The Pacific (HBO Miniseries)

[daisho2004]

OK I just finished watching this series that was on HBO, and I thought it was an excellent series. The Battle scenes were some of the most graphic I have ever seen in a WWII movie at times it seems a little slow when there not in combat, but you have to take in account that this was a true story based on the lives of a certain group of Marines. But when the action was under way all I can say was WOW. If you enjoyed Band of Brothers and are a History buff then this is a must add to your collection.

Amazon.com

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg have long since shown that they can spin a good World War II yarn. But while their previous collaborations (Saving Private Ryan, which they starred in and directed, respectively, and Band of Brothers, for which they were part of the producing team) were set in Europe, The Pacific is their first look at the conflict with the Japanese on the other side of the world--and the two executive producers, along with an outstanding cast, an able crew, and a slew of top-notch writers and directors, have done a superb job. In making a 10-episode HBO miniseries (on five discs, with a sixth containing bonus material) that combines real events and participants with other dramatic elements newly created for the project, the filmmakers took a personal, experiential approach, focusing in particular on three marines, all of them real individuals: Robert Leckie (played by James Badge Dale), an aspiring writer who sees his first action at Guadalcanal, falls in love while on leave in Australia, and later suffers serious war wounds; John Balisone (Jon Seda), who performs heroically at Guadalcanal, earns a Medal of Honor, and is then sent home to help sell war bonds, only to return to action at Iwo Jima; and Eugene Sledge (Joseph Mazzello), who enlists later than the others, but not too late to witness and take part in some unimaginable horrors (books written by Sledge and Leckie about their experiences were used as source material for the miniseries). Of course, no one who's never been in combat can understand what it's really like, but through these three, and other men as well, we get some idea of the debilitating effects of war, both physical and psychological, and how those who managed to survive it might cope. As Leckie would write, "There are things men can do to one another that are sobering to the soul. It is one thing to reconcile these things with God, but another to square them with yourself."

A number of episodes depict the characters at home, on leave, or otherwise away from the field of battle, but the greatest impact comes from the extraordinarily powerful fighting scenes in which the marines--exhausted, half-starving, riddled with malaria, and enduring the appalling conditions (from extreme heat to relentless, torrential downpours) of an impenetrable, unforgiving jungle--battle an implacable, fanatical foe who would much rather die than surrender or be taken prisoner. A sequence in Part Five, when we're with Sledge as he lands at Peleliu for his first real action, is especially gripping; battles at night and in the rain at Cape Gloucester in Part Four, on Iwo Jima in Part Eight, and on Okinawa in Part Nine are also wrenching, but really, all the fighting sequences manage to convey the sheer, visceral terror the men experienced. To the filmmakers' credit, a number of real WWII veterans are on hand to share their memories, both in a 49-minute featurette on disc 6 and during the short introductions to each episode narrated by Hanks. Other extras include a 22-minute "making of" piece and a brief but interesting description of the cultural differences that made the conflict between the Japanese and the Americans even more brutal than it might have been. Kudos also go to the packaging and design of the boxed set; the menus are easily navigable, offering a synopsis of each episode. --Sam Graham

Product Description

The Pacific is an epic 10-part miniseries that delivers a realistic portrait of WWII's Pacific Theatre as seen through the intertwined odysseys of three U.S. Marines - Robert Leckie, John Basilone and Eugene Sledge. The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal, through the impenetrable rainforests of Cape Gloucester, across the blasted coral strongholds of Peleliu, up the black sand terraces of Iwo Jima, through the killing fields of Okinawa, to the triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after V-J Day. The viewer will be immersed in combat through the intimate perspective of this diverse, relatable group of men pushed to the limit in battle both physically and psychologically against a relentless enemy unlike any encountered before.

[sen_pai]

Yeah, I would recommend it. It has top notch action and special effects.

The bad thing is that the story isn't all that great. They did a poor job connecting you with the characters. There were some episodes that just had a lot of nonsense talking and character developing that just didn't matter.

Though the action was good, it was stupid how it was mostly focused on the Americans. In short, it was like a bunch of white guys running around getting blown up. You saw very little from the Japanese side. You see Americans getting shot at and being blown up...but you don't see much on the Japanese side doing the shooting. I guess one way of looking at it is that they were trying to make you feel like you were running with the Americans.

Just watch it for the action and special effects. I would rent/borrow/download it. I would not buy it. There's so much good...and so much wrong with it. I can't add that to the collection.

[daisho2004]

sen_pai: I will agree with you on that. I was hoping to see more from the Japanese side as well but you didn't. In Band of Brothers it was almost the samething you really didn't see nothing on the German side yes you did see them interact during battle scenes. But nothing of them talking about strategic battle plans. But Band of Brothers is still an awesome series no matter how you look at it.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

Yeah, I would recommend it. It has top notch action and special effects.

The bad thing is that the story isn't all that great. They did a poor job connecting you with the characters. There were some episodes that just had a lot of nonsense talking and character developing that just didn't matter.

Though the action was good, it was stupid how it was mostly focused on the Americans. In short, it was like a bunch of white guys running around getting blown up. You saw very little from the Japanese side. You see Americans getting shot at and being blown up...but you don't see much on the Japanese side doing the shooting. I guess one way of looking at it is that they were trying to make you feel like you were running with the Americans.

Just watch it for the action and special effects. I would rent/borrow/download it. I would not buy it. There's so much good...and so much wrong with it. I can't add that to the collection.

That would be pretty neat if they went that way like when Clint Eastwood did two sides of the war, Flags Of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima....