Generation Kill (DVD, 2008, 3-Disc Set)

The Generation Kill series was about the experience of the march into Baghdad, not the morality or the reasons behind it, told from the point of view of the author and the guys in the HumVee. Evan Wright, a Rolling Stone journalist, did not glorify the Marines nor did he villify the enemy. He bravely lived through the chaos while finding the humanity in his fellow passengers.

The trend to show the realities of war instead of romanticising it, my family was curious to see what a reporter from Rolling Stone would find. It was a surprisingly accurate account from what they remembered. Interestingly, the gentlemen portrayed in the series offered the same critique in the "extras" interview, to the point that Rudy Reyes portrayed himself in this series. Each of the Marines brought something different to the group, and though they were dressed the same and it was hard to distinguish them by looks, each of their characters had depth. Sgt. Brad "IceMan" Colbert was portrayed by Alexander Skarsgard as a man caught in the middle of a struggle few of us at home could possibly understand. It was difficult to feel confidence in some of the commanding officers at first, but by the end of the series we were able to understand their motivation. Though the Marines had their doubts about the Mr. Wright's ability to report without a left-leaning bias, I believe they all respected him at the end.

Be warned that there is a lot of profanity and very frank discussion of bodily functions, but I believe it does not in the least distract from the reality of the story, rather, enhances it. The war was difficult and confusing. Things went wrong, things went right, and a lot of what happened could never be planned for. An excellent snapshot of Sniper 1.

Generation Kill is a 7-part HBO miniseries chronicling the first month of the Iraq War, following Bravo Company, 1st Recon Battalion from Camp Mathilda in Kuwait up north to Baghdad. I LOVED the show. As a Marine, myself, this show was a hilarious yet thoughtful in-depth look into what my brothers went through in the opening hours of the Iraq War. The show is very well done, with all actors playing the roles of Marines, yet doing a great job at it. Rudy Reyes who actually served in B Company, 1st Recon plays himself on the show. The show is only 7 episodes long, however, it should be longer, like 10-15 episodes longer. After having read Evan Wright's book, "Generation Kill," which inspired the show, I think it should be a much longer show. i also read "One Bullet Away," by Captain Nathaniel Fick, who was B Company's platoon commander during the Iraq War. The show is just great and I cannot say more good things about it, because that would take too long to write up.

The whole HBO miniseries Generational Kill's seven parts is faithfully included on three discs in this box set. Also included is a brief booklet identifying the cast, the characters, and a very helpful glossary of terms. The war in Iraq and how it is fought is so different from this Marine veteran's memories and experiences of conflicts 35 years ago that even I needed the guide to understand things said and done in the story. Having said that, one of the things I like best about this production is that for once the Special Features actually complement the story and clarify all of the things I didn't understand at first.

The other thing I liked was that the production realistically captures the personality and culture of US Marines so well that even a fossil like me could recognize. This is thanks to a lot of efforts on the part of the film makers that are best explained in the Special Features. But especially the realism derives from the fact that story is derived from actual events detailed in two bestsellers; some personnel who took part in the original mission made invaluable contributions to the production--one of them even playing himself; other Marine combat veterans lent their own expertise to the production; and finally--this is what got me--some of the Marine veterans trained (yes, trained) the cast and crew during a preproduction "boot camp."

Viewers--even sceptics--won't be disappointed.

This is a wonderfully produced TV mini-series based on a fascinating book by Evan Wright (of the same title). The stories of these Recon Marines are engaging. Episode 5 is extraordinary. I highly recommend the entire series. I also recommend that you purchase the book as well. There are details in the book - especially about the guys after the first six weeks of the war in Iraq - that are very interesting.

Generation Kill is one of the best HBO miniseries i've seen. It's very gritty and realistic, that you wont want to stop watching, i hope HBO finds another war book to recreate through a mini series, because it's great what the men do.