jeharris

It's a monumental task, and the legacy of Band of Brothers is too much for any WWII show to live up to.

So how do we (I) judge this? Clearly there are going to be many sugary, patriotic cliches. There will also be many odd details that, while true (Harry Crosby's air sickness), seem contrived. We can expect shallow characters because there's no time to develop them on such a large canvas.

There will also be CGI. Lots and lots of it.

There will not be veteran interviews or support from the vets portrayed because they have almost all passed away.

So what are we left with? A Chronicle that those with no knowledge of the subject can begin a journey of discovery. An epic tale for those whose father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, or former neighbor participated in that will cause families to come together weekly for a glimpse at the past. A feeling, an emotion, a sense of gratitude for the sacrifice-not just in lives, but in time away from home and family, as well as the resulting emotional struggles.

I have pity for those caught up in production details and entertainment concerns. I feel worse when these folks say they won't continue watching. To me, they have missed the point completely.

I wanted Clive Owen to channel Bogart without imitating him. I wanted to feel both post WWII France as well as one struggling in Algeria and SE Asia. I wanted that France to be intense and atmosheric. I wanted characters that I cared about. I wanted film noir in color.

I got everything I wanted and this is everything I hoped it would be.

I think too that all this may play against the ultimate popularity of this series. Some will see Owen as half of Bogart, lacking depth, perhaps, and missing the slow burn that Bogie brought to the screen. Others, sadly, may have never seen Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade and wonder why they aren't seeing a more recognizable Clive Owen.

Either way you look at it, if you watched episode one this clearly interests you, and good, bad, or indifferent we all owe it to modern noir to see it through if we ever want to see anyone continue to pursue the genre. And yes, I loved Perry Mason also, and watched every episode of an all too short run.

I went from not wanting to watch this to waiting impatiently for a follow-up that won't be able to match the freshness and energy that this movie brings. You really can't judge a Ghostbusters sequel to a sequel on the same scale as Citizen Kane, so is this enjoyable and well executed? Yes, definitely. Fresh characters who have good chemistry, a distinct lack of parental/adult disbelief of the children/ young adult protagonists, a blatant disregard of any real world response to Ghosts appearing in a small town. All in the name of fun and a pace that carries this movie into the 2 hour time frame. Movies like this are just fun, and the Reitmanesque sweetness is a gift between father and son that is shared with us.

It's unfortunate that so many reviewers are willing to spend more time writing critical reviews than watching this show. Just completed the first season and hope it continues. Each week was solid and it got better each episode. Is it cheesy, cliched, and overly dramatic at times? Absolutely, but it does what it set out to do, to entertain, very well. The characters develop well over the season and the plot played out believably. Personally, I need shows like this, so please folks, if you don't like the first 20 minutes, either give it more time or leave it alone. Just because you didn't get into it doesn't make it 2 star bad.