READ THIS REVIEW PLEASE!

Rating: Null/10 (18 December 1999)

A lot of people had some great things to say about this film, i'm gonna lay them all together:
1. This movie rode on the battle scenes! Although the reality and brutality shown is unprecedented in the war film genre, the actions scenes aren't supposed to carry the movie, although apparently they can and did for SPR.
2. Any depth? I find it funny that Kubrick and Speilberg were close friends, because Kubrick is an intellectual and an artist where Speilberg is just a very succesful hollywood director. I can't help but compare Full Metal Jacket with Saving Private Ryan. The main difference is that FMJ is lacking the same number of barrels of blood, and it replaces that with irony, cynicism, and black comedy. The final message of SPR "Earn This" is powerful but not very intellectually challenging, compared to all the messages flying through FMJ.
3. Being a Canadian (we fought the hardest beach on D-Day and got the farthest inland) I find it difficult to but this whole "I'm an american and that makes me a rambo!" The flag waving wasn't excessive but the ending "rambo" scene seemed contrived: "Good thing that god sent 7 americans to guard this bridge!"...I don't buy it!
4. It is deplorable the way that Speilberg lacked any compassion for the enemy; he made no attempt to humanize them. I watched as germans who were surrendering were shot, but I hated them so much that I was glad they were. And for that I'll never forgive Speilberg. It is commendable that he could make me feel such strong emotions, but these Germans are people too! Everyone walking out of the theatre is getting this subtle message "Look what the Germans did to us!" That's not right and that's not a good anti-war message!
Overall I commend Speilberg for leaving a record of WWII (and normandy) which will stick with us forever.