Despite the harrowing opening, a very average movie

Rating: 1/10 (1 July 2003)

I have seen many WWII movies and this is NOT one of the greatest. The opening 20 minutes are absolutely disgustingly brutal but the rest of the movie is a hackneyed rehash of so many better movie plots. And ultimately we never know whether all the effort to save Private Ryan was worthwhile. Was he inspired by his rescuers to be as extraordinary as those who died for him? Did he become a teacher?