Watch 1941
- PG
- 1979
- 1 hr 58 min
-
5.8 (36,934)
The 1979 movie 1941 is a comedy that revolves around the chaos that ensues after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The movie features an ensemble cast comprising some of the most well-known actors of the time, including John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Treat Williams. The plot of the movie centers on a fictional West Coast town called Wally Beach, California. It is December 1941, and the entire country is on edge after the surprise attack by the Japanese forces on Pearl Harbor. The inhabitants of Wally Beach are no exception, as they gear up for a possible invasion by the Japanese.
The movie follows the lives of various characters in the town, each of whom has their own unique storyline. There is Captain Wild Bill Kelso (played by Aykroyd), a zany fighter pilot who is forced to land his plane in Wally Beach after running out of fuel. Kelso's arrival adds to the already chaotic situation in the town.
Meanwhile, Staff Sgt. Frank Tree (played by Belushi) is tasked with overseeing the defense of Wally Beach. However, his job is made more difficult by the presence of numerous distractions, including his wife's infidelity with a visiting soldier.
Other prominent characters in the movie include Treat Williams as the charismatic and suave Hollywood actor Johnnie, who is in town to shoot a movie about the war. There is also Ned Beatty, who plays Ward Douglas, the paranoid and jittery commander of the local defense unit.
As the movie progresses, the situation in Wally Beach goes from bad to worse. The town becomes a hotbed of chaos as various characters plot and scheme to further their own interests. The arrival of Kelso's plane only adds to the confusion, as a group of Nazi saboteurs mistake it for an American bomber and hatch a plan to destroy it.
Amid all the madness, however, the characters in the movie also find moments of levity and camaraderie. There are scenes where soldiers bond over a game of cards, and others where Kelso and Tree engage in hilarious banter.
One of the most memorable scenes in the movie is the epic battle that takes place on the streets of Wally Beach between the Americans and the Japanese. The battle is an over-the-top affair, with tanks, planes, and artillery all being pressed into service.
The movie's climax involves Kelso attempting to stop the Nazi saboteurs from blowing up his plane. He engages them in a wild chase atop a Ferris wheel, resulting in a hilarious and explosive conclusion to the movie.
Overall, 1941 is a fast-paced, madcap comedy with a dizzying array of characters and subplots. The movie is a lighthearted take on a serious historical event, and while it may not be historically accurate, it is certainly entertaining.
1941 is a 1979 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 58 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.8 and a MetaScore of 34.