Band of Brothers & The Pacific - WWII Mini-Series Box Set | War Drama TV Shows | Gift for History Buffs & Military Enthusiasts | Perfect for Home Theater Nights & History Classroom Discussions

It is unbelievable how well this show stands the test of time. After watching it for the first time years ago, I was astonished at the quality of the series. The acting was top notch, and many of the actors were made famous by this show. for people I had never seen or heard of, I was absolutely stunned by their performance. I think their choice to use unknown actors was for the best, because you don't go into the show with any preconceived notions, or thoughts about past roles and performances. The story doesn't pull any punches, as they did not change the truth to make a better story, the best possible story actually happened, and was told faithfully by this series. Their were a few slip ups, due mostly to conflicting accounts, but they are insignificant, and do not detract from the magnificence of this show. You can really see the relationships the soldiers had with one another. You feel their pain, sorrow and joy. There is one scene later on that really hits you hard, I won't spoil it, but you'll know it when you see it. They do not show a whole lot of most of the casualties, but this is because they obviously did not survive to tell their story as the survivors did. There is only one thing that I would have changed, and many people will disagree with me. I would have made the series longer, it is already almost 11 hours long, but I feel that trying to convey a story spanning years is extremely difficult to convey in even 30 hours. They probably had limitations, both by the material they had to work with, and from HBO, and anything longer was out of the question. The cost was already astronomical, and anything longer would have been even more expensive. I'm still in disbelief of how well they conveyed the story in the time they had, though at times I was disappointed by the gaps in the narrative, especially at Bastogne, when Doc Rowe left to help injured soldiers, and you missed much of the battle. I usually don't like shaky camera work, but I do feel it adds to this show, as it almost makes you feel like you are actually there, not just watching in your living room. The battle scenes in general were extremely well done, and were stunningly realistic and heart pounding. You held your breath when they were outnumbered, or being fired on, you sighed in relief when they made it through. The one thing it does not convey as well is the casualties, it focuses on a select few men for obvious reasons. By the end of the war, they had taken 150% casualties, a staggeringly high number. The interviews are one of my favorite parts of the series, as you can here the real heroes tell their story. It adds a surprising amount of meaning to the show, and foreshadows what is to come in the episode. The interviews, especially in episode 10 tug on your heart strings, and it just means more coming from the men who saw it themselves. They truly were the greatest generation, and this show shows you why.