Here's my review of the most expensive HBO mini series - The Pacific, I already saw the back to back premiere episode last Saturday and then last night I caught the 3rd episode on its replay edition at HBO. The Pacific airs its new episode every Saturday at 9pm at HBO and also a replay of it at 1:30am of Sunday at HBO.
I feel the war and tension infront of my tv set, and this HBO mini series about the Marines in the line of World War 2 around the Pacific. Read more my review below
James Badge Dale as Private First Class Robert Leckie
The 1st episode already brings a lot of adrenaline and also tension when Robert Leckie and the 1st Marine lands in Guadacanal and exchange of fires and more than 20,000 Japanese were defeated in the shores of the island, you can see the terror and the emotional tense of each soldier because they are fighting in the middle of the night and all you can see are explosions and bouncing bullets. The story started on their mission and a glimpse of Eugene Sledge for failing to join the marines, but the Robert Leckie and John Basilone was seen in action and its kinda disturbing because all of this incident are real and it happened in real life as it was stated in the book"With Old Breed" by Eugene B. Sledge which was hailed by historian Paul Fussell as “one of the finest memoirs to emerge from any war”, and Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie (recipient of the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Annual Award), with additional material from Red Blood, Black Sand by Chuck Tatum, China Marine by Eugene B. Sledge, as well as original interviews conducted by the filmmakers. Continuing the World War II oral history work begun by his father Stephen E. Ambrose (author of the book Band of Brothers) is Hugh Ambrose, who serves as a consultant on the miniseries.
I'm also impressed on the effects and the remote location of the war, the jungle and tanks were amazing to see them in action in real life. Also on the later part of the episode, they have landed in Melbourne, Australia and saw the old style of Melbourne and how people live there. On episode 2 - the war just heated up as John Basilone with the 7th Marine landed in Guadacanal to help defend their base and they were attacked by air bombers and experienced a lot of casualty and lost his friend during the night shoot out. Episode 2 picks up a lot of drama already and you can see the emotions of each major character and how they felt after finding out that the one you were sleeping with in a mission in the middle of the jungle will be killed in the blast.
A scary scene bothers me when one soldier got lost in the jungle and running in the dark during the night shoot out, and he didn't even know that beside him is a Japanese soldier running besides him,and both of them got surprised and shoot each other. John Basilione did a great move here in helping his marine team, which had earned him a Medal of Honor and after the war in Guadacanal, all of them were brought to Melbourne, Australia to rest and assemble. As the cook in the war ship said that all surviving members of the marines are all over the news and they are now heroes.
Episode 3 is another touch of emotions with all the soldiers soft side, as they got in partner with women in Melbourne, Australia. I saw Isabel Lucas character as she falls in love with Ashton Holmes character - Private First Class Sid Phillips. And also James Badge Dale character - Private First Class Robert Leckie falls in love with the lovely goddess in Australia, Claire van der Boom as Stella, she is very lovely here in the movie and it brings color to a pitch black color of the previous episode of the Pacific. Here at the 3rd episode, a heart warming scene of Jon Seda as Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone receiving his Medal of Honor and went back home and left his marine group as it was ordered by their superiors.
Claire van der Boom as Stella
Jon Seda as Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone
The Pacific has a great story and a flow of character development which you can focus on evey scene and with the war action in different place, you will learn and experience the war is not like a game but an act of defense and survival. The Pacific brings a different pace of movie making and the HBO mini series is a super masterpiece.
A must watch film, and for my rating it will 5 perfect stars!
