Rating: 
Summary: Over-hyped, distorted flub.
Review: This gory, pseudo patriotic movie is just not that good. Behind the emotionalism is the real danger of blind faith in anything. The acting is not that great(average at best) and the only real exceptional factor of the film is the special effects, which serve only to make it for a more unpleasant experience. For a group of of numbered green soldiers to take on a tank column without proper weaponery is not only stupid on their part, but very unrealitstic. Anybody would have run. The real attraction for people seems to be the "greatest generation" myth which has popped up recently. This view that the folks living during that time were somehow superior morally or otherwise(remember this is the same generation that tolerated segregation and Japanese internment) gives us a flawed view of history. These people just did the things they did because they had to. This is a concept that the new generation of white Hollywood billionaires who produced SPR could never fully understand.
Rating: 
Summary: Hail to the Chief!
Review: There is now doubt about it, this is not only one of Director Steven Speilberg's finest film epics, but it is also the best war film to date. The details of WWII aren't sugar-coated and Speilberg doesn't spend precious time trying to beat around the bush... THIS IS WAR! It smells like war, tastes like war, feels like war, and anyone who has particapated in a war can blatantly testify to this. War is hell, and this is probably the closest many viewers will get to either. Though this film went out of its way to present its chracters as real, normal folks like you and me (not the gold plated figures of John Wayne films), in the end the people of this film did come out of it as heroes. This is what they were, and a one man raid wasn't neeeded to tell us that. This film is as good as or equal to "Schindler's List," WATCH IT!
Rating: 
Summary: Spoon-fed history
Review: All recent war movies are plagued. And no matter how much I hear about Saving Private Ryan being the one to break the mold, it didn't. And this is why:1) Spielberg further extorts the mistaken identity known as America. Or should I say more accurately, our ethnocentricity. The favoritism shown here is disgusting and paints a faulty picture. But people said he did that in order to illustrate realism. That brings me ot my next point: 2) REALISM is a cursed word because it seems ot not only hand out creative liscense like candy, but it also serves as the guise that brings you war-class sap. Who are we to say what is real? Where you at Normandy? I believe to effectively transfer a mood or feeling in cinema, extort or augment your reality. To say that you are being realistic is pompous. 3) At the center, at the very core, at the heart of the movie, is nothing. War movies in the past have a techniqueof using the sublime to drive a message home to you. Could a story like Apocalypse Now ever happen? How about Paths of Glory? At least these movies are about something! In short, this is just another addition to the hundreds of war movies out there. There was no zeitgeist that called for it. Another few years, churn out a war movie, right? Wrong. It's dangerous to do stuff like this because it manipulates minds and doesn't leave a breathing room. It's spoon fed, 100%.
Rating: 
Summary: My Opinion,
Review: This is one of those movies that recieved a lot of praise from the vets who were there. Also more than 70 critics e.g. time magazine; USA Today etc. who named this movie in the best picture catigory. it also won 2 golden globes and 5 oscars in 1998. But there are those few who also condemn the film for either its [...] story line or historical inaccuracies and so on. But now let look at the film fair and square. Plot: By now everyone knows this, a captain and 7 other men is assigned to rescue a paratrooper name Pvt. James Ryan (after a bloody landing at Omaha Beach on D-Day) who lost three of his brothers. Hence a Public relation mission. Now for the good parts that were offer in this movie is its technical achievment in sound effects as well as visual effects which played a major part in the first 25 minutes in the movie at Omaha Beach. Then again the sound effects and visual played a major plot to keep this movie up. What will happen if we removes those two things? in my opinion this movie would just be another "typical war movie". Spielberg was wise in using a special camera in this movie which gave the picture quality a rather a "documentary look" to make the movie more spectacular which is a great artistic touch. Not every one likes the plot of the movie. But this is loosly based on an actual event (not involving any one name Ryan). One serious drawback is the despiction of the German soldiers. THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME (bald heads). that is why I took a star off. Look in the history books they do not look like that. In fact they had hair (Most of them). They were also younger at the time.Also a little bit of patriatism was shown Without those flaws, this movie is almost perfect Should you see this movie? Well I should say yes, despite the problems this film has, it is worth to watch but be warned, it is graphically violent. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: saving priviate ryan
Review: best war movie ever made star cast . tom hanks is great!! steven spielberg great director should make any war veteran happy
Rating:
Summary: The Best WWII Movie Ever!
Review: Every war has it's great movies, Civil War had Glory, Vietnam had Platoon and Full Metal Jacket, and World War II has Saving Private Ryan. SPR shows the true face of war and the destruction to mans psych, as the soldiers go from the beaches of normandy through the Eurpeon countryside. One group of soldiers is given orders to look for one man who was misdropped and now they are questioning whats the point of wasting their own lives for one man. While they go hunting for this soldier they come across the grusomeness of the war, knowing that any minute they might be next to die. The beginning battle and the skirmish at the end of the movie are the two best filmed combat sequences ever in a war movie. Forget any other World War II movie before this, even forget The Thin Red Line which pales in comparison to this movie. This is the war movie for anyone interested in World War Two and how it really was like.
Rating:
Summary: Ryan Got Saved, My Lunch Didn't !!!
Review: I have watched this film three times. The 1st time in the theather with 10 friends. None liked it. In my opinion this movie is a slap in the face of OUR American Vets who were there!! Joerg Stadler (Steamboat Willie, toot! toot!) was the only person in the movie I liked. He tried to save it but gave up. So many historical mess ups that this 1000 words can't describe, like coiled telephone wires. Coiled telephone wires were not in use until AFTER 1944! GIs wearing black boots??? Brown boots were the norm, and weren't replaced by black boots until 1958! The "recon element of the 2nd SS" which was destroyed by the 101st in Normandy during D-day in SPR would've been impossible. The 2nd SS were assigned to the South of France, and weren't moved back up to Normandy until about a month after D-Day! My advice don't waste the time with this movie. As a WW 2 Reenactor I am talking to many Vets and this movie is nothing about them or what they did. Maybe the next Hollywood movie on the European theather will be better, can't get any worse than Saving Private Ryan!!
Rating:
Summary: News Flash .. No movie can be everything for everybody ....
Review: WOW .. I can not believe some of the moaning reviews abouth this movie wondering about why this movie didn't spend more time on numerous superfluous topics. This movie uses a small, albeit cute, story as a vehicle to portray the absolute violence and cruelty of war. The reason Spielberg is a master is because he doen't have to 'Spike Lee' his movies to nail a hidden message or theme through the viewers. SPR is an in your face absolutely astounding visual and audio presentation of war at it's bloodiest and ugliest! I would venture to guess that most people, including myself, buy this DVD after having seen the movie so the Mid-Western plotline should be no surprise. If you want a movie with stupid messages, twisted history and a RIDICULOUS plot then please wait till Pearl Harbour comes out on DVD, but, if you want a movie depicting war in it's purest form then SPR is a must have!~
Rating:
Summary: A new LOW standard in war films.
Review: I find that this film is a clear example of what Mr. Spielberg does best: Manage a lot of resources very effectively and use the latest technologies to bring us some compelling images, more because of the sheer size of what we see than the subtlety with which it is presented. The D-day landings at the beginning of this film are indeed impressive, and the realism is admirable. The evolution of war films over a century of cinema has shown that every twenty years the action scenes become more explicit, although in my opinion not more shocking. Thus without taking any credit away from Spielberg for his magnificent orchestration of the action scenes, it must be said that showing people picking up their guts is not a novel concept. However Spielberg does lack the moral objectiveness and respect for the audience's intelligence that is very much appreciated when an ethical dilemma is presented like in this film. His insistence in telling us what to think is very uncomfortable, especially in the opening and closing scenes, which suffers from the same over the top sentimentalism which has plagued his cinema. The film overall is a mediocre war drama, with amazing action sequences, sub-standard character development, below-average performances, too much American moral propaganda and too few new ideas for it to deserve the attention it got. It is well worth watching in a big screen, but if you really want a W.W.II masterpiece go watch The Longest Day...
Rating:
Summary: Great special effects, but what about the movie?
Review: The battle scenes were spectacular, featuring the special effects as the true star of the film. Sadly, however, Saving Private Ryan was a real letdown offering very little thereafter. There is not much in the form of character or story development. Viewers won't be surprised by what transpires at the end. The film's title pretty much gives away what little plot there is. During shooting of SPR, Steven Spielberg stated that he wanted to portray the Germans in a more compassionate and humane light, something which he felt was lacking in previous WWII movies. Instead, what we get is a bunch of crazed Huns looking as though they are preparing for target practice on Jews. SPR was also plagued by numerous inaccuracies and anachronisms.... The Normandy invasion scene doesn't look Normandy, but Ireland which was where they shot that sequence. The part of the scared French girl was played by an Irish actress, and it showed. Her pronunciation of French with an Irish accent was so bad that even my French mother-in-law couldn't understand her. Where were the non-white American GI's, as bravely pointed out by a previous user? And, what were Korean War-era Tanks doing in the middle of WWII? Factor in all these elements and you end up with a very boring, unbelievable story one hour longer than it needed to be. As various Republican members in congress have been quoted of saying in their assault on Hollywood, "Steven Spielberg doesn't make good movies. He only makes big hits."
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