Band of Brothers

Rating:
Summary: Become one of the...'Happy few.'
Review: Band of Brothers is the best pure war movie ever made. In terms of bringing combat to its viewers, Band of Brothers has little or no competition. The dirt, death and despair of real fighting are vividly portrayed in an aggressive but accurate manner. It covers the actions of E Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, from their beginnings at Camp Toccoa, through western Europe and finally to victory over the Nazi regime. Historical detail was a key interest in the making of this ten part series. Many first hand accounts were used to support the on-screen drama. Some complained that the section involving E Company's seizure of Hitler's Aldershorst was inaccurate. It is true that E Company was not the first allied unit to occupy the Eagle's Nest. But this small discrepancy is one of a very few that I found in the film. So overall I rate its accuracy highly. If you want an engrossing, heroic and epic story about the allied triumph in World War Two, then Band of Brothers is your film.

Rating:
Summary: essential
Review: You have to see this series. war truly brings out the best and the worst in mankind.

Rating:
Summary: Don't listen to the negative foreigners! :-)
Review: Apparently some people from different countries say this movie is very inaccurate and suffers from patriotic tunnel vision. I can only wonder what movie they watched! LOL

We just watched this movie and it was spectacular. It is from the perspective of one group of American men, so don't expect the story to give you a sweeping view of the war, views from other units or any perspective from Russian, German, or French soldiers.. If those countries want movies from those perspectives I suggest they gather together some money and MAKE THEM.

Some critics claim the movie doesn't depict Germans as humans with feeling or intelligence. I guess they missed the whole segment of the film that attempted to do just that. Another critic claimed that Spiers was a "war criminal" and missed the entire segment of the movie that made it very clear Spiers didn't kill the German soldiers after giving them cigarettes and it was just a wild rumor. Another person said it never depicted American soldiers as less than perfect, apparently missing the entire segment about the drunk American shooting his fellow officer and the other soldiers almost beating him to death! Another said the movie only showed Americans as brave and loyal, apparently missing the entire segment about the soldier that hid without firing his weapon on D-day. C'mon people, WATCH the movie before making inaccurate criticism.

I really enjoyed the review that claimed that Americans are only taught about history having to do with America and know nothing about the rest of the world. As a writer I can personally attest that other countries are SIMPLY awful about including American facets of life in their literature. My books published in England have any little detail that is American edited away because English children might not "relate" (God forbid they learn something about America!) I've been exposed to literature from Europe, especially England, with nary a change in text since I was very young. So that to me is just a bogus "anti-American" sentiment rearing its ugly head.

The movie is accurate and realistic in so many ways. Americans fought with bravery and cowardice. But the facts can't be denied--by far the majority of American soldiers that fought in WW2 were of a special breed from a special time. Those men/boys fought with distinction and valor. They weren't perfect but they were unusually honorable and heroic. This movie shows much of those aspects and we strongly recommend it. There was one sex scene that came out of nowhere which was over the top. Find that scene so you're prepared with the remote if watching it with kids (I suggest over age eleven).

Rating:
Summary: Must have for Home Theater enthusiasts.
Review: If you have a home theater system of any quality you must have this set! Not only is it the best war movie af all time, it has an absolutely amazing DTS sound. When the Germans attack with artillery you will find yourself ducking. Bullets seem to whiz right by your head. The sound is good enough to make even the most patient Wife mad. A man movie all the way guys!

Rating:
Summary: 5 stars only because there aren't any more.
Review: WOW! This is heads and shoulders above any other WWII movie or mini-series I have ever seen. I love watching this over and over again. What makes it so special is that all of these are real and the accounts true (as opposed to Saving Private Ryan or others). You really get a idea of the sacrifice that these people made for the world.

Rating:
Summary: One of my most favorite war movies of all time
Review: I am 12 years old and I am a World War 2 buff.I have seen countless WW2 films.And personally,I think this is one of the best war films of all time.I think this film puts Saving Private Ryan in the dust.I went to my granparents home to visit.
My granpa was an Air Force pilot in the Korean War era.
And he loves war films to.His nieghbor let him borrow his
set of Band of Brothers.I watched the first three episodes.
And they were so great my eyes could not bear to leave the screen
.I would recomend this to anyone who likes war films.

Rating:
Summary: WOW!!!! Better than Saving Private Ryan!!
Review: After witnessing Saving Private Ryan, I never thought war film could get better. While this isn't a film, it still deserves to be the greatest war motion picture ever. The main reason I believe this is better is simply, the length. With 2 and a half hours, as in SPR, you really only get the look and a small hint of the soldiers lives. 10 episodes covers so much more about the characters personality and lives. Where they have been, what they will do after the war and how it effects them each psychologically. After watching it on TV, I felt so sad that it was over yet glad that the surviours were going home to thier loved ones. The instant that I heard it was going to be released on DVD, I reserved a copy. This series draws you in so much you get to know the characters, what they are like and how they reacted to war. It's an unparalleled look at what young boys had to go through to save us from the evil that was Hitler.
As you would have noticed, I keep referring to Saving Private Ryan. The reason being that it looks similar to Band Of Brothers. As we think of most great War films early in cinema history like The Longest Day, they are in black and white. We associate war films with black and white because the films of that era were. So in post production they did colour diluting which gives the feel of black n white in colour. It's a very effective way of manipulating your mind into thinking you're there. As far as the DVD itself is concerned, it's packaged beautifully and the extras are awsome. Hours and hours of behind the scene stuff which is what I love. It also contains a 1 and a half hour interview with the soldiers themselves. It's a moving experience to listen first hand, to the unbelievable stories told with such emotion.
Anyone who is a history buff or just into war movies, needs this in thier collection. A true masterpiece. Many people ask me why I take great joy in films about so much suffering. It took me a while to answer that question myself. But I now realise that our way of honoring the great veterens and the poor souls who perished, is to understand what they had to go through. They did it so we don't have to. Band Of Brothers is a truly great achievement and will be remembered as the great war story of our lives.

Rating:
Summary: Adequate
Review: I find this series far less compelling than From the Earth to the Moon at every level: Music, script, variety, cinematography.

Rating:
Summary: WOW
Review: This dvd set is aweome. Not only are the ten episodes simply great viewing, they tell the true stories of some truly great American men. The filmmaking is incredible, above the warfare cinematography of Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down and We Were Soldiers..., (all of which were excellent movies) and all other war movies, in my opinion. There is just something so gripping about WWII, that other movie conflicts seem to pale in comparison.

The special features on each disk are very nice. You get biographies of the Easy Company troops that appeared in those episodes, a list of ranks and insignia, and other goodies. There is a great "making of" vignette, and behind the scenes photos, too. This is a simply great purchase, though the cost is kinda high. Of course, it is worth it, esp. since there are so many disks in it, but in one shot it is a little painful.

Rating:
Summary: HBO is making this a habit? Good thing, too.
Review: I got a copy of this in Switzerland, which does not include any of the extras - just the 10 episodes, which is already easily worth the price. I wish I could see the extras.

The miniseries is an absolutely fantastic show. The realism is absolute, and it is amazing to see the faces of the actual survivors of Easy Company confirming at each episode that what you see happening - worthy of the finest Hollywood fiction screenwriters - actually happened for real. These guys have "seen the elephant", so to speak. Some survived, many did not.

I find myself grateful to HBO for this series, just like with the similarly stellar miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon", they have reached back and plucked from history the actual motivations and personalities that drove those events. In the case of "Band Of Brothers", this is even more pressing and urgent, as those guys who remember those events will not be with us much longer. So I am grateful that HBO has taken the time, money and most importantly the care to tell these stories as they actually happened, before the experience is lost to us all.

These men sacrificed years of their lives and went through hell itself. Many did not survive (in fact it is appalling to read, at the end of some episodes, the sheer number of casualties the Airborne suffered - 50% or more at every major engagement). And they did this simply because their nation asked them to do it, leaving their homes, jobs and families to do so. Does today's generation have what it takes to do it again?