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brandon [ 9.5 ]
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.. the opening battle sequence (and to a slightly lesser degree, the closing sequence) was nothing short of absolute genius. i felt like i was there .. in the war .. and was genuinely afraid that i was going to be shot in the leg .. my right leg to be specific. the two hours in between also had some brilliant moments, but also had some significantly less so moments ..
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eric [ 10.0 ]
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The most real war movie I have ever seen. It made me think about it for the next few days, and even though they were discomforting thoughts, to me that is the sign of classic movie.
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mike [ 9.5 ]
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Truly a great film, but I expect more from someone like Tom Hanks. It was definately worth 7 bucks. Note: This movie has quite a bit of blood, so if you don't care for that, I would recommend you don't see it.
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traino [ 6.5 ]
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I was wondering when someone in the 90s was going to make a film involving D-day - I was happy to see this happen. Unfortunately, they made this film into a predictable plot using bad casting. Don't get me wrong - I like Tom Hanks but he was not believable as a soldier - too clean...
Anyway, Spielberg would have done better to make a movie on D-day without central characters - more special effects - start out with the planning and secrative nature of the upcoming battle with the President, generals, the enemy's generals and then show the working man soldier, etc. disappointment...good movie but as I say in all my reviews - I enjoy almost all movies...
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MadMaxx [ 10.0 ]
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A great movie and a corner stone for all war movies. made me really think about that war and all others for a long time afterwards. cant belive they made a memorial for the korean war and not ww2, which had a much greater porpouse and importance to us
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Mohawk [ 7.5 ]
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Shockingly real effects...very good acting...one flaw...is it
REALLY conceivable that a group of men are gonna risk their lives
to find one soldier sitting somewhere in enemy territory in war
torn Europe??? If you can get your head around that fantasy then the movie isn't at all bad...
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FireGod [ 6.5 ]
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I am glad I saw this movie, and some elements in it tend to justify my anti-war attitudes, but it is NOT one of the greatest movies of all time. It is not even one of Steven Spielberg's best. Jaws, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana Jones and the Temple of doom (not real good), Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Jurassic Park and even Amistad are all better Spielberg movies, in my opinion.
Saving Private Ryan is an ok movie with some good qualities and some bad ones. After how great I had heard SPR was, when I saw it, I was disappointed in the directing, writing and acting. I expected all of those things to be great and found the directing to be pretty good, the writing to be pretty bad and the acting to be mediocre.
I'm sorry, but graphic World War II action which makes us think about many things is not enough reason for me to love this movie as much as so many people seem to. The emotional nature of 3 brothers getting killed in action and the attempt to bring the last brother home to his mom doesn't cut it either.
If you simply like well-made movies about WWII, whether they are entertaining or not, then you probably will like or love SPR. I, however, watch movies to be entertained, and I did not find SPR to have great dialogue, significant suspense, intellectually stimulating moments, or anything else that entertained me enough to think that this movie was much more than average.
Spielberg used to make films that I liked or loved, but he has figured out how to be even more successful: make a WWII film, and make the content shocking as well as touching, instead of concentrating on entertainment value, as he used to. After Schindler's List and SPR, how much do you want to bet that he won't go to the well a third time?
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Stitch [ 9.5 ]
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I'm a little torn on rating this film. It is a brilliant film. The acting was first rate as were all the technical aspects of the film. The story was a tad week but still for the effect the film had on me I almost want to give it a 10. Almost. The violence in Saving Private Ryan is so above and beyond what movie violence usually shows that it actually sensitized me. Not that I am at all desensitized to violence, I'm not. But for a few days afterwards I couldn't watch any violence in movies. It just turned my stomach. Quite the effect. I also felt it was about time someone did a more realistic WWII movie. Most movies set during that war tend to be shown through rose colored glasses so we forget that it was still a war where horrible, horrible things happened to people. Not just a "Great War".
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drew95 [ 9.5 ]
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The brilliant opening and closing sequences are the highlights of the movie. In between, though, we have more gore, more wonderful acting, and more of this unique gem of a war picture. As good as Roberto Benigni was, I would have given the Oscar to Tom Hanks.
The violence, while very realistic, is not as stomach-churning as we are led to believe. Nonetheless, it is very violent.
So, yeah. It's a recommendation.
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JD [ 9.5 ]
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What an incredible movie about the Battle of Normandy. Spielberg puts you in the helmet of an army soldier like never before. The action is relenless and totally realistic, and Tom Hanks puts in a stellar performance as does a whole host of others. Just plain awesome.
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Love_Spoon [ 10.0 ]
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When the credits began to roll after Saving Private Ryan, there was silence in the theater except for the sniffling and blowing of noses-- not that it's an especially sad movie, it's just an intensely emotional one. Some don't care for the cinematography style presented in the movie, and others don't care for the somewhat corny way wartime was portrayed, but without fighting in a war, I would have to say that I'm thankful that we're not currently in one. I came out of the theater not... patriotic, but rather, appreciative of the sacrifices that have been made for us who live in this relatively peaceful time. Yes, the first thirty minutes are hard to stomach, but don't let that or anything else keep you from seeing this movie.
One day, I happened upon the IMDb's user comment page for Saving Private Ryan, and it was replete with people from Europe criticizing it's American Patriotic tone. It was puzzling to me that people from European countries such as France, Spain, and England would feel anything but what I felt-- an amazing gratitude for the veterans of the Second World War. (As in, "There wouldn't BE a France if....") Well, nevermind.
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Sportsodds [ 9.0 ]
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Saving Private Ryan is a stunning masterpiece.
I left the theater numb and blinking. The movie drove home to me how much we owe to those who fought and died for us....
It is hard to believe that many subsequent "war"
movies will ever measure up to this movie.
Wow.
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LoveKid [ 7.0 ]
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Save for the brilliant opening, Saving Private Ryan is a fairly par war film. Despite the cries of "blood,guts and eyeballs"(of which there are plenty),SPR is a relatively sedated experience compared to Platoon and lacks the evocative power of Gallipoli.Definitely worth a look but if you've been drawn into the hype you'll be a touch dissapointed.
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john [ 5.0 ]
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I'm sorry, but this was average. Okay, the opening sequence was great. But the whole thing was seemed formula-matic. You got the New Yorker, the brainiac, the scared guy, the experienced hardened guy. By the end, I could care less who made it and who didn't, including Ryan.
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crreig [ 4.5 ]
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People who make statements like, "Those cynics who complain about the American bent of the film and say it's less than perfect should think about all those heros who have sacrificed themselves for America and for freedom," are over looking what makes the world tick. I know veterans of both WWII and Vietnam. The vast majority of them are offended by films like "Saving Private Ryan." To begin with, what the $@(& does Steven Spielberg know about war? The few veterans I know who like film atrocities like "Saving Private Ryan" or "Platoon" are usually dumb, shell-shocked, or both. Spielberg, with "Saving Private Ryan" continues to produce entertaining blockbusters but his plots are all too recycled and he still seems to confuse emotional upheaval with art.
Aside from some good cinematography, spectacular special effects, and an amazing exchange between Matt Damon and Tom Hanks, the movie misses its mark. Spielberg likes to pull the right strings and, if you like heart-wrenching films, you'll probably like this one. Unfortunately, I see far too many films that do just that and a good movie should be more than temporary escapism.
As with many supposedly "accurate" war films, there are many flaws. (For example, bullets do very little damage after striking water and certainly don't tear through flesh and bone as they do in the opening invasion of Normandy.) When compared to "Thin Red Line," a poetic and stirring fantasy set against the backdrop of war, "Saving Private Ryan" is a kid's pop-up book.
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A_Ratliff [ 9.0 ]
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"Saving Private Ryan," while certainly a recommended movie, is not as strong as 1998's other World War II film, "The Thin Red Line". No matter, however--the film still stands on its own as a powerful testament to the horrors of war. The brilliant opening scene and the even better closer are genius. The film is stark in its brutality, but humane in its portrayal of the characters. Tom Hanks is wonderful as usual, but pretty much all of the performances are special in this movie. Even though it wasn't the finest film of the year, and even though it does offer up a few flaws, "Saving Private Ryan" is still a fine war movie.
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boomstick [ 9.5 ]
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Awesome movie.
The first twenty minutes are pure carnage, with soldiers losing limbs, being shot silently underwater, and recieving vicious head shots. The rest of the movie's gore is subtle, but ever-present. Tom Hanks, Ed Norton, Barry Pepper and Tom Sizemore delievered solid preformances as Miller, Reiben, Jackson and Sarge. I was dissapointed when (SPOILER) Caparzo and Sarge died, they were 2 of my favorite characters. Though when (SPOILER) Miller died, I was expecting it. Preppy-boy Matt Damon should not have played the role of Private Ryan. I actually think the actor who played Upham (I forget his name) would have been suited the role better. It still is a classic, and people are going to be enjoying this film in 10 years time.
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| Weighted Rating | : 8.4 |
| No. Ratings | : 218 | |
| No. Reviews | : 28 | |
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