Solid war movie, but highly overrated.

Rating: 6/10 (28 December 2000)

I know, I know: RYAN is supposed to be Spielberg's second SCHINDLER. But seriously: If you think about it, it's obviously not! Alright: The Omaha Beach scenes are really some of the most astonishing action sequences ever staged. However, the following story unfolds as a clichÃ©-ed plot like any war story. It reminded me even of the pilot to TOUR OF DUTY. Tom Hanks leads a small platoon through enemy lines to save the last of four brothers, three were already killed in action. On this mission, some of the G.I.s get killed. The rest start pondering if this trip - if the war - is worthwhile. So far so good. To show that this movie is a deep one, Spielberg pulls the joker of showing the enemy in a humane way: "Steamboat Willy", a German officer doomed to get shot, who turns out to be just another nice guy, but from the wrong side. They let him get away. But when they encounter him the second time, the G.I. translator - who never before has killed anybody - has of course to shoot him, just to show that all Germans were demons after all. Hypocrisy! And all the discussions whether the effort was worth it are silenced, when Ryan turns out to be the bestest American boy ever! It could've been a far better film if Ryan was a) dead already, b) a cowardish and unlikable character, c) black, or d) just not to be found. THEN all the thoughts about the reason of war would have led somewhere. Now they are just a fig leaf to cover up a standard B-wartime flick.