Article posted: 3/7/2013 6:00 AM

Fact-challenged WWII epic drops bomb of its own

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Recent Oscar nominee Tommy Lee Jones brings little to the role of the flamboyant General Douglas MacArthur in the not-so-fact-based WW II drama "Emperor."

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The fabricated romantic subplot in the World War II drama "Emperor" is the least of the problematic movie's shortcomings. Peter Webber, the British filmmaker mostly known for directing "Girl With a Pearl Earring," handles "Emperor" exactly like a dry and airless history lesson. Webber merges the least interesting parts of a documentary with the standard-issue structure of a Hollywood film.