Great battle scenes but not that good ...

Rating: 3/10 (5 January 2004)

I was unaware of the furore this film caused because it got passed over for best picture by the Academy. Having watched both I have to say I think that for once they got it pretty much right. Sure, the landing scenes are awesome - they really are. They are the most graphic and horrific depiction one could imagine being translated onto screen. And, as a Brit who has also been to the beaches in question, I felt extremely humbled and thankful for the incredible sacrifices made. But this is a film, not a vote on the actual perfomance of the heoric men who fought to rid Europe of evil. And I'm afraid the second half of the film gets progressively worse until we are left with a silly tale about Tom Hanks saving the world. This is a real shame. The gravitas of the first part of the film deserved better treatment.