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Summary: Don't Be Reluctant to See These Reluctant Warriors
Review: First, I must admit to a bias: my father was a combat veteran of WW2 and I grew up in non-com military housing. I am also a former high school English teacher like John Miller, the captain of the unit who seeks out Private Ryan. So it shouldn't surprise if I say that this is the finest film of war ever made, bar none. Spielberg and company have created a new, elusive standard for all combat films to follow. I hope it indeed sets a precedent. What makes this film so good? The Amazon.com reviewer has already said much but let me add an anecdote and some parting comments. I saw this in a theatre in Honolulu at a matinee showing. I counted only three others in the theater, one of whom was wearing a VFW beret and sitting in a wheelchair in the aisle near me. Although old he did not look beaten and kept something of his once craggy features. But he wept like a lost babe through scene after scene of this film and, afterward, when I talked to him, he told me that coming to see this film was one of the most difficult things he'd ever done. This, from a man who'd seen frontline action against the Nazis near Bastogne in the winter of 1944. Still, he was immensely glad and relieved to have seen it and said he would bring all his teenage grandchildren when they came to visit him the following week. The last scene of this film will leave you speechless and if you weren't already a patriot, it will have you humming the stars and stripes as you leave the theatre. But this is not a film that glorifies war and therein lies its supremely honest strength. It shows what happens to a small band of men united by a caring captain, superbly played by Hanks, who become heroes even though they remain reluctant warriors. It is fitting and altogether uplifting that their leader is a former schoolteacher. No seeking of paths to glory here; just getting home in one piece. My father once reminded me that a true hero seldom if ever finds the need to talk about his exploits. That is certainly true of Captain John Miller and Private Ryan in this film. This is one to buy, watch with your children or grandchildren, and cherish for years to come. Yes, the first half hour is visceral and shocking, leaving nothing to fancy, but it is ungratuitous violence coupled with soul-searching and even a bit of the sublime. One of my picks for top ten films of the past century.
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Summary: It's so, so, so, so, so, so, so great! It's awesome!
Review: June 6, 1944. D-Day. The Allies launch the biggest invasion in military history as millions in war-ravaged Europe wait and hope. But even as vast armies storm the beaches, a crack unit of troops is ordered to find and retrieve one man: Private James Ryan.From Academy Award-winning director Steven Spielberg comes the World War II drama Saving Private Ryan, a co-production of DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Saving Private Ryan is a story of heroism and sacrifice set in France during and just after the D-Day invasion of World War II. On the beaches of Normandy, great military forces are converging for the battle that would decide the course of the war. But behind enemy lines, a squad of U.S. Army soldiers, led by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks), are putting their lives on the line on a perilous mission to find paratrooper James Ryan (Matt Damon). As the soldiers push deep into enemy territory, moving from one danger to the next, Captain Miller and his men find themselves questioning their orders. Why is one man worth risking eight...why is the life of this private worth more than their own? Includes an exclusive message from director Steven Spielberg.
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Summary: A Watershed in Filmmaking
Review: Looking back two years later, it is mind-boggling that "Shakespeare in Love" beat out this classic for the best picture Oscar. Whatever. "Saving Private Ryan" is clearly one of the best films ever produced and a testament to the hell those young G.I.s went through when they hit Omaha Beach in Normandy nearly 56 years ago. No film -- including this one -- can ever capture the reality of front-line combat. But no film comes closer. If you have never seen this movie, this movie is a must-see; if you don't have the DVD, this DVD is a must-have.
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Summary: It made me cry like hell. A six star movie of the decade.
Review: Thank God that I did not have to go through the horrible days of WWII. Thank Dreamworks that they show me how fortunate I am. The portrait, the story, the acting, everything is brilliant. Everything is just so real. The central theme "How come it took six men to save one?" is so meaningful. It should be shown to everyone on this Earth for peace and love's sake. Just one systematic error: It's not the Movie of the Year in Oscar.
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Summary: Gripping, moving film
Review: Like all of Steven Spielburg's movies, "Saving Private Ryan" is big. Fortunately, so is the subject matter. From the opening minutes, which detail the horror of the Normandy beaches, the movie draws you into the lives of the characters like few others. Every friend lost on screen, is also lost off the screen just a little bit. Every wound on the screen hurts, just a little bit. Speilburg does a superb job of capturing both the camraderie and pettiness of men under fire. Finally, the cinematography is superb. Aside from capturing the chaos of combat, Speilburg makes great use of tight shots to capture the odd things we focus on during times of crisis, which only enhances the humanity of the film. The DVD is likewise great; loaded with tons of interesting bonus features. This is a film that every American should see, and which every DVD collection should contain.
Rating: 
Summary: Patriotic movie with a flat predictable plot
Review: I feel like a minority in my thinking although my wife agrees with me. Saving Private Ryan's first 20 minutes is very suspenseful, if not too gory. I question the need for so much blood. Aside from that, I would have rented the movie just to see the magic in Tom Hanks acting. You get a sense of realism and fright from the moment his shaking hands open the canteen before being deployed on to the beach at Normandy. It is after this opening scene that the movie becomes drudgingly predictable. I thought that the scene with the wrong Private Ryan pretty much summed the film up. Yes, it was hard lessons that our men had to go through. And yes, grown men can break down and cry. But do we have to watch?
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Summary: Good Movie, But Unfortunately Unrealistic
Review: The beginning sequence to Saving Private Ryan was, unfortunately, the scene that was most like the actual combat of World War Two. As the movie wore on, however, the plot became increasingly unrealistic, and there were more faults. For example, one of the squad had been killed already. However, eight men are walking across a field. Also, when the men are trying to hold the bridge in the town in the main battle sequence, historical accuracy went out the window. If there was an armored column advancing on a town that had one of the only bridges on a river, the tanks would have been obliterated by fighter bombers before they got within two miles of the town. Fighters were constantly patrolling overhead for just that purpose. In other words, if the movie had been historically accurate, that battle would never have taken place. Also, when the fighter bombers did arrive to destroy the tanks and blast the German soldiers, they were P-51s. I know that I am nit-picking, but P-51s were not commonly used as tank busters. Usually, P-47 Thunderbolts were used for this role, as well as P-38 Lightnings, or Hawker Typhoons. However, I do agree that the movie succeeded in showing that war, undoubtedly, is Hell.
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Summary: The most accurate war movie EVER
Review: This movie highley impressed me. EVERYTHING about it was realistic. Even down to small deails such as in A gun shot. Seeing how A bullet hits, the damage it does to the target and the after and surounding commotion it results. I know, I have seen in person with my own eyes what an M-1 can do to flesh and bone and the all over commotion it causes. They do kick more then shown in the movie but that doesn't realey make much relevence and the buisness end was anough that I today wonder how they managed to stage such realistic shooting of living creatures without realey shooting them and I am big in to studying how they stage that kinda stuff. It also showd personality, mentality etc. in small detail of how soldiers would have behaved and took things. The lack of drama and outright realistic acting as if they had no idea that they were on camra and not in A war shocked me. This was made in respect to show the forgotton Battle Overloard ( Battle of Normandy ) as was without missing A bit of detail. The Battle overloard was an all out attack on the German forces which didn't just kinda turn the war around but actualey brought the war from German power over almost all over Europe and near concuring the world to being on their knees wear within A year of the battle, Aulph Hitler killed himself ending the war with Germany and all allies exept Japan. This battle was the most devistating and bloodie singular event in the history of mankind as it is belived by some that more have died in that battle then to have even existed in earley biblicle times. Back to the movie, today, I constantley wonder how they could have shown some of the up close seens of people dieing with granade, bullet etc. wounds without inflicting them for real. To realistc to have been computer staged. If I could ask the director one question about the movie, I would ask him how they were able to show the adolesent so realisticley bleed all over the place as his batalian desporatle tried to save him without realey inflicting thoes wounds. Simpley amasing. Only cought one error which was A mantality error at that which was the idea of storming A machine gun nest without ANYONE even noticing the fact that they had A Sniper on hand who already had A flawless history of taking out machine gun nests at that range and less commotion. Can't emagin anyone in that situation ever missing something like that. I've herd people say that the tank being able to shoot the sniper at the angel he does is A mistake but don't buy it. A tank doesn't have to accuratley aim to blow someone out of A clock tower like that and if anyone notices, all you see is him being taken up in flaimes indicating that the shot hit the tower below him. I personaley had A friend who fought in the Battle overloard. He said that it was in many cases so realistic that he occasionaley forgot that he wasn't their and the intensity of the flashbacks it caused him made him never want to see the movie again. He even expressed that some of the earlier scenes were so acurate, he belives that some of them may have been real footage cleaned up with staged sound blended in with the acting and I have heard roomer that some of the earlier scenes in the movie were in fact for real just as discribed above. This movie will get to anyones head weather A child ( A child will have nightmierors, not ideal for A child uness they have out of hand war play behavior which this will put an end to ) or an avrage teen, yung, middle age or even eldlerley person. This movie realey seporates the difrence between shooter up Rambo movies and reality. Having compared the movies and having thought about it, realisticley, I don't think that Rambo with his way of fighting would have lasted 30 seconds in that situation. I have seen alot of movies that were worked hard on to be shown as realistic and some did A good job but none ever compare to this one. It'le put some honor and real selebration back in Deliverence Day ( D Day ) with A real respect to the elderley who our yunger generation laughs at un-aware of the things that they have been through and have seen that we disastressley take for granted. I also like the attitude shown of the Germans as it kind of shallowley shows some as brain washed and yet some as terrafiedmen who didn't want to be their any more then us but had no choice in the matter and no freedom to do or say A thing about it. A comformation to the idea that wars in general on both sides are started by the bad guys and fought by the good guys. Also liked the idea of A sniper agnowladging no personal dispute for his apponets and A final prayer for hope for their souls before tragicley handing them over to their Heavenley Father. Has many good points that should tuch anyone. I can only emagin people who are sick in the head to not be tuched by this movie. I think that our country has forgotton about the truth of war and even todays American soldier are doing nothing more then bulleying other small countries around in police actions without A real threat of loss. This shows our country when we did have that threat and A situation wear structure, procidure, law and order were not to even be thought of and every man for himself which realey differs the military outlook then from now dispite the bruitality that does still happen in our military today. A great movie to put some honor and appreciation back in to life but rent it first. You may not be able to sit through it A second time.
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Summary: JCMICHAELS.COM Saving Private Ryan Review
Review: Critically acclaimed, Saving Private Ryan has turned out to be one of the most important films, along with Schindler's List in the last century. Beautifully and realistically filmed, Spielberg does an exquisite job in capturing the horror of World War II. Tom Hanks brilliantly portrays Captain John Miller, leading his men behind enemy lines in search of Private James Ryan. Sadly the special features are few and far between, but with a nearly 3-hour movie it would be difficult to fit it all on one DVD. Hopefully in the future there will be a more loaded version complete with feature length commentaries. This in no way detracts from the overall experience of the movie. Overall, it is imperative that you pick this DVD up. With the incredible transfer, sound and theme it is a must own and see by everyone.
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Summary: Best Movie Ever
Review: I personaly think that Saving Private Ryan is the best movie i have ever seen. Before i saw it I could not handle blood and gore but when my friend convinced me to see it i was not offended at all. It really gives you a feel for some of the feelings that i am sure soliders felt during the war. Excellently casted and directed, Saving Private Ryan is and forever will be the best movie I have ever seen.
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