Band of Brothers

[Destroyer]

wow this movie(mini series) is soo damn good. Im in the process of watching it just watched parts 1-8 out of 10.
I give it 10/10.
Superb
what did you guys think of it?

[Paroxysm]

It's very saving private ryan'ish isn't it? That's why I never watched it.

[Grande 3:16]

I only saw bits and pieces of it. Didn't really seem to give you anyone to cheer for, everyone's as bad as each other (which was possibly their intention).

[December Man]

It's very saving private ryan'ish isn't it? That's why I never watched it.

Umm... No.

[jimbob]

its gritty, gory, intens emotional stuff. i love it. one of the best miniseries ever.

although some episodes are too difficult to watch like the one were they find the concentration camp.

[crunchy superman]

Best miniseries ever made - bar none!!

[hiob]

funny, just bought the box earlier today, it´s really awesome.

also i haven´t seen the concentration camp episode yet, i guess they haven´t showed it in german television.

[jimbob]

the concentrationcamp episode is episode 7 or 8, i think its "the breaking point" but i`m not entirely sure.

the box set is awesome. :) i own it too.

[Bludd]

It's very saving private ryan'ish isn't it? That's why I never watched it.

You should. Band of Brothers is awesome.

[The Count]

The series is good overall, but the first episode "Currahee" is quite terrible and boring, David Schwimmer sucks ass as a drill instructor... :)
The most impressive scene IMO is the nightly bombing of the dark winter forest in the ardennes when the scene gets only lit by constant detonations of heavy artillery shelling and helpless men get literally torn apart. That is one of the best portrayals of war as hell I`ve ever seen :insomnia:

[Sang]

I've only seen a few episodes of it on TV but it seemed interesting. I've only seen that concentration camp episode and a part of the Ardennes episode :)

[ishak540m]

I can't wait for the Pacific Theater Series.

[The Count]

There will be a Band of Brothers series USA vs. Japan ?

[ishak540m]

yep. http://www.the-pacific-war.com/

[The Count]

cool, I`m lookin` forward to that :)

hmmm, I couldn`t find any information about air dates so I just checked the forum over there - seems like the realization of this ambitious project is still undecided, obviously because it`s gonna cost a shitload of money and Hanks and Spielberg are occupied with other stuff right now :(

[Bludd]

The series is good overall, but the first episode "Currahee" is quite terrible and boring, David Schwimmer sucks ass as a drill instructor... :)


I disagree. I think it is a great episode and David portrays the role of ineffective jerk officer very well.

[The Count]

I disagree. I think it is a great episode and David portrays the role of ineffective jerk officer very well.

Oh well. First there`s no battle in "Currahee", this sucks :tinyted: :)
and I`m not a Schwimmer fan, always have to think of "Friends" (pun intended :haha: ) when I see him

[December Man]

the box set is awesome. :) i own it too.

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3752/image000ci8.jpg

:woot: :D

(took a picture with my phone)

[Bludd]

Oh well. First there`s no battle in "Currahee", this sucks :tinyted: :)


So? It can be regarded as a setup episode where we get to know most of the main characters and their beginning trust and admiration for Winters.

[FullMetalJacket]

Oh well. First there`s no battle in "Currahee", this sucks :tinyted: :)
and I`m not a Schwimmer fan, always have to think of "Friends" (pun intended :haha: ) when I see him


Actually, I think Currahee was my favorite episode. The training was very realistic and we pretty much do exactly the same stuff today, except for the bit where they didn't let the Legs drink water during the run. That was unsafe BS and the Army's learned from that mistake.

Drill instructors are always a hoot.

And so what if there's no battle in it? It's all about the character development. Just look at The Deer Hunter. There's no real battles in it, per se-- it basically consists of an hour-long wedding scene followed by two hours of people playing Russian Roulette, yet it's considered one of the greatest "war movies" ever made. I personally think it's overrated, but it's definitely a well-made film and an effective character study with lots of allegories.

Ditto for Apocalypse Now. Apart from the infamous Ride of the Valkyries scene, there's no battles. And if you watch the Redux, the 3 and a half hours of riding downstream in a PT boat are supplemented by another half hour of political musings at the French plantation. Yet it's also considered one of the greatest "war movies" ever.

And look at Full Metal Jacket. The first half of the film (and unquestionably the superior half) consists of nothing but training, and the second half is basically a hunt for a single sniper. No real "large scale" battles to speak of.

Really, the only war film I can think of that's been made recently that actually has a ton of battles in it is Windtalkers...and even though I adore John Woo, he's not in top form here.

[Paroxysm]

And if you watch the Redux, the 3 and a half hours of riding downstream in a PT boat are supplemented by another half hour of political musings at the French plantation. Yet it's also considered one of the greatest "war movies" ever.

Redux isn't considered so highly. Infact many, including myself, have used the word abortion when reviewing it. The original is gold though :p

[Hudson]

BoB is a great series, almost perfectly executed.

Apoc Now is a masterpiece as it is, I agree with Paroxysm. We never needed a "Redux"

[Daveman]

the concentrationcamp episode is episode 7 or 8, i think its "the breaking point" but i`m not entirely sure.

The Concentration Camp episode is called "Why we fight." I think "The Breaking Point" was one of the Battle of the Bulge episodes.

I love Band of Brothers. Absolutely fantastic and true to Stephen Ambrose's book. I can't think of a single reason why anyone should not enjoy it.


Really, the only war film I can think of that's been made recently that actually has a ton of battles in it is Windtalkers...and even though I adore John Woo, he's not in top form here.
Oh, man what a bad movie that was. That wasn't a WWII movie, that was First Blood with a different setting. Absolutely terrible movie. :mryuck:

[Grande 3:16]

Oh, man what a bad movie that was. That wasn't a WWII movie, that was First Blood with a different setting. Absolutely terrible movie. :mryuck:Mega disappointment, considering the talent involved. :(

They took serious subject matter and just turned it into a blow-stuff-up movie.

[Wamplet]

I liked it and have been watching it a bit when i can.

The part i always remember is when those guys are near the hill and taking out the Germans at the big guns in the trenches and blow them up.

[Gatinater]

I like it. It's not all hollywooded up with a hero. It captures the essence of war. Nobody wants to be there nor is anyone enjoying it. Friendlys accidently get killed and often soldiers die in vain. Men are enemys not by choice, rather because of politics. Being a soldier is a profession, a job. You're employed to complete an objective and that's it.

People are fascinated with World War Two because it was the last true war and it put a toll on the soldiers. It was about following orders. Most German soldiers weren't bad, most of them didn't have anything against the Allies nor anyone person. They had no choice. Either follow the orders of Hitler and his admin or be executed or thrown into one of the labor camps to be starved and worked to death. So Allied forces were racing against time. Trying to get Hitler and his loyal administration taken out to free the people and stop the genocide.

It was essentially a huge hostage rescue. Everyone there was a hostage, Not only prisoners but also soldiers.

I have a GM Inland division M1 Carbine. It's in really nice shape. My favorite carbine.

[jimbob]

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3752/image000ci8.jpg

(took a picture with my phone)

:woot: here`s mine. and a pic of my desktop too :p

http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/3378/bob2iz8.th.jpg (http://img165.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bob2iz8.jpg)
http://img473.imageshack.us/img473/2500/bob1qr6.th.jpg (http://img473.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bob1qr6.jpg)

[The Count]

So? It can be regarded as a setup episode where we get to know most of the main characters and their beginning trust and admiration for Winters.

I know its function as an introduction but I didn`t like Currahee so much simply because I found the characters not worked out enough yet and dialogues were often too close to a friggin` tv-soap. Characters get better during the series though and thankfully they didn`t recreate a pathetic ass such as the sharp shooter in Private Ryan who constantly mumbles bible quotes when killing. I was quite relieved when the moron was finally taken out by a german tank :) - though it`s probably technically impossible to shoot a heavy grenade at that angle from the ground up to a church tower... :confused:
Back to BoB: The exciting and realistic, sometimes gory battle scenes are the salt in the soup during the first six episodes. The last four episodes don`t contain much fighting anymore or no battle at all because of the allied victory, but I can enjoy them much more than Currahee. The characters are much better developed by now and I can identify myself at least with some of them and their reflections of what they have encountered and how it influenced them personally.

[FullMetalJacket]

Characters get better during the series though and thankfully they didn`t recreate a pathetic ass such as the sharp shooter in Private Ryan who constantly mumbles bible quotes when killing. I was quite relieved when the moron was finally taken out by a german tank :) - though it`s probably technically impossible to shoot a heavy grenade at that angle from the ground up to a church tower... :confused:


How's he a pathetic ass? Lots of people turn to religion in times of stress, and being a Christian he probably felt that every kill was a sin. I'm not even religious and I can identify with that.

And the tank doesn't fire grenades, it fires shells, and the church tower wouldn't have been a difficult target. The Tiger tank was outfitted with an 8.8cm gun that, according to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KwK_36) "was amongst the most effective and feared tank guns of its time. It was also extremely accurate and had a very flat trajectory which resulted in that if the range to the target was incorrectly estimated the gun could usually still hit the target at some point. In British firing trials during the war, a British gunner scored five successive hits from 1,200 yards at a 16x18" target."

[Daveman]

How's he a pathetic ass? Lots of people turn to religion in times of stress, and being a Christian he probably felt that every kill was a sin. I'm not even religious and I can identify with that.
Uhhhh...that wasn't the point of his complaint, nor the reason the character was so zealous in the movie.

He was complaining because the character is a stupid ridiculous archetype with no place in a realistic war movie. The character has no depth other than to be a "badass" and a "good old boy". He doesn't "feel that every kill is a sin," he considers himself a holy warrior of Jesus Christ the one true lord born of the Virgin Mary the perfect vessel, etc. There's no character development whatsoever so he's not really a character at all, just something that makes teenage boys say "BADASS!"

[FullMetalJacket]

If you say so.

[hiob]

If you say so.

damn you´re "BADASS" :p
oh and i fully agree with everything Daveman said

[The Count]

How's he a pathetic ass? Lots of people turn to religion in times of stress, and being a Christian he probably felt that every kill was a sin.
What Daveman said. Just look at the opening scene when the soldiers in the boats are heading for omaha beach. Sniper Jackson is the only one who doesn`t show any signs of fear. Instead he`s emphatically kissing his crucifix like a pumped up crusade warrior.

The Tiger tank was outfitted with an 8.8cm gun that, according to wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KwK_36) "was amongst the most effective and feared tank guns of its time.
Jackson in the bell tower wasn`t killed by a tiger tank. It was clearly some kind of panther. The tank that leads the final attack of the Germans shortly before the end is a tiger (though its appearance historically wasn`t fully accurate, Spielberg actually had to use a modified russian T34).

[Gatinater]

About the training.. You forget it was about 60 years ago and they are Rangers. There is no such thing as a cowardly or cry baby Ranger. That's why those movies are always a hoot for me.

Ranger instrucors are horrible. Everything they do is an attempt to terrorize you. They do it for a reason. To make em tough. If you don;t like Ranger school drop out and transfer to a safer profession.

Rangers are Elite and they won't accept anyone without the potential to be. By the time you come out of there you fear nothing. No amount of intimidation or gunfire can meaure up to the hell ranger school will put through.

Rangers lead the way. They are the Army's Marines. They are going send you charging up a beach to take out emplacements and the fact is so many of you are going to be cut down before success. Simple to be a ranger your only priority in life is the objective and whatever it takes to complete it. That's what makes a ranger different from all other. No surrender, No Fear, No abandonment. You will will not lose the objective, you will fail. Death comes before your defeat and you do not leave men behind.

[Destroyer]

It's very saving private ryan'ish isn't it? That's why I never watched it.

no saving private ryan was about 1 mission, in this you get to see the journey of a group of men throughout the entire war.
I highly recommend this.

[Paroxysm]

I'm referring to how it's pressented, not the narrative.

[jimbob]

I'm referring to how it's pressented, not the narrative.

in a way, its much more grittier though.

[hiob]

i wouldn´t say it´s like Ryan, it stays close to the book and it´s not directed by Spielberg (thank god)

[Kev_Boy]

Band Of Brothers started off really good.
But the final few episodes sucked! :(

[hiob]

i disagree the concentration camp episode "Why we fight" and the last episode were great.

[Kev_Boy]

Shows how opinions differ, that's cool :)
To me they were long, drawn out and seemed like they were stretching the show as much as they could.

[Bludd]

Heh, Kev. The series was supposed to be 10 episodes long. I found the last episode to be a nice wrap-up.

[Dan the Man]

Band of Brothers is great and I love my tin boxed set. End of discussion.