Rating: 
Summary: Saving Private Ryan
Review: This is beyond question the best depiction of what War is like. The movie, plot, story line, and actor performances, especially Mr. Hanks', was so far above the quality of the others in contention for Academy Awards that this movie sould have received an award just for having been made.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best war movies of all time!
Review: Saving Private Ryan has one of the best casts I have ever seen in a movie. This includes tom Hanks, Vin Diesel, Matt Damon, and Barry Pepper. The movie is about when a soldier loses three of his brothers in the war. When that happens Captain Miller and his eight man squad go looking for him to take him home. It starts with the dramatic scene at Omaha beach and ends with the battle against a German tank division. Won 5 academy awards including best director. The film editing of the movie is great and the realism of it is fantastic. The special features of the DVD are ok. The features are the theatrical and re release trailers. A mini documentary of the movie. A message from Steven Spielberg about the D-Day museum. The cast list and a couple more. Overall this is a movie that anyone should have in their war movie collection. Get this movie as soon as possible.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest War Films Ever
Review: Tom Hanks turns in perhaps his best performance as the simple yet brave and caring Captain Miller in this World War II epic. Hanks should have won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal as Miller. The film begins with Miller and his squad as they are approaching Omaha Beach on D-Day. The first 20 or so minutes of this film should go down in movie history as perhaps the most realistic re-creation of an actual event. Although extremely graphic, Spielberg, who did win an Oscar for Best Director, does an unbelieveable job of re-creating the events of the landing, right down to Hanks' uncontrollable shaking hands. The main plot of the movie is for Hanks and his squad to find Private James Ryan, whose 3 brothers were killed in combat. The squad sets off on its strange mission and encounters some major obstacles along the way. A pillbox manages to keep the squad pinned down, but it is finally silenced. However, one of the German soldiers survives. The squad members want to shoot him, but instead Miller blindfolds him and tells him to count to 1000 and walk away. The other squad members are infuriated that Miller would let the man go, but he quiets the uprising by telling his life story before the war, explaining that he was a teacher back home and that he had no real desire to fight and he just longs to be back home with his wife lying in his hammock. Finally, the group finds Ryan and delivers the terrible news, but Ryan has no intention of leaving his fellow soldiers. In the ensuing battle that follows, Miller is mortally wounded, but before he dies, he utters the most moving line of the movie to Ryan: "Earn This". The movie then switches back to the present day and shows an elder Ryan kneeling over Miller's grave at Normandy paying his respects to the man that saved his life. All history or World War II enthusiasts should view this excellent movie, as it rates with such classics as "Patton" and "The Longest Day".
Rating:
Summary: Great realistic war epic
Review: This movie is awesome!!! From the D-Day landings to the ending battle in a bombed out French town, this is one of the greatest war movies of all time. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that Upham is a coward( like when he is crying and lets a German walk past him) Anothe cool part is when the American sniper shoots the German sniper.
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Summary: Lessons for life and for the classroom
Review: Words of praise for "Private Ryan" have been written. I agree with (just about) all of them. Just one note of caution: There are two very powerful, graphic acts in this film: the D-Day landing that occurs about ten minutes into the opening and the defense of the bridge that basically concludes the film. Some of this is very graphic in its realism. And this is not a documentary nor even a portrayal of a historic rescue. But let me add how parts of this excellent work can be used in a (college, business school) classroom.Leadership: Miller's (Hanks) initiative and direction at the D-Day landing shows the the use and importance of flexible, determined action to reach the goal. Much later, a second example, when Miller describes his approach to rationalizing or explaining how he can tolerate the death of the men serving under him. He can because he must and he sees each death as the price of winning the war war. A good class discussion could ensue. Creativity: When Miller illustrates the use of the "sticky bomb" and deploys his small force, we get a lesson in creative use of available resources in a tough situation. Mission: As the small team walks through the fields of Normandy, Miller leads his men through an impromptu session on grousing and mission. What IS their mission? Who decides? Inspiration: When General Marshall gets the news of the Ryan brother deaths, he reads Abraham Lincoln's letter to the mother who suffered from a similar fate. Marshall reads it to his staff as a method to motivate and inspire them to "save Private Ryan" and he is so moved by the letter, he sets it aside and recites the closing paragraph from memory. I am always moved by Miller's dying words: "Earn this!" When years later Ryan, at Miller's grave in Normandy, asks his wife if he has lived a good life, she understandably can't understand. Watch this film and perhaps you can learn a few lessons and, hopefully, understand.
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Summary: "Saving Private Ryan" Delievers! The Years #1 Movie!
Review: From Director Steven Spielberg (Schindlers List; Band of Brothers) comes the most talked about film of 1998 Saving Private Ryan! With A Star Studded Cast, This Film Delievers, In More Ways Than One! In the last great invasion of the last great war, the greatest danger for eight men...was saving one. Internationally acclaimed by critics and audiences alike; Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan is an unforgettable film achievement that has profound and lasting impact around the world. Winner of 5 Academy Awards including Best Director (Steven Spielberg), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing. More than 70 critics (including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Time, Roger Ebert and Entertainment Weekly) and critics' groups in New York, Chicago, FT Worth-Texas and Great Britain named it Best Film of the Year, with the Los Angeles, Toronto and Broadcasting Film Critics honored it with Best Picture and Best Director. In Addition, Steven Spielberg recieved the third Directors Guild of America Award, the American Legion "The Spirit of Normandy" Award, a USO Merit Award from the USO of Metropolitan Washington, as well as the highest civilian public service award from the Department of the Army. Selected for more than 160 Top Ten List's, Saving Private Ryan's other honors include Golden Globes for Best Picture (Drama) and Best Director, the Producers Guild of America Award and ten nominations from the British Academy Film Awards. Saving Private Ryan was also the highest grossing picture of 1998. Seen through the eyes of a squad of American soldiers, this story begins with WWII's historic D-Day invasion, then moves beyond the beaches as the men embark on a dangerous mission. Captain John H. Miller (Tom Hanks) must take his squad made up of a battle hardened Sergeant Horvath (Tom Sizemore), relegious sniper (Barry Pepper), a Jewish soldier (Adam Goldber), a cocky Yankee (Edward Burns), a big hearted medic (Giovanni Ribisi) and a "rookie" to battle (Jeremy Davies), to find a Private James Ryan who lost his other three brothers in combat. Faced with the impossible each man starts to question orders. Whats the sense in risking eight men just to save one? Surrounded by the brutalities of war, each man must search for his own answer and the strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honor, deceny and courage. One thing that did bug me when I was watching the Academy Awards of 1998 was the fact that this was beat out by American Beauty (also won Best Actor Kevin Spacey, which was a fluke). American Beauty was an absolute delight of a film, but it didnt measure up to the emotional power of Saving Private Ryan. When I bought a DVD Player, this was the first DVD I bought and it was worth every cent, times 1,000. For one of the best war pictures ever, don't miss Saving Private Ryan, its a life altering experience!
Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: The realism of the battles is astounding, and the story enthralling, even if not entirely accurate. Not a documentary, but a superb film.
Rating:
Summary: Essential for any DVD Collection
Review: One really can't say anything about this film that hasn't been said already. This DVD is a must own for any collection. The "Into the Breach" section is espicially enjoyable. Among other things, it gives us an look at Speilberg's earliest attempts at film making. I minored in history in college, so I'd heard and read about what a hellish experience World War II was. Saving Private Ryan was the first film to capture this war in all its ferocity. It also brings to light an obscure fact about war: that extraction missions do take place when there is only one son left alive. This is in fact a historically documented fact that I'd never known about. A great film. Not to be missed!
Rating: 
Summary: How can I begin to rate a true event?
Review: Words can't describe this movie, Only the emotions you feel from watching it can tell you I suppose. I like the cast in this film, It is almost like a dream-team of some sort.
I highly recommend the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Saving Private Ryan the bests of its kind!
Review: This movie may be very long but it only helps the movie. This movie has scenes that you can relate to, like the sweet D-Day scene. With great acting and directing this is definitely a keeper.
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