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DVD Description
From the producers of Band of Brothers, The Pacific tracks the real-life journeys of three U.S. Marines Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joe Mazzello) and John Basilone (Jon Seda) across the vast canvas of the Pacific Theatre during World War II. The extraordinary experiences of these men and their fellow Marines take them from the first clash with the Japanese in the haunted jungles of Guadalcanal, through the impenetrable rain forests of Cape Gloucester, across the blasted coral strongholds of Peleliu, up the black sand terraces of Iwo Jima, through the killing fields of Okinawa, to the triumphant, yet uneasy, return home after V-J Day. This Amazon.co.uk exclusive edition includes:
Inside the Battle: Peleliu, an exclusive historical look into the battle of Peleliu. This featurette features historian and veteran interviews to illustrate the massive undertaking of the battle for Peleliu. Note: The exclusive extra disc that comes with this Blu-ray Tin Edition is on DVD not Blu-ray.
Inside the Battle: Peleliu, an exclusive historical look into the battle of Peleliu. This featurette features historian and veteran interviews to illustrate the massive undertaking of the battle for Peleliu. Note: The exclusive extra disc that comes with this Blu-ray Tin Edition is on DVD not Blu-ray.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
162 of 181 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
I write this review based on my experiences of watching the whole series on Sky HD in the UK. Although from the same stable (HBO, Spielberg and Hanks) as Band of Brothers, this is a rather different beast, covering the stories of three different US Marines (Eugene Sledge, Robert Leckie and John Basilone) across the battles of the Pacific from August 1942 to end of the war in 1945. Its structure is therefore determined and limited by historical fact and the source material. I won't repeat too much of the background or general overview as that is clearly set out in the synopsis and in other reviews on this web page.
There is a great deal to be admired and appreciated with this truly epic production. The attention to historical details is stunning, although some events have been changed to help the narrative and to focus on the key themes that the writers wanted to develop. The performances by the cast are outstanding and I'm sure they will pick up a shed load of awards next year. This is also a no-holds barred production with easily the most brutal depiction of the horror of war you are likely to ever see depicted on screen.
That said, there some problems with parts of the series. The strongest elements are those taken from E B Sledge's memoirs "With the Old Breed" - see my own review of this book - which have clear story and character arcs and require less historical knowledge to follow. The two and half episodes that cover the battle of Peleliu are simply outstanding and worth the price alone. The story of Gunnery Sgt. Basilone is less well developed and feels a bit like a bolt on most of the time. That said, the 10 minutes or so of Iwo Jima action is some of the best combat simulation you'll see in the series.
The series weakest parts are the first three episodes, of which the two covering Guadalcanal are disappointing and confusing. The problem stems partly from the complex nature of that battle, of which the 1st US Marine Division was involved in from August to November 1942. More time and effort was needed to set up the characters and to explain what was happening, where, when and why. I accept this was a tough assignment but some simple changes like dates and location details on-screen would have helped. The third episode takes place in Melbourne as the Marines recover after their ordeal. Here the writers have invented a fictitious (i.e.non-historical) relationship for Bob Leckie with an Aussie/Greek girl which fills half the episode, time which could have been better spent expanding the Guadalcanal section.
For all the problems with these early episodes the rest of the series is excellent from Ep.4 onwards when it picks up the pace and doesn't let go until the end when the final section sees the Marines return home to the US.
Perhaps the best recommendation I can give is from Eugene Sledge's own family who are quoted as saying that they did not understand what he went through during the war until they saw this series.
There is a great deal to be admired and appreciated with this truly epic production. The attention to historical details is stunning, although some events have been changed to help the narrative and to focus on the key themes that the writers wanted to develop. The performances by the cast are outstanding and I'm sure they will pick up a shed load of awards next year. This is also a no-holds barred production with easily the most brutal depiction of the horror of war you are likely to ever see depicted on screen.
That said, there some problems with parts of the series. The strongest elements are those taken from E B Sledge's memoirs "With the Old Breed" - see my own review of this book - which have clear story and character arcs and require less historical knowledge to follow. The two and half episodes that cover the battle of Peleliu are simply outstanding and worth the price alone. The story of Gunnery Sgt. Basilone is less well developed and feels a bit like a bolt on most of the time. That said, the 10 minutes or so of Iwo Jima action is some of the best combat simulation you'll see in the series.
The series weakest parts are the first three episodes, of which the two covering Guadalcanal are disappointing and confusing. The problem stems partly from the complex nature of that battle, of which the 1st US Marine Division was involved in from August to November 1942. More time and effort was needed to set up the characters and to explain what was happening, where, when and why. I accept this was a tough assignment but some simple changes like dates and location details on-screen would have helped. The third episode takes place in Melbourne as the Marines recover after their ordeal. Here the writers have invented a fictitious (i.e.non-historical) relationship for Bob Leckie with an Aussie/Greek girl which fills half the episode, time which could have been better spent expanding the Guadalcanal section.
For all the problems with these early episodes the rest of the series is excellent from Ep.4 onwards when it picks up the pace and doesn't let go until the end when the final section sees the Marines return home to the US.
Perhaps the best recommendation I can give is from Eugene Sledge's own family who are quoted as saying that they did not understand what he went through during the war until they saw this series.
100 of 115 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
If you are reading this you are likely to want to know one answer first of all- is this as good as band of brothers? The simple answer is yes and what I'd like to immediately add is it's also different enough to stand up on its own 2 feet.
With Band we had a fairly military centric view of things. With the Pacific the nature of the conflict allows substantial time away from the front. Indeed episode 3 plays out entirely in Australia where the marines regroup and replenish for later battles. It's only here you see a bit of retraining there is no "boot camp" episode where you slowly get to meet the men. This allows us to see them not covered in mud and blood shooting at the Japanese in the distance but actually having some fun. This is where you start to care more for the men rather than just being in fear of the carnage.
However when the battles happen they erupt with the viciousness and realism you have seen in recent big budget war films. Bodies rip apart, guns roar and the scenes are very visceral. It's heart racing stuff and always impeccably well directed.
Realism is the goal here and at times that is hard to watch, America was sneak attacked by an Asian country and subsequently phrases like "yellow monkeys" and "dirty Japs" were regularly used and genuinely meant this is uncomfortable for the modern viewer. There's also an episode that focuses on the fact war takes its toll on young men's minds as well as their bodies and I am glad these areas were given proper attention because the series does a very good job of showing "heroes" as real and flawed human beings.
So this is pretty much a "must see" for those who want to see high quality war drama.
If you liked this there's more historical debate and fun at @HistoryGems on Facebook and Twitter
With Band we had a fairly military centric view of things. With the Pacific the nature of the conflict allows substantial time away from the front. Indeed episode 3 plays out entirely in Australia where the marines regroup and replenish for later battles. It's only here you see a bit of retraining there is no "boot camp" episode where you slowly get to meet the men. This allows us to see them not covered in mud and blood shooting at the Japanese in the distance but actually having some fun. This is where you start to care more for the men rather than just being in fear of the carnage.
However when the battles happen they erupt with the viciousness and realism you have seen in recent big budget war films. Bodies rip apart, guns roar and the scenes are very visceral. It's heart racing stuff and always impeccably well directed.
Realism is the goal here and at times that is hard to watch, America was sneak attacked by an Asian country and subsequently phrases like "yellow monkeys" and "dirty Japs" were regularly used and genuinely meant this is uncomfortable for the modern viewer. There's also an episode that focuses on the fact war takes its toll on young men's minds as well as their bodies and I am glad these areas were given proper attention because the series does a very good job of showing "heroes" as real and flawed human beings.
So this is pretty much a "must see" for those who want to see high quality war drama.
If you liked this there's more historical debate and fun at @HistoryGems on Facebook and Twitter
108 of 125 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
If you want to see the Pacific version of HBO's critically acclaimed "Band of Brothers", change the channel,
"The Pacific" differs from "Band of Brothers" whereas the "The Pacific" focuses on the war itself and "Band of Brothers" focused on the characters. Both miniseries are championed by Hollywood heavy-hitters Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg who were contributing writers and producers of both miniseries.
Perhaps the greatest distinction between the two mini-series was intentional. It is clear that the soldiers in the Pacific theater fought a different kind of war than those fighting in Europe. "The Pacific" is a gritty if not gory depiction of a war against not just the Japanese, but also the elements. The cast is made-up of some brilliant actors we are sure to see again in future projects. What makes "The Pacific" so good is the intense realism which brings the viewer into the battle from the safety of your couch. If there is hell on earth, you will find it here.
The army they are fighting is alien; both mysterious and ferocious. They are looked at with both awe and disdain and the Americans want to kill them all. However, there is a palpable sense fear among the men that this enemy will never surrender and will fight beyond what they feel is humanly if not morally possible. When one character hears about the Kamikaze's flying their planes into ships, he asks aloud "how can any man do that?" "The Pacific" is fast-paced and each episode leaves the viewer wanting more.
"The Pacific" differs from "Band of Brothers" whereas the "The Pacific" focuses on the war itself and "Band of Brothers" focused on the characters. Both miniseries are championed by Hollywood heavy-hitters Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg who were contributing writers and producers of both miniseries.
Perhaps the greatest distinction between the two mini-series was intentional. It is clear that the soldiers in the Pacific theater fought a different kind of war than those fighting in Europe. "The Pacific" is a gritty if not gory depiction of a war against not just the Japanese, but also the elements. The cast is made-up of some brilliant actors we are sure to see again in future projects. What makes "The Pacific" so good is the intense realism which brings the viewer into the battle from the safety of your couch. If there is hell on earth, you will find it here.
The army they are fighting is alien; both mysterious and ferocious. They are looked at with both awe and disdain and the Americans want to kill them all. However, there is a palpable sense fear among the men that this enemy will never surrender and will fight beyond what they feel is humanly if not morally possible. When one character hears about the Kamikaze's flying their planes into ships, he asks aloud "how can any man do that?" "The Pacific" is fast-paced and each episode leaves the viewer wanting more.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great TV on DVD
If you enjoyed "Band of Brothers" you'll love this. Great to be able to watch a high budget TV series without the infernal advert breaks every 10 minutes. Quality Tele. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Johnny English
Great show in blu-ray
Grande série / documentário.
Em Blu-ray fica ainda melhor.
Muitos extras e COM LEGENDAS EM PORTUGUÊS.
Recomendo vivamente. Read more
Em Blu-ray fica ainda melhor.
Muitos extras e COM LEGENDAS EM PORTUGUÊS.
Recomendo vivamente. Read more
Published 7 months ago by mariuuu
Pacific
Got these for a present for my brother.
Have not watched them so can't tell you if there good or not, but I would think there good as my brother does not watch any old... Read more
Have not watched them so can't tell you if there good or not, but I would think there good as my brother does not watch any old... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. D. Wood
Pacific DVD's
Absolutly riveting, My Husband & I were spellbound, what those men went through, can been seen quite clearly, and then to come back and lead relatively normal lives after!!
Published 7 months ago by Nell
Its no Band of Brothers!
If you enjoyed Band of Brothers, you will like the first episode; but sadly it goes down hill from there. The action lapses and the series gets very dull. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Steve
Awesom show, awesom presentation
A sibling-show to BAND OF BROTHERS, this Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks produciton is great master-piece of all time, such as in TV as in cinema. Read more
Published 10 months ago by PoggiHD
Pacific - brilliant
This mini series is brilliant.....the war secenes, although relentless,are so real, depicting the absolute horror the soldiers in the Pacific went through. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Bev B
The Raw Horror of War.
I have watched this series with awe.The battle for Peleliu called with good cause 'The Devil's Anvil'by James Hallas,and marked out by E.B. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Anthony Murphy
THE PACIFIC
Great value for money after buying Band Of Brothers i thought i would follow it up with this dvd set so to have another dvd as a bonus for the money well what can i say winner... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Mr. Jd Morses
No Subtitles! Not Happy.
The Pacific - Complete HBO Series - Amazon Exclusive (Includes: Inside The Battle Of Peleliu) [Blu-ray]
Anyone else bought this particular set recently? Read more
Anyone else bought this particular set recently? Read more
Published 15 months ago by MrSandman
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