Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding Realism and Underlying Themes!
Review: Without a doubt, HBO's mini-series based on Stephen E. Ambrose's book _Band of Brothers_, is the best war film ever produced! Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks has proven unequivocally that the old adage "truth is stranger (and more interesting) than fiction," holds true. Realism and an undauted quest to bring to the screen the actuality of the combat experience in an infantry company, resonates in the countless themes exhibited throughout the film. The production team, that consisted of eight directors, including Hanks, has accomplished an extraordinary feat both on and beneath the surface of this remarkable mini-series. What the viewer sees in this action-packed movie will delight the staunchest war film aficionado. The directors utilize the same revolutionary cinematography techniques first seen in Spielberg's prior effort, "Saving Private Ryan." The chaotic hand-held camera work places the viewer right in the heart of the battle scenes. The addition of all the latest computer generated special effects, clearly confirms how great a war movie can be when backed by a big budget (lucky for us Spielberg is a World War II buff). The night jump over Normandy is arguably the best battle sequence ever shot on film. But it is the countless themes beneath the surface of the film that makes "Band of Brothers" a true gem, and destined to become a film classic. Let us always remember that this is not only the story of an elite Airborne company, but of the actual men who made up Easy Company. The Army succeeded in molding these men into a fine-tuned combat effective team through the most intense, rugged mental and physical training. Individuality is discarded and team-work is exemplified if one is to survive in combat. Yet regardless of the level of training, it is human beings that are sent into combat, and Easy Company's rank and file consisted of individuals of varying and diverse human attributes and character defects. And the film illustrates the "humanity" of Easy Company beautifully. The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment had good and bad leaders. The outstanding and natural leadership abilities of its level-headed commander Captain (later Major) Richard Winters (Damien Lewis) are off-set my many who could not make the grade. Anyone in a managerial position at any corporate level would benefit from watching the varying leadership styles depicted in this film. Likewise, a handful of youths filled with a volatile mixture of naivety and bravado will, through fire and death, become a solid cadre of N.C.O's. Their role is vital not only to a successful combat mission, but also to the survival of green replacements. Yet the horrors of war affected all ranks within Easy Company and the producers wisely chose not to sugar-coat anything. Alcoholism and the murder of enemy prisoners by officers and enlisted men alike, are very real themes boldly conveyed in the film. Combat exhaustion, or "battle fatigue" is another unpleasant topic displayed in the film. Men who could not be broken physically (several of Easy Company men recovered from wounds and went A.W.O.L from hospital to rejoin their unit), succumbed to the mental strain of constant exposure to enemy fire. Looting, murder and a general callousness towards the German civilian population after witnessing the horrors of a concentration camp, are also very real occurrences that took place within the entire European Theater at war's end. Band of Brothers is not only an action-packed and riveting war picture, but also an accurate social history of the American G.I. in World War II. Any combat veteran, particularly those who fought in Europe, can relate to the experiences (both internal and external) of these men. Any relative of a combat veteran, regardless of what unit he served, will gain a better understanding of their loved-one's experiences. Captains Winters, Nixon; Lieutenant Speirs, Compton; Sergeants Lipton, Martin, Randleman, Toye, Guarnere, Malarkey and others are not made-up characters, they are real men. And it is their real-life experiences, so accurately captured in this film that defies any screenwriter's pen. I cannot recommend this package highly enough. Five stars...Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: A loyal tribute to the heroes.
Review: Great series. You will watch over and over. It is of course very violent, but that's what war was all about. War wasn't glamorous, it was hell on earth and we should be proud of all the soldiers that gave their lives. 10 episodes, 1 hour each, beautifully made and with very good acting. Do not let it go, you won't regret it. I truly respect Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks for doing something like this.
Rating:
Summary: Truly moving experience - you'll watch again and again
Review: My grandfather fought with the 1268 Combat Engineers in WWII and to this day enjoys keeping up with his "Band Of Brothers". The men portrayed in this Mini Series were truly heroes, even if they do not believe so in themselves. True, hereos are the ones left on the field, as they say, but to me these men, and what they went through for my freedom make them heroes in my book.From Disc One - which covers training to Disc 6 - which details the actual men, this series is very, very engrossing! I've been unable to stop and put these down since starting Disc 1. I plan on rewatching this series starting next week and plan on showing it to my son as soon as he's old enough to understand what took place in these men's lives. Very moving, and heart pounding, filled with awesome sound effects, so much so that it actually sounds like I'm there when played over my home theatre. Very well done!
Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: the first i watched this, i figured that it was just another WWII movie. but, this was so much better!!! this is a must buy, i cannot understand why anyone who likes learning or watching movies about WWII does not have this!! this set is worth the cost. you will want to watch it over and over
Rating:
Summary: Shock and Awe
Review: This is simply the greatest fictionalization of World War II ever put down on film and deserves the highest praise for its grit, depth, and realism. Grueling at times and light as a feather at others, this miniseries will run you through the ringer of emotions and you'll leave feeling a stronger person so involved in the trials and tribulations of Easy Company that you'll feel you're actually an intimate part of this band of brothers - they will enter your consciousness and stick with you. I am by no means a WWII buff, I just like good movies with good stories and this is one of the best I've ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: best movie of all times
Review: this is the greatest box set ever. have watched this movie straight through atleast 3 times. actors did an awesome job, and very factual. do buy!!!
Rating:
Summary: BRILLIANT, MOVING, INDELIBLE, TEARING . . .
Review: BAND OF BROTHERS follows the original formation of the 101st airborne during WWII. If you've seen SAVING PRIVATE RYAN it's a similar style in photography, action sequence and gore. That said, this is a more developed and nuanced series as it covers over ten hours relating to: training, D-Day landing, the push into France, the stop in the Netherlands, into the Fatherland, reaching the last the resistance and dealing with occupation. Expect a lot of details and nuances, which means you probably will want to go through this series more than once. Overall a beautiful, terrifying, moving and indelible series. The characters are real and true, and, based on real life 101st who speak at the very end of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Simply The Best
Review: I have watched this whole 10 hour seris twice, and I am 2 hours into watching it a third time. It's that good. Matter fact, if I were to classify this as a movie, it would be, by far, the best movie I have ever seen. This series is 10 episodes, roughly and hour each, telling the TRUE story of the soldiers of Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airbourne. From paratrooper training with a useless commanding officer, a D-Day jump out of aircraft that were literally being blown out of the sky, fighting through France, Belguim and Holland, freezing but holding off constant German attacks at Bastogne, and being the first to get to Hitler's Eagle Nest, these men went through hell, together. It is an unflinching look at WWII through the eyes of several of the men in the company. Produced by Steven Speilberg and Tom Hanks, it has the Saving Private Ryan Feel and covers the story of Private Ryan's (Matt Damon) unit. But make no mistake, this is 10 hours of the greatest cinema I have ever seen. You will follow several main charecters throught the war, some episode will be told through the eyes of a specific charecter. Others will be in third person, but there is not a single episode which I do not like. The acting is amazing, all the way around. The production is top notch, the special effects, camers and sound effects are flawless, this series is a masterpiece. It also has 80 minutes of interviews by the actual people how performed these heroic deeds. Look at all the other reviews and you will find that no one has a bad thing to say.
Rating:
Summary: The generation of heroes...
Review: Band of Brothers is an emotional look at the World War 2 experiences of the men from E Company, 2nd Battalion 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Over 10 episodes, the men grow from young recruits training in Toccoa, Georgia to soldiers on the frontline of some of the Allies' most crucial battles.
The stories which unfold do not set out to make every man a hero who saved the world singlehandedly, but rather as human beings who came together as a group and battled against the odds. Each episode is seen through the eyes of a different soldier, everyone from Easy Company's unquestionable leader 'Dick' Winters to a field medic to a paratrooper separated from his battalion. The stories are touching and emotional but not to 'Hollywood' that they lose authenticity.
The men upon which the show is based, the real veterans of E Company, provide interviews in the opening of each part of the series, giving insight into how the group really felt. Band of Brothers is not a show written by another big-shot whose closest encounter with war is through the nightly news.
One cannot recommend this series enough. To watch it is to pay homage to those young men who created the freedom we have today, to respect and be grateful for what they did.
For those who appreciate that war is not all guts and glory, or who respect what the men of the WW2 generation did, Band of Brothers is a brilliantly written and produced series worthy of 5-star status. The DVD boxset is brilliant, with documentaries and interviews to complement a perfect audio-visual transfer. It is complete with both Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks, is presented in 16x9 widescreen format, and includes subtitles in nearly every language imaginable. As any DVD buff will tell you, Band of Brothers sets the standard for TV on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor.
Review: Because that's exactly where it lands every time I watch any one of these incredibly well done episodes. There simply are not enough superlatives in the English language to do justice to the unparalleled quality of this production. Contrary to the misguided opinion of the "viewer from San Diego" (see below), this is not about glorifying war or depicting the average German soldier as an awful person. Rather, it's about giving the viewer a rare insight into war in all its horror, confusion and human-ness (is that a word?). No doubt the Germans had their own "bands of brothers" -- just read Guy Sajer's "The Forgotten Soldier" for a fine illustration of that. However, this series doesn't take sides. It shows both Americans and Germans alike as scared, tired, hungry, cold and confused. The portrayal of the human and psychological toll of this conflict is not unbalanced, although admittedly the viewer only gets to "personally" know the characters on the American side. Even while the grim realities of war are highlighted, there is also an acute attention to historical detail and accuracy, right down to some of the minutiae described by the real survivors in Stephen Ambrose's book of the same name. The series also presents an object lesson in courage, sacrifice and loyalty that is not to be overlooked. Yes, war is an awful thing, but it also has the ability to bring out hitherto unknown greatness, albeit often subtle, in those who find themselves thrust into the middle of the conflict. HBO and Spielberg do a wonderful job of striking just the right balance. The central character, the "hero" if you prefer, is Lt. (later Capt.) Richard "Dick" Winters, who is introduced early in Episode 1 as a platoon leader in Easy Company, and later the company commander after his predecessor turns up missing on the D-Day drop. Winters proves himself an exceptional combat commander and later a highly competent battalion staff officer. At every stage of his development, his exemplary leadership is underscored by a simple, down-to-earth (humble?) attitude and a deep concern for every soldier under his command. This is well illustrated in Episode 5 when Winters personally leads his outnumbered men in a charge that catches two full companies of SS infantry by surprise. The attack decimates the German units while only one of Winters' own men is killed and 22 wounded, yet even still he counts the cost and personally mourns the loss. In addition to the great development of the Dick Winters character (who was, of course, a real person), there is plenty of similar attention given to many others, such as Sgt. Guarnere and Capt. Nixon. One of the other features that makes this such a great series is the phenomenally skillful camera work. The positioning of the cameras, the jolt from a nearby artillery rounds, the jostling of men in the trenches, and the constant buzz and smack of bullets, all combine to put the viewer in the middle of the action with the men on the screen. Frankly I think the ability to capture the "atmosphere" of combat rises to an even higher level than was demonstrated in "Saving Private Ryan", which set a new standard for modern war films. What more can I say? Watch these for yourself. You won't be disappointed -- not even a little bit. There's no political agenda here. What you'll see will (or should) give you pause to consider the nature and effects of war, but beyond that it's simply a great story about great men doing their best in an uncertain time. Incredibly well done indeed!
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