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

[Descartes]

Of course it should be compared to Band of Brothers. Good lord, they played BoB reruns up until The Pacific started. You think they did that not wanting you to have a comparison?

As others have remarked, the magic of BoB was the interplay of characters and how well they were developed. All of the characters were deeply developed and you involved yourself with the story. So far, I don't care about any of the characters in The Pacific yet.

I'll still watch every episode. Sometimes it just takes a little time. HBO almost never lets me down, and when I sometimes have an initial feeling that I might not like something I end up giving it a chance and loving it later.

 

[Rudee]

Good God, this mini-series is so utterly boring. Today's episode was just a boring as the previous three. I may not even bother watching the rest.

 

[zerocool84]

Good God, this mini-series is so utterly boring. Today's episode was just a boring as the previous three. I may not even bother watching the rest.

It hasn't aired over here in the west yet but I really hope it picks up.

 

[TheWart]

Good God, this mini-series is so utterly boring. Today's episode was just a boring as the previous three. I may not even bother watching the rest.

Yea, I hate to say it but this series has been a major disappointment so far. Tonight's episode was boring imo, and I still feel like I only have a vague idea of the characters and 'who they are,' for lack of a better phrase. The pacing seems really odd too...they were supposed to be on Guadacanal for 2 months? The show made it seem like a day...I understand the whole pace/type of war was different in the pacific, but I think that the direction of the series really stinks.

 

[Spartacus288]

hmm... unfortunately I don't have HBO. I do own the Band of Brothers miniseries and I think its incredible. With all the poor feedback about The Pacific, I'll probably not be buying this one though and instead try and find a way to see some of the episodes before deciding for myself.

 

[Noobtastic]

The Pacific is shit compared to BoB.

I like Jacob Pitt's character the most...I hate the voice of James Badge Dale

He talks way too fast and can't act at all.

 

[TehMac]

Do you understand what Time's Man of the Year is?

I think you miss the point.

 

[Ackmed]

I like the series so far. Different than BoB, but still good imo.

 

[amddude]

This show is wearing me out fast. DAMN YOU TOM HANKS!!!

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

I have to agree with the hate so far. It is pretty damned boring. I'm gonna try to stick it out a little longer. Haven't watched tonight's show yet.

 

[amddude]

I have to agree with the hate so far. It is pretty damned boring. I'm gonna try to stick it out a little longer. Haven't watched tonight's show yet.

If BOB hadn't existed, I would have stopped watching this already.

 

[Perknose]

If BOB hadn't existed, I would have stopped watching this already.

Maybe, but in the afterglow of BOB in which you exist, you'll never really know.

Hey, I agree that it pales in comparison, but this deficit is intrinsic to the story. It doesn't and can't have the cohesive narrative arc of BOB, which was about one special unit from boot camp through their slog through Europe.

I'm not as into The Pacific as well.

Tom Hanks et. al. are mounting this production precisely because this story of the Pacific campaign, less conducive to easy cinematic re-telling, deserves it place in our collective consciousness for the boys we sent to fight it.

I really like the way they highlighted and portrayed soldiers being sent for psychatric re-hab. This was an important if historically neglected way we fought this war, on all fronts. We had the manpower to recycle.

Pity the Krauts and Japs, young men ripped from kith and kin just like ours. They had no fucking option to take some time off; they were hard up against it with zero respite or out, do or die, mostly die.

War fucking sucks.

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I was hoping for so much more than this has turned out to be. It's got no continuity, no flow, and IMO, pretty bad writing. There needs to be a storyline, and this seems to be bouncing all over the place in time and location. I understand the war in the pacific was entirely different than the european theater, but they could have done this so much better.
I'd give it a D+ at best.

 

[mugs]

I think you miss the point.

So then you're not criticizing them for selecting Adolf Hitler as their Man of the Year?

 

[Fingolfin269]

Still enjoying it for what it is.

 

[Bill Brasky]

I've certainly enjoyed it so far, but the character development is fairly sparse and ineffective.

 

[bdude]

need more airplanes

 

[Uppsala9496]

The series is good for what it is, but in no way does it follow the book(s) it is based on. The Leckie book "helmet for my pillow" is very different. Personally I don't care for the book as it is too philosophical for my tastes when it comes to an autobiography on combat, however The Pacific is omitting large portions of what took place.

A perfect example is what his experiences were really like in Australia versus that filler crap they showed last week. There was no super long drawn out romance of his with some greek immigrant.

Part 5 better be good otherwise I think viewership of the series is going to end.

 

[brblx]

even the opening credits for this show are disappointing.

 

[Perknose]

The real cinematic action allure of the Pacific campaign lies in the air/naval engagements.

If and when they can do truly realistic CG of these, then you'll have some damn thrilling movies.

In the meantime, I'm gonna' take this series for what it is. And 'what it is' is a try at memorializing the sacrifice of a group of young troop thrown into hell.

Many died or were permanently maimed doing a dirty, ugly job that simply had to be done, in the service of us all, for the United States of America.

We owe them much. They should never be forgotten.

 

[techs]

even the opening credits for this show are disappointing.

Yes, wtf is the pencil or charcoal or whatever breaking apart supposed to mean? The only thing I get is the men who die or get wounded on the road to Tokyo.

 

[Imp]

why the hate for david schwimmer? i thought he played his character excellently- it seemed that we were supposed to think the guy was somewhat intelligent but flawed and maybe even a little nerdy. like he was the kid that got bullied in school.

...so it was basically 'ross' from friends, so not really a stretch for him. but i felt he was competent, and i thought the point was NOT to like his character, and he did that beautifully, heh. and the guy that played lewis was pretty great- again, probably because he more or less rehashed a known character.

He wasn't remotely bad persay, it's just that he will always be known as the ditzy dumbass on friends. Seeing him anywhere else, especially in a serious role, is just odd. If I knew nothing of friends, I'd say he played the part well. He's no Patrick Stewart either, so even though Patrick will always be Picard, he's a very good Shakespearen actor. William Shatner is William Shatner; his "charm" adds to everything.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Meh, I'm still satisfied with the series so far. Last night's episode made me feel soaked and uncomfortable just watching it.

 

[soulcougher73]

I am still not feeling it. I will continue to watch it just to say ive seen it, but nothing memorable has come out of it so far. Bad character development, time frame jumping all over the place. I couldnt care less about any of these characters or what happens to them at this point. Maybe they should have made Band of Sailors and focused on the ship life of a group throughout the pacific campaign fighting the japs. Aircraft carriers, battleships, planes...all the good stuff.

 

[zinfamous]

Time Magazine in 1938


They've gotten even worse since then...considerably so.

comprehension fail.

for fuck's sake--read the fucking subtitle!!