Haters gonna hate, but still one of the greatest war movies ever made

Rating: Null/10 (25 May 2012)

I have to laugh at all the "cool kids" who hate on this movie because of their issues with Spielberg or their need to instantly dislike anything successful. I read through the various 1- star reviews and I have to laugh at the inaccuracies in the reviews as they try to point out inaccuracies or cliché in the movie. I know it is hip and cool to think you are a film snob and all of that but let's get a few things straight.
One reviewer mentioned the Omaha Beach scene was unrealistic because at the rate the characters were getting killed, the 1st and 29 Divisions would have been wiped out and unable to continue the war. Well first of all the entire 1st and 29th didn't participate in the first wave, the 16 Regimental Combat Team of the 1st and the 116th RCT of the 29th did, and they were both combat ineffective after the first 10 minutes of the landing.
Other complaints mention the entire landing was depicted in 20 minutes when it took several hours to break out from the beach. Um, it is a movie you know? Not a real-time depiction.
The movie only shows Americans because Americans were the only soldiers landing at Omaha Beach. The British and Canadians were miles away. I never understand this criticism. The movie is an American movie about an American unit that landed on a beach assigned to Americans. Sorry we can't include every other nation in the Allies. This movie isn't about that. As far as I know, Americans made up the 2nd Rangers and 101st Airborne.
To those that complain the Germans were portrayed as bumbling idiots, the Germans made a lot of mistakes in Normandy. They failed to commit their armored reserves in time. They staffed the Atlantic Wall with inexperienced conscripts that were either older or younger than they should have been. Hitler wasn't even made aware of the invasion right away. Even after the breakout the Germans were still convinced the real invasion would be a Calais.
Another reviewer complained that the American army would have simply contacted Ryan's unit and ordered the CO to send him home. That would have been impossible for weeks as the Airborne were scattered all over Normandy with no real communication with each other, much less an organized chain of command. Mixed units roaming the countryside was the norm for several days after the landing.
Others complain that a squad-sized group could wander around occupied France without being discovered. How is that implausible? Remember the Airborne were mis-dropped all over the region. Small squads moving around undetected was the norm.
Radar wasn't a secret in WWII.
The P-51 did provide close air-support, even though calling it a "tank buster" is a stretch. The P-47 is more fitting for that role. But hey, they don't look as cool. Its a movie after all. But to the reviewer below that says P-51s were never used for ground support - you are completely wrong.
A lot of people claim the movie demonizes the Germans. I am not sure I see that. The Germans fight hard for their country. I don't see where in this film they do anything remotely "evil". They kill the Americans when they get the chance. Wasn't that their job? Weren't they defending their country? It doesn't even really mention Nazis at all. Can someone please point out how the movie shows the Germans as evil? The movie is from an American perspective. Of course the American soldiers are going to think the Germans are evil.
I also have to laugh at the people who say the dialog wasn't real because people didn't curse then. Right. Soldiers in WWII didn't say the "f" word. Um, OK.
Pick on the dialog all you want, but seriously most of you are reaching at straws. The movie is about as realistic as you can get and still remain a movie.