The Pacific (Blu-ray Disc, 2010, 6-Disc Set)

This is the much anticipated series on the Marines, and especially three very famous Marines, in the Pacific war. Following on the heels of Band of Brothers, an absolutely superb book and HBO series, it had giant shoes to fill and it failed at that, but I don't think that that is what it was trying to do, anyway. The Pacific is a far darker series than BoB was. After watching BoB you can away inspired and very grateful to these guys for what they did (I mean the actual soldiers). After watching The Pacific, the overwhelming sentiment is of sorrow and pity for what the Marines endured in the Pacific war. And as for Sergeant Basilone, a bottomless sense of sadness at the heroic end of a really, really great Marine. If you read Lieke's and Sledge's books, and you should, you do not get nearly that "down" a sentiment.

I get the impression that Spielberg and Hanks felt that BoB was too up-lifting and, for lack of a better term, too "glorifying" of the war in Europe and set out to balance that with The Pacific.

A peculiar thing in the HBO series is that while it is based on Ambrose The Pacific book that is very strongly based on the first person accounts of Lieke and Sledge, it strays from the facts as written by Lieke and Sledge. This is on relatively minor points and can be viewed as artistic licence, but this is supposed to be dramatization of historical events and historical accounts by the people who were there, not a novelization.

If you want to really have an interesting experience, read Ambrose book before you watch the series and then read Sledge and Lieke's books while you watch the series. You will be quite surprised at the differences of tone and what was left in the series and what was left out.

I like it, and will watch it again, but I did not like it as much a Band of Brothers.

Amazing quality and fantastic extra features included in this blu-ray box set intrigued me to purchase The Pacific and I was not disappointed. Similar to Band of Brothers in premise yet different in subtle ways as The Pacific doesn't follow one Company throughout the war. It follows 3 men from different platoons and ties the Pacific campaign together masterfully. It's a story about the horror and chaos of war with a small love story tied in. These brave Marines are ruthless at some moments, merciful at others. And they end up scarred for life emotionally and physically. A great series for anyone who is a fan of Band of Brothers or interested in World War 2's lesser dramatized Pacific Theater of Operatons.

Incredible picture, great features, easy to use. The makers of this series really got it right at HBO. The reason why you get blu ray is for the extras, and The Pacific has a ton of them. Anyone who likes history will love this series.

What makes this series so great is the fact that its given to you from the Enlisted prespective. Most all military history is given from a tactical view and written by officers. This story is the essence of what it was like to be in the trenches in the Pacific. It shows the hardships of the fighter, rather than simply detailing the battle plans and decision points of their commanders. Personally, I felt this series was 3 times better than Band of Brothers, and I loved Band of Brothers. The story of the Pacific has been over shadowed by Hitlers Nazi's. I've met grown men who never even realized that we fought WWII on two fronts. This series reminds newer generations of a past that should never be forgottten and is much over due.

Great series!! The Blu Ray really enhances the sound and picture quality. We couldn't stop watching it, saw it all in two days. Really well done.