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So much average

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

This a a story of loss. Loss of empire, both British and Japanese and of innocence, of the character played by a young Christian Bale, who turns in a superbly nuanced performance, uncommon amongst thirteen year old actors. Born of empire but not of England we see the main protagonist, Jim played by Bale admire, what is the Japanese war machine, mostly their airforce. This does make one feel somewhat uncomfortable but due to the complete lack of British or any other allied military power in the region, it is the only military role model he has. Perhaps this underlines, that we are products of our immediate experience and not some codified ideal written in tablets of stone. The film is long at two and a half hours; though directed by Spielberg, I doubt very much that even he, would get away with that today and it would probably benefit from some judicious editing as many of the latter scenes add little value to the message of this film. Seeing this film at the cinema, thirty years ago as a callow youth, I would have been surprised that the young actor Bale, would become an international super star but having seen it for the first time since, tonight; I wonder with such a performance, how could it have been otherwise.

When the boy grew up, he realized it's an atrocity that the war brought about by the Japanese army. he felt repentance about Chinese people and his past view of war.After he made friend with Christopher Nolan who is good at time and space maneuvering, he decided returning back to 1937 of Nanking, China, and wanted to change to process of the war, but without any reason he lost all his batman's powers, and no gears with him too. he tried his best to save dozens of children in local church by his make-up skills which he learned from The Prestige's face disguise. and then director Zhang Yimou depicted in the movie Jin ling shi san chai, a.k.a. The Flowers of War.

As a fan of Spielberg's films, I felt obligated to see this film. While this is certainly a good film, this is not a great one or even one of Spielberg's best. Christian Bale does give a great performance, the visuals are spectacular, and John Williams gives a haunting score. This film though is very unfocused and aloof which can make the experience a bit of a chore to sit through. I have no issues with slow dramas as long as they keep me interested in the characters and their stories, but I felt no long attachment or affection for the characters other than Bale. There are great moments throughout that can make this movie worthwhile, but other moments that will make you wonder what is going on or why it should matter. Spielberg tries to make us feel emotion for this boy and his predicament, but all I could feel was emotional confusion. Spielberg's film unfortunately for me meanders from moment to moment showing signs of depth and understanding but ultimately feeling incomplete at the end.

I consider this the best Spielberg film and one of the best anti-war films ever, right up there with the likes of Paths of Glory or Thin Red Line. Far from things like Saving Private Ryan or Schindler's List or Munich, where Spielberg tries to shoehorn himself into the persona of the mature and serious filmmaker, Empire of the Sun is as close to his sensibilities as any material could ever hope to be. The telling of the horrors of World War 2 through the eyes of a child has never been done better. I guess if Miyazaki ever made a live action WW-II film, you'd get something similar to Empire of the Sun. Yep, that's Christian Bale there. Spielberg is well known for ferreting great child performances out of his young stars, but in this case, Christian Bale burns through the screen in his devastating portrayal of young Jim in what is probably the best performance by a child actor ever. During the course of the film, you see Jim going from his pampered existence as the son of a British diplomat in Shanghai through a harrowing physical and emotional transformation, as he loses his family, his home, his childhood and eventually his self. Ending up in a Japanese concentration camp where deprivation and death are on the daily agenda, the young protagonist finds himself desperately clinging to his last remnants of childhood innocence, his love for flight and airplanes or the British culture of a country he hasn't even seen in order to retain some semblance of sanity. I don't believe Bale ever topped this one in his later career.Right from the first scene, with the boats moving through a harbor crowded with coffins to the final one, with Jim's childhood in the form of a bag floating on the waters, this is classic Spielberg, along with the haunting and poignant Williams score. If there ever was a film to land him Oscar recognition, this should have been it. Despite its rather heavy themes, its is also highly re-watchable. If you love the early Spielberg fare of the 80's but missed this one, check it out, you are in for a treat.