Saving Private Ryan

Starring: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Barry Pepper, Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Adam Goldberg, Dennis Farina, Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Rating: R
Genre: War, Drama
1998

Times Seen:
Tim: 5

Summary: A group of American soldiers (lead by Tom Hanks) must risk their lives to travel through an enemy filled terrain to rescue the life of a Private Ryan (Matt Damon), because his brothers have all been killed in the war already. While the group risks their own lives to save one man, they begin to wonder about the validity of the assignment.

Review:

Tim: The opening sequence on D-Day is an amazing piece of filmmaking. It is one of the highlights of Steven Spielberg's illustrious career and perhaps the most realistic battle sequence ever filmed.

Spielberg has created one of the best war movies ever made with Saving Private Ryan. At the heart of this sprawling war movie is a very human drama of eight men risking their lives to save one. This is told in an emotional, powerful manner.

The cast is excellent. Tom Hanks proves once again that he is the greatest actor in Hollywood. He is simply amazing to watch. Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Barry Pepper, Giovanni Ribisi, and Vin Diesel make a superb group to surround Hanks. Then, the small guest roles by Dennis Farina, Paul Giamatti, and Ted Danson add another interesting element to the film. When Matt Damon finally shows up, we find that he is perfect as Ryan. He is everything we for which we could have hoped. A huge part of the reason this film works so well is because it has an amazing cast with every actor playing the part where they can contribute the most to the film. Pay close attention to this, because Spielberg does a remarkable job using all his actors to the fullest possible extent of their abilities.

This movie is the epitome of a powerful, memorable war film. Spielberg the master director and Hanks the master actor combine for a truly amazing motion picture.

Everything about this movie is incredible. It does for World War II as a whole what Schindler's List did for the Holocaust. I hope and pray Spielberg and Hanks work together many more times in the future.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 9



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Schindler's List, Apollo 13, Catch Me if You Can, War of the Worlds