Pacific, The (BD) [Blu-ray]

For the past fifty years, the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II has never been given the "definitive" treatment. Now, there have been some very good movies made about the events of the Pacific War ("Letters from Iwo Jima" and the underrated "The Great Raid" are two very fine films), but none (save for maybe "The Great Raid") have really captured the full brutality, realism and heroism that shaped the war in the Pacific. But all that finally changes with "The Pacific," the ten-part miniseries from executive producers Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman, the men who brought us the award-winning "Band of Brothers," the definitive look at combat in Europe.Whereas the European and Pacific wars were vastly different entities unto themselves, the producers chose to take a different approach to "The Pacific" than was taken with "Band of Brothers." While the previous miniseries focused on the camaraderie that forms between men during war, this one focuses on the brutality of war, and how it affects the individual. It focuses on three Marines: Eugene Sledge, Robert Leckie and "Manila John" Basilone, and their actions in battles at places named Guadalcanal, New Britain, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and how the war changed their lives forever.Does the new miniseries achieve the same power and gravitas that its sister miniseries did? It does come very close. The only thing that keeps it from becoming a perfect companion to "Band of Brothers" is the first four episodes of the series. Although very good, there are a few minor problems with them. Unlike the previous miniseries, which gave us a chance to get to know the men before throwing them into battle, we are briefly introduced to the characters before quickly being thrown into the conflict. So there really isn't a lot of emotional connection with the characters at first. Also, episode three of the program, a look at the 1st Marine Division's time in Australia during R&R after Guadalcanal, provides the series' real weak point. Although a pretty good episode, was there really need for an entire hour devoted to the break between battles?However, things take a turn for the excellent with episode five, the beginning of a three-episode arc about the Battle of Peleliu, a battle unfamiliar to those who have not read either Sledge's or Leckie's memoirs, or frequent the History Channel. It is hear that the show finally achieves the quality of "Band of Brothers." The battle scenes go from great to fantastic, bringing us into the hell of the battle, and the challenges those men faced.Episode Eight of the series, one of the more mixed-reviewed episodes, is actually a well-written and performed episode that looks at the relationship between Basilone and Lena Riggi, the woman whom he marries before shipping out to Iwo Jima. While some people complained at the fact they focused on the love story, what sets this one apart from films such as "Pearl Harbor" or "From Here to Eternity" is that the love story isn't a flight of fancy; it actually happened. And as Tom Hanks said in an interview, "it's damned good drama," and really helps us to feel an emotional connection with Basilone as he leaves the love of his life to return to the war effort, and his fate at the Battle of Iwo Jima.The penultimate episode of the series, Episode Nine, looks at the battle of Okinawa, and proves to be the series' best. Of the twenty episodes made of "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific," this is by far the most harrowing, graphic, and emotionally-draining episode, throwing us into a hell we could scarcely imagine. The final episode of the series shows the men return home, and the challenges they faced while readjusting to civilian life after the horrors they faced on the islands of the Pacific, and provides a powerful sendoff to this incredible series.As a whole, "The Pacific" is the definitive look at combat in the Pacific Theater of World War II. It shows the absolute horror that these men faced fighting an enemy that they didn't understand, on islands never heard of before. Most important of all, you get a real sense of the brutality of that war, and the sacrifices these men made upon the altar of freedom. "The Pacific" is a near-perfect companion piece to "Band of Brothers," and one that will change the way one sees how that war was fought, and its impact on the participants!Program/Blu-ray Grade: A

Tom Hanks and Spielberg hit it out of the park again with another fantastic homage to the heroes and experiences of WW2. It's worth noting that even though it's a WW2 drama, it's different from Band of Brothers in almost every way possible. Band of Brothers, in my mind, is a celebration of the brotherhood and courage of Easy Company 101st Airborne. It gives a glimpse into the heroism and resolve of the soldiers who endured some of the worst that the American forces faced in the war in Europe from DDay, Carentan, Market Garden, Bastogne, and a few other key engagements.The Pacific continues the trend of a character driven narrative with high production value but tells a much darker and more abysmal story of the horrors that the 1st Marines faced at Guadalcanal, Peleleiu, Okinawa, and Iwo Jima. The supporting cast is rather large, though the main focus of this series is on 3 particular individuals; Bob Leckie, John Basalone, and Eugene Sledge - the material for most of the series was taken from Bob Leckie's autobiography "Helmet for my Pillow" and Eugene Sledge's autobiography "With the Old Breed: at Peleliu and Okinawa". While there are some scenes which visually romanticize the American vision of the rugged bare-chested marine fighting the "Japs" in the pacific - the charm is quickly overshadowed by the horrors of the non-conventional warfare our marines faced in the Pacific theatre. The Japanese warriors who engaged in night attacks, banzai bayonet charges, and suicide attacks are portrayed in a very dark and terrifying manner that definitely does justice to the brutality of the combat which took place. While Hollywood typically demonizes America's enemies in these sorts of features - the writers did a good job of respecting the Japanese as people and giving an accurate portrayal of the motivations of combatants on both sides of the conflict.What this series does that Band of Brothers didn't is show the difficulties of the soldiers who returned from the war and the mental toll that the war in the Pacific took on them. There are some scenes that are real tear-jerkers, having felt especially bonded to the characters and their experiences.While I think I prefer Band of Brothers if I had to pick a favorite, I still greatly admire The Pacific as a spectacle that stands on its own. It shares a very different story than Band of Brothers and I would highly recommend.Note: This series is especially violent and gratuitous in its portrayal of many of the themes of the war in the pacific. Everything from the violence, the language, and the sexual content is quite R-rated so this might not be the most appropriate for younger audiences.

A great series and immensely entertaining! As a big fan of HBO's "Band of Brothers" I was excited to learn that there would be a new mini-series about the Marines in the Pacific Campaign of WWII. My father was a Marine Corps officer (between Korea & Vietnam) and told me many a story growing up of the battles and strategies he had studied about the USMC island warfare of WWII. To see visually what these men (some of them really just teenage kids) went through is awe inspiring and terrifying at the same time. The horrors of war has been well portrayed in modern film making (Saving Private Ryan, Fury, Lone Survivor, Black Hawk Down, etc.) and this follows that gritty, realistic style. My only complaint about the series as a whole is that the synergy of the series didn't feel as woven through from beginning to end as Band of Brothers. Of course much of that is perhaps due to the fact that the European and Pacific fronts were totally different animals. And this is even pointed out to a degree in the final episode of The Pacific when the cab driver (who evidently served in the Army in Europe) refused to take Leckie's money and says "at least I got some liberties in London and Paris - you Gy-rines got nothing but jungle rot and malaria. Welcome Home." Fighting the Japanese Imperial Army in the tight spaces and hostile environments of all those Pacific islands was much different than battling the German Army in the wide open spaces of Europe. Still for both - war is hell on earth. The wrap up at the end of seeing the photos and stories of the real characters was great - much like Band of Brothers. Great appreciation to all who serve and have served our country's armed services! And "Semper Fi" to all USMC men and women!!