Immensely Overrated

Rating: 1/10 (31 January 2001)

So many people loved this film, that I actually rented the DVD to re-watch it. I had originally seen it in a movie theater, during its initial release, and I hated it. The second time was certainly not a charm. Possessing the knowledge of what was to come, made for an even more boring movie experience. This film's much talked about opening, lends nothing to the paltry narrative that is the rest of the film. The movie meanders about, aimlessly, for what seems an eternity, and almost nothing happens. When something does happen, it isn't anything that you haven't seen, done by the same old characters that you've seen before, in countless other (and better) WWII films. Even the dialog is old Hollywood corny. Then, after being about virtually nothing for hours, it ends with a hokey gimmick of the realization of who the old Vet is. Meant to tug at our heartstrings (nothing wrong with that); but only elicited a groan and a roll of the eyes from me. Tedious, with virtually no character development. Not Recommended.