A game of two halves

Rating: 1/10 (9 August 1999)

There are some very good things about this film, unfortunately there are also some very bad things that detract from it as a whole.
First the good news:
The action sequences at the beginning and end of this film are second to none - War is not "Heck" but something entirely more horrific. There were some nice little touches such as Miller having Parkinsons that added some colour to the characterisation.
Now the bad news:
There were far too many formulaic elements in this film - I would like to think this was enforced by the studios but I doubt it.
The German they let go and what happens afterward with him - extremely predictable.
The Rookie that goes to pieces at completely the worst time - equally so
The sequence where Miller is firing at the Tank with his sidearm - we're in Cliche country.
The ending (From after above scene onward) - Far too jingoistic for my taste - the Film tries to show how repulsive war is, then tries to glorify it?? This particularly cheapens the entire movie.
Saving Private Ryan is great to look at, and will hopefully open a lot of people's eyes as to what being shot or blown up actually looks like in "Reality", but with a sharper script and a less cynical template, it could have been a lot better.
Dan