Rating: Summary: Band of Brothers Review: I have seen the entire series in DVD, but in Argentina (where I live) the series is 10 episodes in 5 discs, instead of 10 espisodes in 6 discs.I tell you, this is the best film I have ever seen. When Episode 1, "Courahee", started, I could not believe what I was watching, but as the time went by, disc by disc, I became more familiar with the Band of Brothers universe. I may also tell you that the Spanish title is "Hermandad en la trinchera". Acting: 5 stars Music: 5 stars Direction: 5 stars Overall: 5 stars So, with the rank above, you see that there was no part I did not like. In my opinion, no film can capture WWII as Band of Brothers did. See ya!
Rating: Summary: Captivating and informative WWII miniseries Review: The outstanding HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers," based on the Steven Ambrose book of the same name, should be required viewing for everyone, due to its unflinching depiction of the realities of war. But this series is as captivating as it is informative, and even entertaining despite the difficult subject matter. This is the true story of the Easy Company of the 105th Airborne Division paratroopers, following their combat training, their actual combat on D-Day, at Market-Garden, the Battle of the Bulge, and their liberation of a concentration camp and control of Hitler's German mountain refuge. All of the characters are real, and are mostly played by lesser known actors. David Schwimmer of "Friends" does appear in a couple episodes as do "Saturday Night Live's" Jimmy Fallon (very briefly) and Tom Hanks' son Colin. Fans of NBC's "Boomtown" will also recognize four of the actors, especially Donnie Wahlberg and Neal McDonough, who have major roles. Each episode begins with pertinent moments from interviews with the actual surviving members of Easy Company, though they are not identified so as not to give away which characters survive the war. It takes a while, but becoming familiar with the many characters and their comaraderie for one another is what makes this series so compelling. Producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks have delivered outstanding filmmaking which will definitely remind you of "Saving Private Ryan" but improves on that film because of the depth that a miniseries allows. You will want to watch the DVD extras, especially the 80 minute documentary with the surviving soldiers, so you can see these characters as they are now in real life. The thirty minute making-of documentary is decent but not extraordinary. Actor Ron Livingston's "video diaries" for HBO take you through the ten-day "boot camp" that the actors went through before shooting, and provides some amusement, but is mainly just HBO promotional material as are the rest of the DVD extras.
Rating: Summary: If you buy only one boxed DVD set EVER,. . . Review: No doubt the story and its execution have been reviewed already, so...I've seen this series advertised on TV when it was just airing (I don't have HBO), and then forgot about it until about a month ago when we saw it in the store. Almost didn't buy it (It's pretty expensive), but rationalized the purchase somehow-- as much as you can do, walking out of the video store with a tin can full of DVD's. I gotta agree with a previous reviewer that this is one of the best purchases of this kind that we've made. It's that good. At the end you'll know each soldier by name. And you'll actually WANT to see the extra stuff that's in the last disc.
Rating: Summary: One of the most realistic portrayals of World War II ! Review: Not all of my elderly, veteran friends are around to appreciate this miniseries (including a father), but the few left to represent the others have given their enthusiastic approval. "We Were Soldiers" tried to "get it right" about Vietnam in a way "Band of Brothers" seems to "get it right" about World War II. To quote "Saving Private Ryan" there was plenty of army bureaucracy "F.U.B.A.R." to go around, but then there was the camaraderie among the soldiers themselves to counterbalance everything. I got your back and you have my back is an experience where race, religion, politics and other differences melt away. The foxhole religion is to pray to any god that will listen as desperately as possible. If your buddy is Catholic and has his rosary out, you simply grab lower on the chain of beads and follow his lead. It is the FORMAT of how the European experience of World War II is presented that is so impressive, starting with the interview with actual veterans before each episode. Each episode focuses on one young actor and solidier's story at a time. I sincerely hope there is a sequel about the Pacific Theatre of war. I would especially like to see this done about the Navaho Codetalkers, as "Windtalkers" simply did not do justice to this rich story. Hopefully, this can be done while there are still veteran Codetalkers alive to be interviewed.
Rating: Summary: One of the best DVD collections ever Review: I just want to say that this was one of the best purchases I have ever made. HBO has done a teriffic job in bringing home the emotions that were felt by those who fought in world war II. Thank you
Rating: Summary: Great story of some of the first and best commandos... Review: First, a quick rejoinder to the bitter people from Sweden and Germany who seem to base their reviews not on the content of the DVD, but on resentment that the US was on the winning side of WWII. I am not sure how we can deal with the fact that this is a "typical" US war movie with the US winning the war in the end. As it stands, we've won more than we've lost, so our war movies tend to be about a winning effort. On the other hand, our experience in Viet Nam has been thoroughly dramatized for the cinema, too. So, we have spent as much time examining our successes as our failures. And we have known war on our shores as millions were involved in the American Civil War. Not to mention a recent attack that killed 4,000 of our civilians who were not combatants in any way. Band of Brothers does portray scenes such as looting and the killing of POWs. Some of it was by Americans, some by the French. This is to show that the American and allied troops were not saints. It is an honest assessment of the behavior of our fighting men and women. As for the people who called Lt. Spiers a war criminal, they missed the entire essence of what the movie was saying: Spiers never killed those POWs, nor did he kill one of his own men, as was rumored. He allowed the rumors to persist because it made him feared. His well documented and well-witnessed exploits in combat are why he was a hero. Perhaps someday Germans will be honest enough to give us an honest portrayal of the less savory activities of their men in uniform during the second World War, complete with the murder of defenseless civilians, especially the Jews. Yes, we portray the Germans as sometimes being inept. In other movies, we portray the Americans as being inept. In this DVD set, we portray a British tank commander as being inept. There was no shortage of ineptitude on any side of the war. The fact that the particular unit was highly trained and was competent militarily, is no reason for apology. So, in a word, if you expect us to be sorry that we won, and that we stopped the spread of Nazism, and the extermination of the Jews, sorry. We just don't feel that way. We won, Europe is free as a result. Deal with it. If you dealt with the shortcomings of the German military in the frank and honest manner that US issues have been portrayed, you'd have more than enough national shame to last the rest of the 1000 year reich. As for the DVDs, they are magnificent and as good a job of depicting the books as I can imagine. I had no idea that the airborne had origins in the best trained soldiers America produced in WWII. That they trained for 2 straight years before seeing combat is an indication of how thoroughly prepared these men were. As a paratrooper during the cold war, I never had an inkling of the incredible origins of the original parachute infantry regiments. They are much closer to Airborne Rangers than to today's 82nd Airborne. Or, perhaps I should say, the Airborne Rangers are closer to them. The DVDs are fascinating first and foremost because it portrays the humanity of the men involved. They had lives before and after the war. They had families, they had friends. As I read the book, the movie is very realistically portrayed. Criticisms about the DVDs in terms of realism have been petty at best. This is a very, very well done cinematic achievement. Sorry about the rant, but it seems that euro-trash never misses an opportunity to try and tear down our country. Envy. That's all it could possibly be. Envy and knowledge of their inadequacy. And perhaps some introspection as to why they were willing to let Saddam kill 200,000 a year, while doing nothing, then cursed the brave men and women who put Saddam's regime to and end.
Rating: Summary: Band of Brothers Review: This production may not be 100% accurate as commented in other reviews, but seeing this film and the real persons who participated in this drama sends chills up my spine. Most of those who criticize this production probably have never experienced how intense the sacrifice our GIs made in doing their duty. I am in awe and very proud of all of these men as portrayed in the film. My father spent about 13,000 hours in the Army Air Corps during WWII and let me tell you, there is a lot to be believed here 1st hand. We are in the midst of another confligration in the middle east and all of us must remember the "WHY" Americans do these things. If there are those out there who are not proud of the "WHY", I am sorry. I am sure God will bless our actions. Let's not forget.
Rating: Summary: The T-34 tank.. Review: Does that work for you? The people who say this movie isn't good all use the exact same reason. They get offended because it didn't include their grandfather's regiment or whatever or they didn't cover the battles in Poland. Well, the 101st couldn't be everywhere now could they? THIS IS AN EXACT HISTORY OF THE 101ST AIRBORNE, 506 PIR. End of story. Get over yourself. This is a great movie.
Rating: Summary: one of the best wwii films/series of all time Review: i must say that i enjoyed band of brothers as much, or even more, than stephen ambrose's book. each episode was very true to the written and oral accounts depicted in ambrose's book, and added the theatrical element that one really needs to visualize the events encompassing 101st/506th PIR during wwii. i highly recommend the series to anyone interested in wwii history, but more to those who are interested in the personal stories of war (as seen in ambrose's other books: d-day, citizen soldiers, band of brothers, and others). in response to the others that labeled this masterpiece as "american propoganda", this is probably more of a blacklash against the current state of affairs in world politics, and one thing these people forget is that this series as based entirely on primary sources-- actual soldiers giving written and oral accounts of the war from their perspective. OF COURSE this account will have the point of view from the american GI... thats a given. but to blatantly disregard this miniseries as hollywood hand-waving and propoganda ignores the fact that this series isn't about giving a history lesson to children. it's about sharing the stories from individual soldiers concerning their experiences of warfare, and providing that in a way that individuals from around the globe can understand. disregarding their stories would be like ignoring the tremendous sacrifices the american GIs gave to liberating much of europe during the 40s.
Rating: Summary: more of a letter to the polish guy Review: at least if america was invaded it would take them longer to capture one city than it took the germans to capture all of poland. And yes we have been invaded by the british in the american revolution. And by the north in the civil war.and if we were invaded we would be fighting instead of playing the piano.
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