Band of Brothers

Our heroes deserve the best possible tribute. And that’s just what HBO did. That’s right, it’s that easy... On the other hand, it’s true that not every episode is complete genius. Some of them are “only" highly above-average, but who cares when the rest of the series is jam packed full of unforgettable moments. And not just battle moments, but primarily the human moments. ♫ OST score: 4/5 (2005-01-19)

A Saving Private Ryan movie stretched over ten hours? Nope. Because Brotherhood is better than Ryan. It goes into more depth (which makes sense given that it has so much time and characters to do so), is more believable, and especially after I read the book, it became unbeatable for me. The Tom Hanks-directed episode is clearly the best. (2009-05-05)

Amazingly shot series with the best take on the WWII that you can see. From the moment I met the cast of characters in Episode 1, I cared about all of them, and it stayed that way until the end. And on top of that a wonderful soundtrack, set design, effects, sound. This is how you properly use a generous budget. (2012-03-01)

Some of the episodes are “only” brilliant and some are downright masterpieces, especially episodes six, seven and nine: Bastogne, The Breaking Point, and Why We Fight, the last one of which took my breath away. By the way, the fifth episode, Crossroads, was directed by Tom Hanks himself and with his use of interesting cuts between two time planes and unusual camera angles he proves that he is not only a great actor but also a great director. Overall, I bow in deep respect to the people behind this ten-part work of genius, for the impeccable filmmaking, for the absence of annoying jingoism, and for the deep humanity that permeates all the episodes. Ladies and gentlemen, 5 stars is not enough in this case! (2003-07-01)

Probably the best war series or film I've ever seen. Except for minor details, it has absolutely realistic combat scenes, weaponry and equipment, a well-written script, and well-cast characters. I would never have expected to see anything like this made by the Americans. They never seem to bother with historical accuracy of combat equipment. Those who've seen Battle of the Bulge know what I'm talking about. Their strategy is the following: a tank’s a tank, and as long as it has tracks, who can tell the difference? This series shows that with a little effort they can achieve greatness. Plus, the show doesn’t just focus on combat action, it also portrays the characters very well, which makes it even better and more interesting. The only disappointment came when the final episode was over. (2016-07-21)