Topic: The Pacific - HBO Series

[Mad Men]

I think with bob, people never expected it to be as good and as well written, directed, and acted as saving private Ryan. It was..no..is..the greatest ww2series ever made.

[smig]

Asked me ma for this this Christmas as we never had Sky when it was on the telly. Looking forward to seeing it.

[Oddball]

Asked me ma for this this Christmas as we never had Sky when it was on the telly. Looking forward to seeing it.

I wouldnt, if you liked BoB!

[smig]

I wouldnt, if you liked BoB!

I'll give it a go mate, can't be that bad surely? I loved BoB like, superb series.

[Ginamos]

I'll give it a go mate, can't be that bad surely? I loved BoB like, superb series.

Try not to compare it with BoB.

There's no equivalent of Easy Company, rolling from island to island in the Pacific War, the capture of each island was like a war in itself. The writers used the stories of three individuals who saw action, in different key battles.

The result lacks the dramatic progression of BoB, and you'll need to work harder remembering who's who, but it is historically accurate and not without great moments. On it's own terms a very good series.

[Mad Men]

I wouldnt, if you liked BoB!

Stop comparing the two. They are both different styles and have different idea's behind how the stories are told.

Both deserve their own merits.

[Sasquatch]

^

Yeah don't compare the two. The Pacific doesn't take the piss out of us Brits like BOB did.

[Ycuzz]

The pacific: starts well but drops a notch when they hit Australia and subsequently the mental hospital episode but it picks up again with the invasion of pelilieu island and doesn't stop from there on.

Good to hear, just finished the mental hospital episode.

[Ycuzz]

Try not to compare it with BoB.

Telling this to myself as I'm watching it.

[Shabby14]

Don't really like war films, but gave this a go for some reason. Just finished and loved it. Band of Brothers downloading now so guess I'm in for a treat

[Lent§]

Got the last 2 episodes left, really enjoying it to be honest. Saw the BoB is a tenspot in HMV aswell and haven't seen that for years so i'm gonna pick it up this week

[Mad Men]

Just got the boxed DVD set today. Will watch it next weekend on a movie marathon weekend.

[royhendo]

Oh God. I feel sorry for you mate. Enjoy the Aussie girl's boobs.

[Mad Men]

Oh God. I feel sorry for you mate. Enjoy the Aussie girl's boobs.

They were defined.

[Mad Men]

On a very sad note, Major Dick Winters (BOB) passed away yesterday.

RIP Major Winters. You are a legend.

Link: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/01/dick_winters_of_band_of_brothe.html

[fowlermagic]

Just started to watch this as loved Band of Brothers. See they also just started shooting the next follow up Masters of the Air. Nothing will ever match the original BoB but hoping The Pacific will be a great watch even though a tad behind 🙈and better than any current new series.

[classycarra]

Just started to watch this as loved Band of Brothers. See they also just started shooting the next follow up Masters of the Air. Nothing will ever match the original BoB but hoping The Pacific will be a great watch even though a tad behind 🙈and better than any current new series.

Hope you enjoy it!

I love Band of Brothers, but that wasn't enough to help convince me see this series through to the end. Maybe I'd see it differently now!

[Sangria]

Hope you enjoy it!

I love Band of Brothers, but that wasn't enough to help convince me see this series through to the end. Maybe I'd see it differently now!

Band of Brothers was a continuous campaign, practically starting with their arrival in France and following them through to the end. The Pacific campaign was more stop start, with each island being one episode (in real life, not in the series) in itself. If you're not already interested in learning about the characters' story, we're conditioned to find the former more easily appealing.

[fowlermagic]

Hope you enjoy it!

I love Band of Brothers, but that wasn't enough to help convince me see this series through to the end. Maybe I'd see it differently now!

I think I tried to watch it when it came out originally but for various reasons never got to see it all. Hopefully now after all the hype about Band of Brothers has long gone i can enjoy this show without comparing it too much to what was surely one of the best shows ever. First episode was good, as good as anything i have seen in recent years. It's crazy to think I can watch the Sopranos after this as never seen that either.

[WhereAngelsPlay]

I'll watch the rest but the first two eps were poor.

[Dench57]

I watched it recently and thought the same, lot of mindless action in the first few eps, don't really know/care who anyone is (Band of Brothers set up brilliantly for this by starting in training camp). Becomes more interesting when it slows down and delves into the character stuff more imo.

[meady1981]

I watched it recently and thought the same, lot of mindless action in the first few eps, don't really know/care who anyone is (Band of Brothers set up brilliantly for this by starting in training camp). Becomes more interesting when it slows down and delves into the character stuff more imo.

There’s only two out isn’t there?

[Sangria]

I watched it recently and thought the same, lot of mindless action in the first few eps, don't really know/care who anyone is (Band of Brothers set up brilliantly for this by starting in training camp). Becomes more interesting when it slows down and delves into the character stuff more imo.

It might be easier to follow if you bear in mind that it revolves around 3 protagonists:
1. Robert Leckie, author of the memoir "Helmet for my pillow".
2. Eugene Sledge, author of the memoir "With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa".
3. John Basilone, archetypal MoH winner.

Band of Brothers was based on a single book about a single group. The Pacific was based on two books, plus Basilone.

Personally, I'd have preferred Basilone left out, and focused on just Leckie and Sledge. Sledge's memoir in particular is very vivid.

[meady1981]

It might be easier to follow if you bear in mind that it revolves around 3 protagonists:
1. Robert Leckie, author of the memoir "Helmet for my pillow".
2. Eugene Sledge, author of the memoir "With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa".
3. John Basilone, archetypal MoH winner.

Band of Brothers was based on a single book about a single group. The Pacific was based on two books, plus Basilone.

Personally, I'd have preferred Basilone left out, and focused on just Leckie and Sledge. Sledge's memoir in particular is very vivid.

Is this new series based on anything real?
It’s sad there being no talking-head snippets at the start.

[gazzalfc]

The armoured clash in the BoB episode Carentan is supposed to be the most accurate depiction of armoured warfare on screen. In the vehicles involved, the small unit tactics involved, and the reactions of the soldiers on both sides.

I still class Band of Brothers as the greatest TV series ever made. The way it holds up nearly a quarter of a century later is just incredible. It was way beyond it's years.

You know when a 90's TV show looked like it was filmed in the 90's? Even if it was about a historic event. The effect work and cinematography was so ahead of its time. It just hasn't aged.

[meady1981]

I still class Band of Brothers as the greatest TV series ever made. The way it holds up nearly a quarter of a century later is just incredible. It was way beyond it's years.

You know when a 90's TV show looked like it was filmed in the 90's? Even if it was about a historic event. The effect work and cinematography was so ahead of its time. It just hasn't aged.

BoB possibly my favourite all-time as well.

My favourite thing about BoB was that the film stock and grading had a 40's/rugged quality to it. It felt like a series that could have been made by BBC 4.
Was a shame they ignored that in Pacific, and in the latest to an extent - they feel too glossy.

[Dench57]

It might be easier to follow if you bear in mind that it revolves around 3 protagonists:
1. Robert Leckie, author of the memoir "Helmet for my pillow".
2. Eugene Sledge, author of the memoir "With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa".
3. John Basilone, archetypal MoH winner.

Yes, but this only really becomes apparent after the first episode or two, which is why I thought BoB's training camp start was a better way of introducing characters - a lot of the fighting scenes in the early episodes of Pacific didn't have much impact on me. Sledge was my favourite in The Pacific, some of the scenes after he's returned home are quite moving. 

[Sangria]

Yes, but this only really becomes apparent after the first episode or two, which is why I thought BoB's training camp start was a better way of introducing characters - a lot of the fighting scenes in the early episodes of Pacific didn't have much impact on me. Sledge was my favourite in The Pacific, some of the scenes after he's returned home are quite moving. 

Understandable. His memoir was the most humanist from the source material. It's not in the series, but there's one bit where his captain (the one who was killed at Peleliu) ordered the artillery to fire regularly throughout the night, despite them complaining that there were no targets to shoot at. It made the infantry feel reassured that the heavies had their back.

And the incident where Leckie was wounded: he was a lucky man to survive. The Japanese artillery had decided to eradicate a particular area, and laid down a barrage with four walls surrounding it, and walked the walls in. Leckie was inside that area. The normal result is no survivors, but Leckie somehow survived it with severe injuries (he remembered thinking "Oh shit" when he realised what they were doing). Another incident of that was the Crossroads episode of BoB, where E company found a strong German counter attacking force, and the US artillery bracketed the area.