Good special effects: horrible plot

Rating: Null/10 (6 October 2004)

How lovely. A US Platoon must risk itself in order to find Pvt Ryan. His brothers all died in the war, all within days. He is the only one left. So, the US Army decides to save him. Problem is, in all the confusion after the invasion on 6 June 1944, they don't really know where he is. So, a platoon is assembled under Tom Hanks and off they go.
The special effects are great. The siting of the German Machine Guns was not historical. In reality, they were off to the sides of the beaches and their fire hit the PBI (Poor Bloody Infantry) from the side as they advanced. Also, it took more than a wad of bubble gum on the end of a bayonet to breach the defences. In actual fact, some destroyers almost beached themselves to fire point blank into the defences.
Anyway, another bug is that the Waffen SS "2nd Division" is depicted as the attacking enemy in the film's climax. In reality, they didn't arrive in Normandy for quite some time. With all the historical flaws, one can be forgiven. After all, this IS a movie. If you want an historical film on D Day, see "The Longest Day". If you want a more believable war film in general, see "The Thin Red Line", "Cross of Iron" or "Stalingrad".