Saving Private Ryan

Approval Rate: 70%

70%Approval ratio

Reviews 92

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  • by

    livuva

    Wed Jan 26 2011

    Don't remember much about this movie but I can tell you that everytime I read the title my eyes see "shaving ryans privates" yes that is a movie...

  • by

    moviefan64

    Mon Jul 26 2010

    Dramatic in its portrayal of Normandy landings and how the first three of Ryan brothers were killed in combat. This combat movie is not only in terms of combat but also great in emotional portrayal of World War II experiences of soldiers, especially on the objections of some soldiers to their leader (Tom Hanks) on why they need to rescue the last of the Ryan brothers who is also a soldier and risk the lives of more men for the sake of just one soldier like Ryan. The last part of the movie shows the old Ryan visit a cemetery of fallen World War II soldiers, this is one of the most dramatic part of the movie which made me almost cry. I recommended this to anyone who have not yet watched it to watch this movie.

  • by

    peterrdinella

    Tue Jun 30 2009

    Try this method out to put reviews in context. Add the 4 and 5 star review counts together and divide by the total number of reviews and call the result "Favorable.". Do the same for 3 star called "Average" and for 1 and 2 star combined called "Unfavorable." In Ryan's case the results are: 82% favorable, 7% Average, and 11% Unfavorable. Getting an 82% favorable rating is very good and it puts the 11% Unfavorable in context. When it comes to war movies you always get anti-war ravings that seem to blow everything out of proportion. This method may help put things in context.

  • by

    oscarchrisgodo_y

    Sun Jun 14 2009

    Handsome packaging, vibrant colors and awesome sound make this an amazing film to own. It never fails to touch me. Lost to "Shakespeare in Love," REALLLLLLY?

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    mooneuisik

    Thu Jun 04 2009

    This DVD was original Production of [Tom Hanks & Steven Spielberg] like "Band Of Brothers".Horrible,and dramatic Scenes on landing Onaha&Utha; Beaches Killing & Wounding was Better Than "Band of Brother" Ideal features of Commanding Officees who showed Caurageous,not-Swlf oriented Brave deed served as a Patter for comrade & sibordinate!. Concerning is best among your Comrades !

  • by

    jeydevcs

    Thu Jun 04 2009

    I am not reviewing the movie here.. The packaging of this set is one the best I have ever seen for any movie. The menu sequences are brilliantly dynamic, and there is a ton of special feature you will enjoy;

  • by

    rome5065

    Tue Jun 02 2009

    This is one of the greatest stories ever told. If your interested in military movies this one is a must. I have watched this movie over a hundred times. This movie is about sacrifice for mission accomplishment. This is a must have for any movie collector.

  • by

    pcpeter774

    Sat May 30 2009

    Normally I find war movies to be boring. But this one was suprsig good.

  • by

    historyfan

    Sun Dec 21 2008

    The first 30 minutes are like a train wreck.  You don't want to look but you can't avert your eyes elsewhere.  It is dripping in realism and testosterone.

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    edt4226d

    Sat Dec 08 2007

    At the risk of sounding un-American, I wasn't all that impressed overall. I saw it with my father, a World War II veteran, and HE wasn't impressed overall. The opening combat sequence was intense, and viscerally effective, but the rest of the movie never seemed particularly realistic to me; it was much more like Spielberg's sanitized version of what World War II must have been like, or should have been like. Tom Hanks played a symbol rather than a role, as did the rest of the cast, in my opinion. A combat veteran I worked with mentioned the scene where the Jewish soldier walks through enemy territory singing Billie Holiday songs, and said contemptuously, "Yeah, that was realistic." I did think that Matt Damon, as always, gave an excellent, subtle performance. In fairness, I've never been a Spielberg fan, and the movie does have some powerful moments, but one viewing was more than enough for me, and I tend to watch movies that really resonate with me repeatedly as the years pass. If the... Read more

  • by

    jeremy00081

    Fri Nov 03 2006

    Fortunately, I was never in a war...and World War 2 was decided about 30 years before i was even born. But I believe the veterans when they say that "Saving Private Ryan" has the most realistic battle scenes ever displayed on film. I love movies with good battle scenes, especially ones that have something INTERESTING to watch in between the battle scenes. If you can relate, THIS is your WW2 movie. This film is a knockout. I still watch it at least twice a week. War dramas are usually boring, but even the drama scenes in this film are inspiring and mesmorizing. My hat goes off to Hanks for proving he can play just about any role...he is 100% believable in his role in this movie. I could go on and on, but I'll cap it off with this: "Saving Private Ryan" is recommended to anyone and everyone who wants to see the best war movie ever made.

  • by

    robbo59

    Thu Jan 19 2006

    The 15 minute journey into hell that was featured as the American forces stormed the beach at Normandy was perhaps the most riviting and horrifyingly true to life cinema that has ever been created. The audience is right in there amongst the carnage as bodies are being torn apart and young lives are lost in the most unnatural ways. I don't see any politics being played out here, just stark, naked reality. Although the actual occurrences of DDay outstripped these terrible scenes a thousandfold, from the accounts of surviving soldiers who were there, the film comes closer than any of it's predecessors. The story is secondary to the horrors lived out on screen and Spielberg outdoes himself as a director of visuals. The progression of this great director's career has been amazing. As his budgets rise, his films seem to grow exponentially.

  • by

    inmyopinion

    Thu Jul 07 2005

    This is a great movie. It's pretty long, but gives you a good idea of what soldiers had to go thru durring WWII. I have to say though, that I am sort of apalled of the fact that right now, it is airing on TNT, completely uneditied, with all of the language, and extreme goar. This movie should not be available fot little kids to watch on TV!!!!!

  • by

    graymalkin

    Wed May 11 2005

    Well written, sensitively directed and superbly acted. The portrayal of Captain John Miller as a humbly man, a school teacher who only wanted to return home to his wife but never made it, was very moving and highly compelling. My father was a medic on the front lines in WWII, he did make it back home, only he returned with more than just physical scars; something of which he never talked about, he was a humble man too, as well as a brave man. War flims, art imitating live, what a shame that it has to exist.

  • by

    realitychick

    Sat Apr 09 2005

    Tom Hanks has always been a great actor.

  • by

    maomania

    Sun Feb 27 2005

    This is a great movie, especially the first few minutes. You don't expect a movie to start right there, where other movies wait one hour. It is brutal and harsh, but it was good. Tom Hanks and pretty much everyone else did a good job. I just did not care for Matt Damon's part. I was so looking forward to see Private Ryan and then it was that unthankful guy.

  • by

    aurielle

    Mon Dec 06 2004

    I don't care what any historian-wannabes say -- this is a fabulous film. It's extremely well-acted (with the exception of Vin Diesel) and the first half hour is so horrifyingly crisp and tumultuous that you actually feel like you're there. For some reason, the saddest part for me was not the dramatic battle sequences, nor the ending in which practically every character is killed. It's the part where the graves are shown in Normandy, perfect crosses stretching as far as the eye can see. They all sacrificed so much, and that was what made me cry.

  • by

    jaywilton

    Tue Sep 28 2004

    This film is sort of like watching two movies;the D Day invasion which is incredibly fast paced and realistic ,sort of slows down to the pace of a regular TV war movie.

  • by

    wargamefan93

    Fri Sep 10 2004

    Great movie. Almost made me cry. The D-day part was pretty sad.

  • by

    tencat

    Sat Aug 14 2004

    Truly outstanding and one of the greatest combat films to date.

  • by

    torch697

    Mon Jul 19 2004

    Saving Private Ryan - FUBAR!

  • by

    guava_monkey

    Fri Apr 30 2004

    From this film you'd think D-Day was Yanks only affair. Quick history lesson then. The US did not win WW2 single handed. Apart from most of the German army occupied on the Eastern Front, the US had little involvement in North Africa and in Western Europe, Britain had been at war with Germany for 2 years until the US joined in. Again, this film is an annoying example of huge bias just like that other one about the enigma machine.

  • by

    wpittman

    Fri Aug 29 2003

    Just after the opening scene of this movie you can already tell this is a much larger scale W W 2.Great acting with an all star cast; this movie puts you in the middle of one of the most traject days in American History, D-Day. After the whtie nuckly twenty minutes of that day on the beach Cp. John Miller is orderd to find and bring home a Prt. james Ryan. a squad of eight men set out though the German invested country of France they start to doubt there mission and if this Ryan is still alive. Going though the toughest struggle they have ever gone though they begin to doubt thereselves and if Saving Private Ryan is worth it. A masterpiece of a movie, Definately one of Speilsbergs best

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    angusmacpherso_n

    Sat Mar 15 2003

    Should have won "Best Picture" Oscar over "Shakespeare in Love." Pathetic moment in Academy Award history...

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    classictvfan47

    Tue Mar 04 2003

    This movie is so graphic that it brings a whole new meaning to the word. Sure, I can here the sillies in hollywood now, "That's how it was!" That is, of course, a lame excuse to do whatever they want, including copious violence, profanity and sexuality. Here's another movie to avoid.

  • by

    bigbaby

    Tue Mar 04 2003

    This rating is on the movie only- not Speilberg's politics. Im suprised someone rated it 1 just because of politics. Anyway, theis is one fabulous movie. The special effects are great, the story gripping. Tom Hanks again puts on a flawless act. The ending battle is pretty good, so's the beggining, with little battles in between. A must see.

  • by

    myles65b

    Sun Feb 02 2003

    Where this film stands up is in its depiction of modern warfare in all it's shocking brutality - particularly the first 20 minutes. The actual plot is a bit of a romp and makes no claim on historical accuracy, but does take the viewer across multiple battle zones in which American soldiers fought in the first few days of the Normandy Campaign. It does get a tad political at times, but without detracting too much from the power of the story.

  • by

    shukhevych

    Sun Dec 01 2002

    The movie was good... but Speilberg's politics suck.

  • by

    ellajedlicka21

    Mon Oct 29 2001

    This was a great one.

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    lord_of_the_waves

    Mon Oct 29 2001

    very poory filmed. slipshod work. good job by tom hanks though. good action, bad plot and story line. i didnt get as built up as i did by braveheart. boring at times.

  • by

    joeawaz

    Thu Oct 11 2001

    Very reminiscent of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, except instead of seven, there are eight. Good action and drama film. Hanks gives a brilliant performance as does the rest of the cast, especially Pepper (the sniper\sharp-shooter). Probably Spielberg's third best film behind Schindler's List & Jaws.

  • by

    jorgen

    Tue Sep 25 2001

    It begins as one of the best of all time, but the movie weakens every minute, but i have to admit, the last scene is breathtaking.

  • by

    stefi36a

    Sat Jun 30 2001

    We, French people, seem so stupid in this movie that it is chocking. Can you imagine seing a movie which takes place in The USA without seing one American? I know we owe you a lot, but please, Mr Spielberg, go back to movies such as Schindler's list . The one thing I've liked in this movie is the twenty first minutes, but what follows is really unbelievable!

  • by

    afterglow70

    Fri Jun 15 2001

    Betrayal! I thought it was ok, but nothing that great. The scenes of the battles were good, but I was not really impressed w/ anything else in this movie.

  • by

    the_minx

    Wed May 23 2001

    No words can describe this film.

  • by

    234581b0

    Fri May 04 2001

    Saving Private Ryan was the greatest war movie. Steven Spielberg has outdone himself . This is one terrific film. Spielberg makes you feel the chaos of war, and let you know how it was. The filmis unforgettable especially the first 30 minutes, where they renact D-day. That was the most realistic combat scene ever. That scene redefined the phrase "WAR IS HELL!!!" With the images of soldier lying on the ground with spilled intestines, a soldier losing his arm, and picking it up, another soldier getting his leg blown off. The movie also had a moving story line with Tom Hanks leading his squad of seven soldiers to go behind enemy lines and save James Ryan, the only survivor of 4 brothers who were fighting in the war. If you have not seen this movie yet, you need to. It is a great film, and it is destined to become a classic.

  • by

    hughjackmans_mate

    Sat Apr 07 2001

    Good enough to make you want to see to see it 10 times consecutively (if not more). Very sad movie. One of the saddest movies of all time. Tom Hanks did a really job at playing his character. See it as soon as possible.

  • by

    hayley

    Sun Jan 28 2001

    This was a really amazing movie. It was so realistic you almost feel like you're there. It's not a movie for the weak stomached as it is a little gorey in some parts. Everyone in this movie does a great job and though it is a long movie it keeps you interested all the way through. Definitely worth seeing.

  • by

    rate_it_all

    Fri Jan 26 2001

    It is mind boggling the realistic effects in this movie. A highly recommended movie.

  • by

    pvtcannady

    Fri Jan 26 2001

    Actually the best movie and I have seen alot.I have nightmares from the first 25-30 minutes.

  • by

    morgansinjesus

    Sun Jan 21 2001

    Anyone who does not believe that war veterans should receive great benefits should be forced to watch this movie and maybe they would quickly change their opinion. Incredibly intense movie at the beginning! I had to come out of the theatre and take a deep breath of fresh air at the end of the movie... wow!

  • by

    rehabb34

    Mon Jan 15 2001

    One of the greates movies I have ever watched. Great direction and very well documented. Shows the strength, wit and fear in a war. Documents family love and love for your country.

  • by

    bears98

    Wed Jan 10 2001

    Saving Private Ryan was one of my favorite movies. It was a good war movie and had strong plots within. The movie was not just packed with action but also spoke to the emotional side of moviegoers. It was a little long, but the quality was so good I didn't realize it had been that long.

  • by

    joy4ae99

    Wed Jan 10 2001

    Good movie. Tells you a lot about the service and the things that happen within.

  • by

    spursandstetso_ns

    Thu Jan 04 2001

    Again, Steven Spielberg has triumphed. He is a shockingly creative man, to take one war and create two masterpieces, emotionally charged, star-studded, brutally realistic, sparing no expense. This man makes beautiful movies. A wide range of people can enjoy and appreciate this movie--Veterans of this war, veterans of any war, students studying wartime, children of veterans, adults who knew someone who knew someone who died in the war, etc. This movie epitomizes the unbelievable sacrifice made time and again by our countrymen to keep our country and this world free. This movie has the power to make young people of peacetime appreciate the turmoil of people their age in wartime. Superbly acted, as Spielberg makes sure all his films are, though Damon's part is comparatively small, it is remarkably memorable, his fresh-faced youth almost painful to see amongst such rubble and conflict. As he speaks of better times with his dead brothers, it is heartbreaking. Tom Hanks, one of the a... Read more

  • by

    zarbon

    Wed Jan 03 2001

    This movie is excellent. One of the best!!! I'm 17 years old and the movie frightens me; it makes me afraid that some day I may have to go to war and go through what the brave men who fought in World War II experienced. Still, though, everyone should see this movie. It gave me a greater appreciation for those who fought for our country and the lives that were sacraficed to save this world. This is Tom Hank's best performance. The cinematography is excellent. Everone should see this movie, it is guaranteed to boost your appreciation of the greatest generation.

  • by

    timmy3ad

    Sun Dec 17 2000

    A lot has been said about the opening battle sequence in this movie, and when I went to see Private Ryan at the cinema I thought I was prepared - after all, I have enjoyed watching a lot of films that contain a lot of violence and it has never really phased me. Wrong! I think Spielberg has captured the essence of large-scale conventional warfare at it's most real, short of actually being there. After the initial fight scene subsided I had to remind myself to breathe. And no, I don't think the violence is at all gratuitous - WWII resulted in the deaths of some 20-25 million soldiers and that's how it is. To soften the blow on the audience would be insulting and patronising. Anyway, the cast acts its way through the film flawlessly and I really felt for each and every GI that featured (the Germans are rather faceless, with one exception). Again, the battle at the end was grueling to watch and I didn't feel its impact was diminished by having sat through the first one. The opening and clo... Read more

  • by

    pablo7e4

    Sun Dec 17 2000

    Wow! This movie made me realize how not glamorous war is. Everything about it was outstanding. The acting was A+++, however the directing was incredible! This project had a dream team duo with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. This movie will go down as one of the greatest movies ever, along with Forrest Gump.

  • by

    spiritdancer

    Sat Dec 16 2000

    This movie reflects a deep understanding of what it is really like in war. The film captured the war essence and the multiple emotions of war. The concern and fear of death, hate, and frustration of watching your friends die.

  • by

    tedogg

    Sat Dec 16 2000

    Saving Private Ryan is a great war movie. It gives you a glimpse into a squad of soldiers during war time. From the opening scene the realization of war and the terrifying images of battle leave you breathless. The story is the struggle of a group of men doing whatever it takes to get home.