Band Of Brothers - HBO Complete Series [Blu-ray] [2001]

Across ten haunting episodes, Band Of Brothers follows the real-life story of the American army?s Easy Company, an elite paratrooper regiment, from their initial training through to the very end of the war. Along the way, not only do Easy Company take part in some of the most infamous battles and events of the War, but they also suffer many, often brutal losses. And Band Of Brothers pulls no punches in putting those moments across on screen.

But that?s not, ultimately, what Band Of Brothers is about. At it's heart, this is the tale of a group of men relying on one another to get them through unthinkable situations. And this camaraderie is brilliantly put across by the generally unknown cast of actors, many of whom turn in outstanding performances here.

The quality production values are sustained behind the camera, as Band Of Brothers? episodes are directed by the likes of Tom Hanks, Phil Alden Robinson (Field of Dreams) and David Leland (The Devil Wears Prada). The show gives all the impression that little expense was spared in depicting the right visual look, and the results are on screen to be admired.

In short, Band of Brothers remains a vital, brilliant piece of television drama, and one that will stick in your mind long after the credits have rolled on the final episode. --Jon Foster

For me, the series highlights include the Bastogne sequence, the capture of Foy, and the jubiliant scenes following the taking of Hitler's 'Eagle's Nest.' At no point is the momentum lost, with fierce battle scenes piercing the poignant character moments like loud machine-gun fire.
If you are like me, you will not want it to end. Watching it all in a short period of time on DVD is certainly the way to watch this, as the immediacy adds to the effect.

Overall, a scintillating piece of television, almost perfect. If you don't like war, its maybe not for you, but equally B.O.B should not be dismissed just as a 'war' series. There is far too much depth and character for that...

If the men of Easy Company were in a class of their own, then this series is fittingly superior in its own field and is a worthy testament to them.


A must-see   April 23, 2005
Koz (Sheffield, United Kingdom)
70 out of 71 found this review helpful

I was forced into watching this by a friend and only really agreed because i'm a Damian Lewis fan but i now have to admit that it was absolutely superb! I cannot criticise any aspect of this programme. I genuinely felt like I knew the characters and, as the end was approaching and casualties were amassing, I desperately wanted the 'brothers' to make it through. The scenery was so realistic that it could easily have been war-torn Europe in the 1940's.

As someone who doesn't generally like war films I can honestly say that this isn't typical of the genre as it is character based rather than just a stream of special effects laden scenes (although there are some amazing special effects). A particularly unique feature is that the surviving members of 'Easy Company' introduce each episode, as the entire story is based on real events. Spielburg even had the forethoughht to not inform the audience of the identity of the veterans until the end so that we wouldn't know who lived or died.

This programme reminds us of what normal men did for their countries and the world and I think 'B.o.B' shows us that we should never forget what those heroes endured for us all.

'Band of Brothers' is truly poignant and moving, a credit to the excellent cast and crew (and not forgetting the real men of 'Easy Company'), and I cannot recommend this highly enough.


Touching, Stunning, Superb   September 10, 2006
Gareth Williams (Oxford, UK)
24 out of 24 found this review helpful

Very rarely does a film/series get the complete approval of the critics and public. Even Lord of the Rings, probably the most critically acclaimed films of all time, have received numerous ratings of 1/5 on Amazon and similar sites for various reasons.

It is testimony to the brilliance of Band of Brothers that this is now the 143rd review and the lowest is 4 stars - and there are only 5 of them, one because the DVD didn't work first time!

And there is a reason for this. 10 hours is enough to get, well, emotionally attached to the characters, and when some of them inevitably die it's incredibly moving. The series is extremely clever, and doesn't just portray Easy Company, it makes YOU into another member. That is the realism of the content and shows the excellent character building that has been done.

The music is beautiful, get the soundtrack as well! It's brilliantly cued and for the most part is kept in the box, but when it is used it just heightens the power of each scene.

In conclusion, there are parts that will make you stare long and hard at the floor, not wanting to look (Doc Roe at the end of his episode - I won't say any more, it gives it away), and parts that make you smile - and sometimes even laugh at the heroics. One part that comes to mind is Captain Speirs's suicidal run back and forth to connect with I company.

Buy it, you won't regret it, and my copy will get endless re-views.


Best TV series ever... without a doubt   September 27, 2003
L. Hicklin (Sheffield,England)
77 out of 79 found this review helpful

As a Brit, I watched the first episode of Band of Brothers just expecting another pro-American, Hollywood-made war series, but got something very different. An un-biased series following a troop of American para-troopers, this is quite a moving, yet eye-opening insight into what these normal men achieved in breaking down Nazi Germany. After buying the DVD (which I had wanted ever since seeing the series) and watching it over and over again, it becomes even clearer, the detail and effort put into the series by the superb Steven Spielberg, and Tom Hanks, who I am starting to admire as a director . You really start to feel for the men of Easy Company, and by the end of the series, Band of Brothers will mean much more than just a title...


THE BEST   November 14, 2008
JB (UK)
48 out of 49 found this review helpful

Perfectly written, cast and filmed there really is no television series that can rival Band of Brothers. The Blu Ray release only adds to the experience, the 1080p picture is perfection but perhaps more importantly the DTS-HD sound is simply stunning if run through a home cinema surround sound system, the battle scenes are awesome and the explosions will have ornaments falling off your wall. The sound also brings to life the superb score by Michael Kamen, there is not a finer movie or TV soundtrack around, a true masterpiece. Full credit to Hanks, Spielberg, the BBC and HBO for giving us this classic and absolute respect to the real men of Easy Company, totally inspiring.