This movie didn't move

Rating: 8/10 (20 July 2006)

Okay, I think there might be something wrong with me, because I'm the only one who seems not to like this movie. But I have my reasons.
First of all, this movie seems a bit contradictory in its message. Is it supposed to be antiwar, or are we supposed to be cheering at the gore? Speaking of gore, they wasted it all in the first battle of the film, which is also the first scene after the prologue scene. No good storyteller does that. Since the most graphic images were at the beginning, most everything else seemed tame in comparison.
Secondly, this really isn't Spielberg's best film at all. It moves very slowly and is full of scenes that try to build characterization but somehow manage to seem sappy. I'll give him and the screenwriter credit for trying, however.
Also, this is possibly John Williams' worst movie score ever. The music is the kind you can find in any war movie--it's sort of cheesy and not at all amazing like many of his other works.
Lastly, this movie simply does not move. Maybe it was just me, but it didn't evoke much of an emotional reaction out of me, and I'm normally quite an emotional moviegoer.
Tom Hanks did a very good acting job, and the others did okay. But too many of the lines were whispered, or at too low a volume.
Maybe it's just me, but this movie didn't move.
5/10