The Pacific

[Willravel]

About 10 years ago, HBO greenlit a series produced most notably by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks about a company of soldiers in the European theater, based on a book by Stephen Ambrose. It was, by most accounts, a smashing success, winning numerous awards and setting the bar for miniseries. To this day, Band of Brothers is arguably the best war drama to have ever been on television.

It seems that we're going to be treated to a sequel. The Pacific started shooting back in 2007 and is expected to air some time next year. Much like Band of Brothers, The Pacific will follow among others the 1st Marine division in the Pacific theater in battles such as Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, and Okinawa. And Iwo Jima. It's based on two memoirs, With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge and Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie.

Below is the first trailer:


I'm really looking forward to this. If The Pacific is anything like Band of Brothers, we're in for something great.

[silent_jay]

Fuckin excited for this. Loved Band of Brothers and can't wait for The Pacific to come out. Been following this bad boy on various sites since I heard about it, can't wait.

[Baraka_Guru]

I really need to see Band of Brothers. I picked it up for my brother-in-law for Christmas last year because I read and heard so many good things about it. Now here is another reason.

[Willravel]

Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru

I really need to see Band of Brothers. I picked it up for my brother-in-law for Christmas last year because I read and heard so many good things about it. Now here is another reason.

It's really outstanding, I highly recommend it.

[silent_jay]

Originally Posted by Willravel

It's really outstanding, I highly recommend it.

Another recommendation here.

[yournamehere]

I'd recommend the book, too. Steven E Ambrose was a great writer. Read his books D Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II and Citizen Soldiers: The U. S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany, too if you get the chance.

He was a very prolific writer who wrote several other books about WW II, and some good historical accounts of Lewis & Clark; and Custer & Crazy Horse.

BTW - Great trailer. Thanks, Willravel

[Grasshopper Green]

Band of Brothers is, by far, my favorite filmed war experience (the book is also awesome, just like yournamehere said). I might have to break down and buy HBO for awhile because I am so excited for this new miniseries.

[Willravel]

Originally Posted by Grasshopper Green

Band of Brothers is, by far, my favorite filmed war experience (the book is also awesome, just like yournamehere said). I might have to break down and buy HBO for awhile because I am so excited for this new miniseries.

Aww, not necessarily. Just promise to buy the DVDs when they come out.

[silent_jay]

Originally Posted by Willravel

Aww, not necessarily. Just promise to buy the DVDs when they come out.

That's what I did, aquired them as they come out week to week then bought the DVDs, which is odd, I usually don't but any DVDs but Band Of Brothers was just so damn good I had to have them.

[silent_jay]

Alright, so part one premiered last night, and lived up to all expectations I had set for this series.

Visually it looks beautiful, the colours, costumes, settings, everything. Characters seem just as easy to cheer on, much like BoB was, although I find myself constantly waiting for Nixon to show up looking for Winters. The first battle scenes were intense, and they're making sure to show the inner conflict of the soldiers who thought they'd be home in a year, but are quickly figuring out it's going to be more difficult that that.

All around an excellent start to the series, and what looks to be another winner. Hope they can sort out a theme for another series after this, as long as they keep the same quality I'm up for it.

[Jinn]

I watched it last night as well. A bit drawn out in dialogue in the first part, but then again so was Band of Brothers and it was exceptional. I liked it quite a bit, and the 'Alligator Canal' scene and its aftermath were rather intense, even for my not-so-virgin eyes.

[yournamehere]

I'm waiting to see how the two miniseries compare in their story-telling. BOB started slowly (Curahee), exposing us to the main characters and what bonded them. It looks like The Pacific will be concentrating on only 3 main characters - one of whom hasn't even gone to boot camp yet. I don't expect them to be copies of each other, so I guess I'm anticipating how the differences will unfold. From what I remember of an HBO trailer, I think they're devoting 3 entire episodes to the battle for Peleliu.

It already looks like the "man's inhumanity to man" theme will be prominent (isn't all war inhumane?) The trailers all focus on how the U.S. and Japanese soldiers both viewed the others as inferior and subhuman.

I'm not going to make the same mistake I made with BOB - All episodes of The Pacific are going straight to DVD on Monday mornings.

[Pearl Trade]

The theme I gathered was life and death, along with the struggles in between. I thought it looked great last night. The part where the Japanese soldier was getting picked off by the Americans in the river. Heart wrenching to say the least. Seems it'll stick to history very nicely. I'm excited to see the show progress, they made the characters easy to follow. Producers didn't pull any pucnhes, they made it what the Pacific stage was, gruesome and violent.

[yournamehere]

Thought I'd give this a bump since we're past the third episode. I must say - as much as I want to like it, I'm not too impressed with it so far. In the last episode, I realize that there was almost a year's lapse between Guadalcanal and the push up the Solomons, but did they have to dedicate an entire episode to the break? If I got a lot more insight into some characters' personalities, I could see it. But I didn't. The only insight I got was that while the Marines were in Australia on a break, many Australians were dying fighting the Japanese in China, and a girl was afraid to get involved with Leckie because she was afraid he'll die.

I realize that to be a good episode, it does not necessarily have to always be about the fighting, but am I missing something, or is this just not good story telling? Is the fact that each episode has a different director hurting it?

What's your take on it?

[Leto]

Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru

I really need to see Band of Brothers. I picked it up for my brother-in-law for Christmas last year because I read and heard so many good things about it. Now here is another reason.

Rogers had the first episode on demand last month (HBO Canada) but it has not continued with the rest. That pisses me off. So I have borrowed BoB from a work buddy and will embark on a marathon this weekend.

[Reese]

Originally Posted by yournamehere

Thought I'd give this a bump since we're past the third episode. I must say - as much as I want to like it, I'm not too impressed with it so far. In the last episode, I realize that there was almost a year's lapse between Guadalcanal and the push up the Solomons, but did they have to dedicate an entire episode to the break? If I got a lot more insight into some characters' personalities, I could see it. But I didn't. The only insight I got was that while the Marines were in Australia on a break, many Australians were dying fighting the Japanese in China, and a girl was afraid to get involved with Leckie because she was afraid he'll die.

I realize that to be a good episode, it does not necessarily have to always be about the fighting, but am I missing something, or is this just not good story telling? Is the fact that each episode has a different director hurting it?

What's your take on it?

I agree. I think the 3rd episode spent more time getting to know the girl's family than it did getting to know Leckie or any of the other Marines. I think this should have been the episode that really helped you understand who these marines were but it really didn't help. It's unfortunate because when they're in the field, all muddy or dark, it's hard to recognize who's who.

Interesting, The young man with the heart Murmur is the boy from Jurassic Park. I knew I knew him! All grown up.

[silent_jay]

Originally Posted by Reese

I agree. I think the 3rd episode spent more time getting to know the girl's family than it did getting to know Leckie or any of the other Marines. I think this should have been the episode that really helped you understand who these marines were but it really didn't help. It's unfortunate because when they're in the field, all muddy or dark, it's hard to recognize who's who.

Interesting, The young man with the heart Murmur is the boy from Jurassic Park. I knew I knew him! All grown up.

My thoughts exactly, I want to get to know the Marines, rather than their love interests, I enjoyed the episode, but it was definitely lacking in many ways.

[yournamehere]

I wonder if it might just be that Steven Ambrose was a better writer than Robert Leckie?
Of course, we also have to realize that a lot of The Pacific is based on Leckie's book - so we're seeing what was important to him. Obviously, he fell for that Aussie girl pretty hard.

I do see the irony in the fact that while the Aussies were off dying in China, the Americans were camping in Melbourne, "fraternizing" with their women. At least in the European Theater, the British soldiers were home with their wives and girlfriends while the Yanks were there. I have an old photo of my dad with his arm around some hot young Kiwi girl taken when he was in Aukland, NZ with the Navy around the same time.

[silent_jay]

Well the last episode was a huge improvement, we got into the minds of a couple of the characters, and what the fighting and weather did to them mentally, I hope it keeps the same theme as this episode through the rest of the series, I quite enjoyed this one.

[Wes Mantooth]

I've been wanting to watch this since I first heard about it but I've been so busy that I've missed all but the first episode...dang it.

When I have more time I'll have to try to catch in Ondemand...hope it lives up to the hype!

[Reese]

Yeah, 4th episode is what I wanted from the 3rd episode. Great episode.

[DaveOrion]

Dont know why this thread died out, I'm up to episode 7. All I can say is what a bloody gory mess, not much character development except the shock & horror of war. I've run into alot of that recently, from bloody descriptions, to bloody memories and onto this.

I wont say anything else because I'm not sure who's seen what, but beware episode 7.

[Jinn]

Yea, I've seen my fair share of war movies and I liked Band of Brothers a lot.. but The Pacific is really leaving me with a feeling after each episode of abject disappointment.. why do humans do these things to each other? I know I know, WW2 was necessary, yada yada.. this show is still good at making you feel like a piece of shit for watching what is apparently the ultimate suffering of young boys and men.

[Charlatan]

I am only up to episode 4 here but so far it's about what I expected from the Pacific campaign. I am fully expecting the next few episodes to get even darker.