disappointing

Rating: 5/10 (15 August 2001)

I can do more than echo the sentiments of the many viewers who criticized the contrast between the excitement of the opening battle scenes and the way in which the movie bogs down in the middle, as it changes to a cat-and-mouse story. The opening battle scene does indeed give the opening of "Saving Private Ryan" a run for its money, and the portrayal of the devastation visited upon Stalingrad is indeed ... well, devastating. However, the movie is simply too long to sustain the battle-of-wits story it becomes.