The Pacific .... movie trailer of Tom Hanks new movie about the war in the Pacific.

[Bangyai]

I've read a few books about the struggle to push back the Japanese in the Pacific, from little known but horrific battles like Peleliu to the more publicised Iow Jima. This coming HBO mini series looks like it will be worth the wait. Its been advertised on Thai T.V already so I might cough up the cash and upgrade satellite service to catch it.

[kingwilly]

sounds interesting, thanks for the tip.

[Slipstream]

Might be worth a look but to be honest I think WW2 has been done to death these past few years with Tom Hanks being old hat...

[Bangyai]

Starting tomorrow night ( Saturday ) on HBO. 200 million dollars spent in the making. Entirely filmed in Australia. They were talking about it on T.V. tonight and showing lengthy clips. Looks well worth watching.

Should be available on You Tube on Sunday for those of us without HBO.

[McLovin]

I have been watching it here in the States. Episode 4 is coming up this Sunday. It is pretty good so far. It is like Band of Brothers in the Pacific. Has it not aired at all in Thailand?

[WujouMao]

i thought watching WWIIin HD would be better, as its actual colour and some black & white footage plus interviews with the surviving army guys. its a 10 episode series

[lysander]

The first 3 episodes are available on the torrents...

[britmaveric]

Last one was Melbourne - yanks on r/r and shagging the local birds.

[Camel Toe]

Just think how that will improve your gene pool.

[jaiyenyen]

Anyone seen knock Off DVD's of this on the streets of BKK yet?

[robuzo]

I have been watching it here in the States. Episode 4 is coming up this Sunday. It is pretty good so far. It is like Band of Brothers in the Pacific. Has it not aired at all in Thailand?

I think they need some extra time for post-production, subtitles and what not. Episodes 1 and 2 were good- available on the torrent-thing for those who know how or know someone who does- but I am hearing that Episode 3, which is apparently about falling in love in Australia and has no fighting, is worth missing.

As to WWII having been "done to death," I thought Band of Brothers was better than Private Ryan, and so far the battles and historical accuracy of Pacific are better than any cinematic treatment of the Pacific war that I have seen, including Thin Red Line (although Letter from Iwo Jima was good attempt). They are trying to recreate the battles as they actually were, and I'd say they've done well with Guadalcanal. If they are equally successful in making the reenactments of Peleliu and Okinawa true to history it could be very grueling to see, maybe nearly unwatchable.

[PAG]

Looks good. Episodes 1,2 and 3 downloading now. Obviously quite popular as download speeds are high.

[Gallowspole]

^ Yes the first 2 were OK but the third was utter shite. The final scene at the end of the second episode ('everyone's heard of Guadalcanal - you're heroes') got me worrying and then the next episode reinforced that opinion. Shame as it had potential but now I'll give it a miss. Disappointing to see HBO fall to the lowest common denominator - perhaps Hanks & Spielberg feel that Americans need some gung-ho feelgood crap, what with the shit going down in Afghanistan and post Iraq.

[robuzo]

^ Yes the first 2 were OK but the third was utter shite. The final scene at the end of the second episode ('everyone's heard of Guadalcanal - you're heroes') got me worrying and then the next episode reinforced that opinion. Shame as it had potential but now I'll give it a miss. Disappointing to see HBO fall to the lowest common denominator - perhaps Hanks & Spielberg feel that Americans need some gung-ho feelgood crap, what with the shit going down in Afghanistan and post Iraq.

I watched the "Making of" on HBO last night, and they showed the entire landing scene, from boarding the LVT to moving off the beach, at what I believe was Peleliu. Very well-done. You might want to tune back in having skipped the soap-opera episode.

[Gallowspole]

I'll watch this thread and see what the future assessments are.

You might want to tune back in having skipped the soap-opera episode.

[robuzo]

I'll watch this thread and see what the future assessments are.

You might want to tune back in having skipped the soap-opera episode.

Good plan. I am really curious to see how they do Bloody Nose Ridge.

[Attilla the Hen]

Was dissapointed with The Pacific. Not a patch on Band of Brothers.

[peterpan]

^ Yes the first 2 were OK but the third was utter shite. The final scene at the end of the second episode ('everyone's heard of Guadalcanal - you're heroes') got me worrying and then the next episode reinforced that opinion. Shame as it had potential but now I'll give it a miss. Disappointing to see HBO fall to the lowest common denominator - perhaps Hanks & Spielberg feel that Americans need some gung-ho feelgood crap, what with the shit going down in Afghanistan and post Iraq.

You said it for me GP, had potential but same old same old, whats worse it turns into the worst sort of soap opera at times. Dumped it.

[the dogcatcher]

I have been disapointed by it.
Not enough gratuitous blowing aways and dismemberments.

All a bit soapy and let's get into the heads of the GIs.
More gore needed.

[Humbert]

Agree, soapy and too much personal fiction concerning the main character who is morose and boring.

[Bangyai]

I have been disapointed by it.
Not enough gratuitous blowing aways and dismemberments.

All a bit soapy and let's get into the heads of the GIs.
More gore needed.

Yep, just watched the first couple of episodes. Not up to Band of Brothers. Hoping the next couple will pick up the pace a bit.

[Don Ho]

I'm 5 episodes in now and while the last two episodes have had great action I feel the series suffers as a whole due to the lack of character development.

I've read Sledge's book twice, he's a fellow Alabamian, and yet I still don't have much empathy for the character. It's getting there but I think it may be too late for most viewers.

BoB did a much better job introducing the characters and developing them over the arc of the series.

We still have one episode on Pelilieu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa to go.

[Humbert]

I feel the series suffers as a whole due to the lack of character development.

A whole episode devoted to the main characters romantic interlude with a aussie-greek sheila. Boring.

[kmart]

Never thought that you could make a series about one of the most brave, intense and bloody campaigns in recent history so boring..?

I just watched the relevant parts of the fucking awesome "World At War" boxed dvd set, just so I can see what real war looked like, before Hollywood and most recently Spielberg started sepia-tinting it.

[robuzo]

Posted in this in the "last film you watched" thread a while back because I thought the Pacific thread was dead:
"Just wanted to point out that having watched two episodes of the HBO Asia version I was surprised to find that some scenes of violence, and not in every case extreme violence, have been cut. Comparably harsh scenes in HBO dramas such as Band of Brothers and True Blood, not to mention scenes from violent movies on HBO and Max, are left intact, so I am very curious as to what is going on. My wife thinks it has something to do with not offending Japanese sensibilities, but I am not sure that explains it. Anyone else notice?"

The series picked up quite a bit in Eps 5 and 6, although as has been pointed out it still kind of pales in comparison with BoB. They have managed to include a cliche character- the gunnery sergeant played by an actor who appears to be channeling Lee Marvin. He is kind of amusing but this strikes me as exactly the sort of thing they producers avoided in BoB (which made BoB even better than "Private Ryan," which didn't go out of its way to dodge cliches).

I haven't watched any of the HBO Asia versions since Ep 2, but given that the level of violence has continued to escalate beginning with the landing on Peleliu, I doubt that the censorship has abated. If the producers stay true to the story the action in Episode 7 is likely to be the most harrowing so far.