Rating: 
Summary: A Great Film But Not the Best War Film
Review: First, let me say that Spielberg did an outstanding job and this is an important film with great acting. It is up there among great war films, but ones such as Das Boot, Apocalypse Now, Catch-22, and Full Metal Jacket still stand out as the tops. I urge you to check those out first before or in addition to Saving Private Ryan. I would say that Saving Private Ryan had impeccable and more realism in the D-Day and battle scenes. Yet in a way it detracted from the real suspense and horror of war by just handing the viewer graphical depictions -- limbs on a silver platter, if you will. The other movies I mentioned show the real face of war -- it's atrocities and absurdities. While the plot of Saving Private Ryan dances around those things also, I believe it gets buried in the audio and video technological wizardry. It becomes a case of "less is more" in my opinion.
Rating: 
Summary: This film is a must see
Review: There have been many, many movies made over the years depicting the events of WWII, but I have to say that none have captured the true feeling of war like "Saving Private Ryan". This film brings the war to the screen through the eyes of a handful of soldiers picked to carry out a most unique mission: Bring back the lone remaining member of the Ryan family. The often told story of the four brothers drafted at sent off to war is widely known, but this is a very touching and artful depiction of the men who reluctantly set off to recover Private Ryan and return him to his grieving mother. Tom Hanks plays Captain Miller, the squad leader taking his men through the European countryside in search of the missing private. Hanks will never be able to play a character the lager than life, macho way that John Wayne did, but he brings a certain every-man believability to his character. He is not a hero, he's just a man trying to do his job so that he can get home to see his wife. The men in the squad are an eclectic group of soldiers, played by an exquisite cast, that often times hate each other but are willing to die for one another just the same. The militray type preparation that all of the actors went through to make this film really pays off because as you're watching you believe that these men are actual soldiers fighting for survival. The much publicized, and often talked about opening scene depicting the storming of the beach is intense and sometimes difficult to watch. The violence and blood are plentiful, but it is essential to the telling of the story and setting the tone for the film. If you have not seen this film it is definitely worth the time to sit down and watch. If you don't own it, then you should think about adding this wonderfully told story to your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Upclose look at D-Day
Review: This film is an honest portrayal of the D-Day landing and the extraordinary sacrifices made by by everyday men. Speilberg's filming technique on this movie, makes you feel like you were there (and glad you were not.) The depiction of the landing on Normandy Beach is one the most intense battle scenes I have ever seen. Spielberg has not only paid a deserving tribute to the veterans of World War II, he has also produced an excellent anti-war film that shows the true horro of warfare. There was nothing romantic about going to war. I feel he captured what it was like to invade the beaches on June 6th.
Rating:
Summary: Death or Glory became another story...
Review: During times of peace the children bury their parents, but during times of war the parents bury their children. The most powerful film of the decade. I just hope it managed to convey a real sense of horror, and not just a sense of patriotism among certain people. It's not the story of heroes dying for democracy and freedom. It's the story of thousands of young men, lives that wouldn't have changed a thing, fighting and dying in the most terrible conflict of all history. Although, perhaps dedicating the film to all people, no matter what nationality, who died either far from their homes or in the ruins of towns and cities they once lived in, would have been a fitting ending. Kudos to Mr. Spielberg. Here's hoping that more war films will turn out like this, and not just excuses to change history like U-571 (0 Stars for THAT).
Rating:
Summary: Excellent war movie
Review: I have seen some war movies and most focus on winners and losers. This movie focuses on the tragedy of the human loss, particular for the parents who loose all their sons to war. The movie initially takes you through the horror of D-Day but then moves the focus on the army's conscience for doing the right, respectful thing for a family that has lost 3 our of 4 sons all in one go. This brought me into a deep state of reflective emotion, I really felt for the mother of those young brothers, but equally for the 8 soldiers that risked everything they had to save one man, who was the forth and only remaining son. I can now say I better understand the tragic horror of war and the lengths that some of the soldiers went to to save others. It has been 4 days now since I have viewed the movie and I am still reflecting on it!
Rating:
Summary: I may be young, but I know about D-Day
Review: And this film is such an accurate depiction of the carnage of "Double-ya Double-ya Two" that one has to wonder how Steven Spielberg could sleep while directing such an emotional film. My grandpa even got emotional from it, and he laughed at Thin Red Line (which did stink, really badly...)! The one quip I have about this film is that it couldn't be any more unoriginal if it TRIED to be. Yes, the D-Day scene is graphic and accurate...but that's one of the few remotely unique parts of the film. Personally, I believe that this movie is mainly just that, a movie. It's never going to be a masterpiece because it just doesn't lend itself to it. Platoon and Full Metal Jacket took place in the same war, but at least they had a different story and meaning to them. There are so many WWII movies out there (albiet, not as graphic...) and I don't think this is the greatest one of them. (Schindler's list was better!)
Rating:
Summary: A Great Tribute to the Greatest Generation
Review: I started reading accounts of what happened in WWII when I was in grade school. I couldn't stand the anticeptic way Hollywood had portrayed WWII and felt it diminished the greatness of what our fathers and grandfathers had done. When I was 14 I saw a cool new movie called "Star Wars" and asked why they couldn't do a WWII movie with that kind of FX. 20 years would pass before my wish came true. Anyone who doesn't believe what they saw in Saving Private Ryan hasn't read about or seen any real combat. Every gory detail from the sniper being shot through his scope (Stalingrad)to the armless man carrying his severed limb to the aid station (Cold Harbor, Iwo Jima) I've read in non-fiction accounts of combat over the last 25 years. It was the attention to detail and the overall sense of fear and chaos conveyed throughout the film that was nesessary to understand the enormity of the invasion and the sacrifice of the average American servicemen. That Mr. Spielberg was able to give those characters life and make you cheer for them on top of all this raw emotion is a tribute to his ability as a director.
Rating:
Summary: Finally... REALISM.
Review: This film is simply the best of the war genre. First, I want to congratulate Spielberg and his crew for giving the most realistic war sequences cinema has ever seen. It was about time. Second, the acting, dialogue, and story was perfect. A lot of people bash this movie because the plot was 'too simple", or it was "regular war movie garbage." Well, I got news for all of you: War is anything but spectactular or outstanding. Whether you're taking a machine gun nest, or planning a multi-national assault on a beachhead, you want and need to keep things as simple as possible; hence, the "simple plot." As far as the "regular war movie garbage" goes, the makers of this movie were simply taking events that actually happened and told a story loosely based around them. So, next time you see a WWII vet, why don't you go up to him/her and tell them their war wasn't realistic and all they did amounted to "garbage". That is, if you got the guts to... People learned from this movie that warfare is basically the simplest, most brutal act that humanity can wage against itself: Kill or be killed. Since the beginning of the film era, the world's been waiting for a realistic war film. Well, it's here, and it's "SAVING PRIVATE RYAN."
Rating:
Summary: SO BEAUTIFUL
Review: this is an amazing film. wonderful. beautiful. touching. i loved it. it deserves 10 thousand stars. i could go on and on but i won't. a must see.
Rating:
Summary: A good showing by Spielberg
Review: Many war movies that I have seen are generally the same. A story is being played out with a war as the setting. They focus more on the story then the war. With Saving Private Ryan the reverse is true. The actual war itself is the main point of this movie. Even though the men debate on the point of their mission (saving one man by risking the lives of eight others) there are too many other points being made as they travel. Spielberg has chosen to make a war movie that focuses mainly on the horrors and realities of war. This is the only movie that left me with a deeper respect of the soldiers who fought in World War II. The direction and special effects add to the realism. It actually seems that this battles could be happening to the characters. As far as war movies go, if realism is what your looking for, Saving Private Ryan is as far as you need to search.
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