HBO's "The Pacific" is disappointing...

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MrToilet

Senior member
Feb 28, 2005
635
0
0
So I've watched the 1st 3 episodes, and comparing this to the miniseries Band of Brothers (how can you not), I come away a little disappointed. I understand that this is a different theater of war, and the setup is different (following a company vs. following 3-4 Marines), but even still I'm finding this series very hard to follow. There's no overlying story arc to fit everything in, so far the 1st 3 episodes seem like a bunch of random events just thrown together haphazardly. I feel like I'm being tugged in many directions, and some of the transitions are just jarring at best, because of that I get the feeling that I don't really know what exactly is going on. The plethora of racist comments are getting a little annoying- "Jap this, Jap that, Yellow Monkey this"- I understand that's what they said, it's just a little disturbing to me.

I was really anticipating how great this miniseries was going to be, and I guess I just expected more about the Marines and their battles, not devoting an entire episode to them drinking and having sex, which this last episode (#3) seemed to be. This series seems more like a made-for-TV movie in 10 parts than a "documentary" like Band of Brothers tried to be, and I find it weird that they were produced by the same people; there really isn't any comparison, this miniseries is just not as good.

Any thoughts? I know people will disagree, I just don't like the way this series is shaping up, when it could have been so much better.
 
GodlessAstronomer

GodlessAstronomer

Lifer
Oct 27, 2007
17,009
5
0
I like it. Currently downloading episode 3. Everything is disappointing when compared with BoB, but The Pacific is an exceptional show that can stand on it's own merits. IOW you're wrong.
 
Hyperlite

Hyperlite

Diamond Member
May 25, 2004
5,664
2
76
I watched the first EP when it aired, and likewise wasn't impressed. It's certainly watchable, i just don't find it to be anything original, which is a little disappointing considering the names behind it.
 
Mike Gayner

Mike Gayner

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2007
6,175
3
0
I disagree with the negative sentiment - I love this show. Stop comparing it to BoB FFS, it's not BoB 2.
 
T

totalnoob

Golden Member
Jul 17, 2009
1,389
1
81
BOB was awesome. Production values..the sympathy you felt with the characters, etc. The Pacific just aint the same..though the most recent episode did make me feel sorry for one character (the guy who got dumped by the aussie).
 
zerocool84

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
36,041
472
126
Yea I'm not feeling it either. It's getting better as this episode we just had you actually get to learn more about the characters. I really felt nothing for any of the characters at all for the first 2 episodes. The beginning of BoB was great. You learned about everyone and how they were and actually cared about them going through basic. I don't care about anyone in The Pacific yet. Oh and I don't understand how you could complain about the racial comments in the movie. It's supposed to be realistic.
 
coldmeat

coldmeat

Diamond Member
Jul 10, 2007
9,233
139
106
I agree. The first episode kind of felt like it was just a collection of unrelated scenes.
 
0roo0roo

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
84
91
was a bit bored with the 3rd episode. lots of hitting on the local ladies bit...
isabel lucas of transformers 2 fame is ridiculously hot.
but i was still bored.
 
Ika

Ika

Lifer
Mar 22, 2006
14,264
3
81
0roo0roo said:
was a bit bored with the 3rd episode. lots of hitting on the local ladies bit...
isabel lucas of transformers 2 fame is ridiculously hot.
but i was still bored.
Click to expand...

thanks, i was wondering who that girl was. she caught my eye.. and held it for quite some time.
 
0roo0roo

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
84
91
Aflac said:
thanks, i was wondering who that girl was. she caught my eye.. and held it for quite some time.
Click to expand...

isabel_lucas.jpg

yea from some angles she looks like alison lohman:)
 
R

RbSX

Diamond Member
Jan 18, 2002
8,351
1
76
I've gotta say that I don't like it.

The European Campaign was much better suited for the kind of story they are trying to tell, in the way that they are trying to tell it.

The Pacific Campaign... not quite so much in the sense that there isn't much of a flow.
 
StinkyPinky

StinkyPinky

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2002
6,956
1,268
126
Watched the first two eps.....kinda sucks. I don't know who is who and the action seems unrealistic. WHy did the Japanese just keep running into the machine gun anyway? There seems to be a 50:1 kill ratio so far.
 
L

lykaon78

Golden Member
Sep 5, 2001
1,174
9
81
I'm waiting for the DVDs on this one and I'll take a weekend and knock out the whole series at once.

Regarding the racist comments... I seem to remember BoB being filled with similar derogatory names for the Germans. The different race aspect of the Japanese versus Germans just makes this more of a stark difference.
 
D

Double Trouble

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
9,270
103
106
I really like the series so far, excellent overall. BoB was a different kind of series, so I don't really compare it directly; they are both very good.


The plethora of racist comments are getting a little annoying- "Jap this, Jap that, Yellow Monkey this"- I understand that's what they said, it's just a little disturbing to me.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what they said and thought at that point in time. Watch the PBS series on the pacific, many of the old marines explain why and how they thought of the "Japs" more like vermin that needed exterminated than as humans. Especially when they were clearing out caves on Okinawa and the like. The japanese would often "surrender" then try something (like producing a hidden grenade) once they were among the American soldiers. Because of that, the marines started simply using bulldozers to close off the caves and incinerating them. It's a stark and sad reminder of what humans are capable of.
 
Fingolfin269

Fingolfin269

Lifer
Feb 28, 2003
17,948
33
91
Wow people are complaining about this show because of things like 'why do the Japanese keep running at the machine gun, it seems so unreal!!'. Hey, guess what? It happened that way. Maybe you just don't like watching/reading/learning about this theater of ww2.

And as for the racist comments? Give me a break. Maybe to appease all of you bleeding hearts they should have the PC POLICE fly in aboard a rainbow colored helicopter every time someone says the word 'Jap' because you know, they didn't really say that a lot back then... it was all added to this show for dramatic purposes!
 
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