Batman Soundtrack in a WWII Film?

Rating: 6/10 (26 July 2017)

After seeing previews showing authentic WWII aircraft, I thought "Wow," and couldn't wait to see this in our IMAX. While the visuals were indeed superb, I found the "Batman" like dramatic soundtrack intended to ramp up the viewers anxiety levels during intense battle scenes overwhelming. This effect was used throughout the movie and in my opinion was completely unnecessary and became progressively annoying as the movie played on. Frankly, I think the action sequences were sufficiently thrilling alone, where including an instrumental soundtrack only served to distract the viewer from any sense of the realism portrayed on screen. It's unfortunate that Christopher Nolan choose to portray this event in a "Batman" like dramatic setting.
I did feel the movie was entertaining, but not nearly the caliber of a "Saving Private Ryan" quality as I was hoping for. There are several stories playing out, leaving insufficient time for character development to the extent needed to make you really care about anyone in particular. There were also a couple of action sequences that strained credibility if you are a WWII realist, but fortunately not so many that it came off as a "Rambo" type film.
I think most will enjoy it as an above average WWII offering with great visuals. With a few tweaks, it could have been much better though.