. The transations are much more accurate than the ones for the movie Yamato were. There are war scenes, but this is not what I would call an action movie. If your a true student of WWII who wants to see a good biography on Yamamoto, then buy this. If you want an action war movie, then this is not for you.

The movie is about Admiral Yamamoto in WWII. Pretty good drama, but not sure how accurate the story is. The only minor issue I have is that Yamamoto was a short person (63") and the actor seems pretty tall...

Very good biographical movie on Yamamoto, and the period just prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Greatly acted although the CGI of the air battles makes them seem slightly cartoonish.Those who have studied the Pacific War will also notice the glaring errors at Midway. First the Japanese carriers dod not have a full deck of aircraft when they were hit by the dive bombers and second, there is no record of a Kamikaze attack on Saratoga.That aside, this was a great movie to watch.

I brought this because it sounded a intresting film , but im sad to report its not a film at all, its more documentary ,which im not a big fan of ,there's very little in the way of anything you could call cinematic , and because of its 'talky' structure it feels very leaden to watch . Thats a shame because its acted very well and the CGI is beautiful ,but very little of it.If you think Tora,Tora,Tora only made from the Japanese perspective ,but not so much action, than then thats about where this is. What i would like too see is this story told more from one of the 'little' people who took part in it rather than an all incompassing over view , CGI is the ideal tool for WWII action film making , i mean the models of T,T,Tora, were nice and the lack of 'other ships' in films like the Cruel Sea just can't be excepted anymore .I saw an interview with one of the pilots from one of the Japanese carriers once , i think it might have been on 'the world at war' and he told of what he saw when he returned from hes mission at the battle of Medway and saw his carrier on fire and he had to ditch into the sea ,he later got picked up, but the poor guy was in tears remembering it years later , thats the sort of film making id like to see more of or maybe someone could re-make The Dambusters with CGI sequences cut into the 50's classic , i still wince when the water is thrown into the air with one of most unreal effects ever made.Some day a really good WWII film will be made , this isn't it.

I had this movie before and I consider, although full of praise to Admiral Yamamoto, it lulls you you believe that the Japanese Navy was a happy group except the likes of Admirals like Nagumo Well that being accepted it is a first rated movie in the Japanese language on one man's life story. It is not effective both in the story or the effects (the obvious computer graphics in 'The Admiral') to 20th Century Fox's 'Tora Tora Tora' but, I think it is more to the point than say Charleston Heston's acting of 'Midway'. A ranking of 4 stars need to be given.

This tremendous Japanese film (with English subtitles) tells the story of the pragmatic and thoughtful Admiral Yamamoto as he is forced against his better judgment to take Japan in to Pearl Harbour, and the Battle of Midway. It's a film that covers a fairly wide sweep of history, and provides an insight, rarely available in the west, into the Japanese view of WW2. The actor playing Yamamoto is splendidly understated, and portrays the admiral as the sort of chap you'd be very pleased to have as a favourite uncle. The film is perhaps a tad overlong, but then it has a lot to say. Overall, it's excellent, and I'd say much more than 'just' a war film.

Without doubt the best Japanese WW2 movie, written and played by the Japanese. I cannot praise it highly enough. It's compassionate, informative in both political and military spheres, and exciting. I bought it to know more about the IJN in WW2, now I do.

A very, very good film indeed. Maybe it is a mite Hollywoodised, but it neatly explains how Yamamoto led the Naval fleet into the Pearl Harbour debacle, firstly as an honourable man, badly let down by his country. He never wanted to fight, but had too to remain honourable. I actually quite liked the man to be honest if this portrayal is anything to go by. Subtitles are good, and the filmed sequences of battles etc are very believable. An excellent film.