four of five stars

Rating: 9/10 (6 June 1999)

It's true, the first 45 minutes is the best part of the movie. The movie loses some of its realism later, starting with that ridiculously accurate shot by the American sniper to the German sniper. Then, during the last battle scene, the Germans look like they are TRYING to get killed. They don't hide behind stuff, but instead just run at the Americans. And Tom Hanks should play professional football with that incredibly accurate arm. Every one of those mortar shells he threw killed somebody.
As for the demonization of Germans in the movie, I didn't see it. Many critics point out that "Steamboat Willy, toot toot" guy was an ungrateful b*****d and he was the only attempted German character development. The thing is, I didn't see him as evil and I don't think I was "supposed" to. He begged for his life, which is normal of anyone who thinks he is going to be killed, and he was released. So he ran into a German unit instead of an American one. They gave him a new rifle and sent him back to the front. That doesn't make him evil.
Some foreign critics have criticized that there was no representation of the British and Canadians. If this was a documentary, I would whole-heartedly agree with this. However, this is a story of a group of American soldiers moving from one American occupied area to another. Why would this group run into British and Canadians who were further East?
As for the critics that say this movie does too much "flag waving", I both agree and disagree. I did not see any real American patriotism being forced upon the viewer UNTIL that uncalled for flag scene and the very end of the movie.
Still a good movie that will stick in your head for a while.