The great adventure! The great entertainment!

Starring: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Donald, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, David McCallum

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Are all American officers so ill-mannered?" - Von Luger

Why watch this? A great WWII POW film with an all-star cast.

Plot Summary: A group of Allied prisoners of war, considered notorious escape risks, are all transferred to a high-security German POW camp during World War II. Despite the camp being supposedly escape-proof, the prisoners, representing various Allied nations, collaborate on an ambitious plan to engineer a mass breakout through a series of expertly disguised tunnels.

Dad's Preview: During World War II, the Germans took many Allied prisoners. This film features the efforts of Allied soldiers and officers to escape from Stalag Luft III. The plan is to tunnel under the camp yard, beyond the barbed wire fences, and get the 250 prisoners to safety. American Capt. Hilts (McQueen), offers to be the distraction with his constant escape attempts. It is an all-star cast, and Steve McQueen's rebellious performance rises to the top.

The Mirisch Company; United Artists

1917 (2019), Director: Sam Mendes, rated R for violence, language, disturbing images

Time is the enemy.

Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"I'm not going to wait until dusk or for fog. I'm not calling back my men only to send them out there again tomorrow, not when we've got the bastards on the run! This is their last stand." - Col. Mackenzie

Why watch this? ... to be transported there, to endure it, and gain an appreciation.

Plot Summary: In April 1917, on World War I's Western Front, two young British soldiers, Schofield and Blake, receive a seemingly impossible mission. They must cross enemy territory to deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers, including Blake's brother. Time is of the essence, and they face great danger across No Man's Land in their race to save 1,600 lives.

Dad's Preview: This is one hell of a WWI flick. Filmed sequentially in "one take", the audience is allowed to experience this harrowing conflict in real-time. We are shown everything horrible about that war. Yet, our two diligent soldiers keep going, against incredible odds. The cinematography is breath-taking and this serves as a chronicle for future generations to understand the toll war extracts on those who battle in the mud.

DreamWorks Pictures, Reliance Ent., New Republic Pictures, Mogambo; Universal Pictures

Seven men with one thing in common...

Starring: Gene Hackman, Fred Ward, Reb Brown, Randall "Tex" Cobb, Harold Sylvester, Robert Stack, Patrick Swayze

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Boy, you usin' that oriental martial bullshit on me is gonna get real expensive." - Sailor

Why watch this? A superb film about a rescue of American POW's held in Vietnam.

Plot Summary: Retired Colonel Jason Rhodes is haunted by the disappearance of his son, Frank, who went missing in action during the Vietnam War. After years of being frustrated by the government's inaction, Rhodes receives photographic evidence that suggests Frank, along with other American prisoners, is being held in a secret POW camp in Laos. Driven by a desperate need to rescue his son, Rhodes secures funding and assembles a team of his son's former Vietnam War comrades to undertake a dangerous clandestine rescue mission into Laos.

Dad's Preview: In the 80's there were several films about Vietnam, Vietnam vets, and going back "in country" years later to bring home missing Prisoners of War (POWs). This is my favorite, thanks to the always convincing Gene Hackman, and a surprise performance by heavyweight boxer Tex Cobb. I prefer this film to similar cinematic testosterone-overloaded attempts, such as Rambo II and the many Chuck Norris Missing In Action films. Those seemed like a cash-grab, this film feels more earnest.

Buzz Feitshans, John Millius; Paramount Pictures

The Power of Peckinpah Has Never Been So Real...Or So Brilliant!

Starring: James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason, David Warner, Klaus Lowitsch, Vadim Glowna, Roger Fritz, Dieter Schidor

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"It's all an accident... an accident of hands mine, others... all without mind... one extreme to another... and neither works... nor will ever, and we stand in the middle... in no mans land, you and I... go home." - Sgt. Steiner releasing the Russian boy

Why watch this? WWII, the German foot soldiers endured severe war hardships, too.

Plot Summary: Set during the German retreat on the Eastern Front in 1943, the story centers on a clash between a cynical, battle-hardened sergeant and a newly arrived, arrogant Prussian officer seeking personal glory. The sergeant prioritizes the survival of his men, while the captain's ambition for the Iron Cross leads him to make morally questionable decisions. This friction escalates amidst the brutal realities of war, ultimately placing the sergeant and his squad in extreme peril.

Dad's Preview: As Germany began to lose the war, it's army has to retreat from Russia. This is famed director Sam Peckinpah's only film about war. Its perspective (from the viewpoint of the German solider) and realistic, slow-motion violence, drives home the truism that war itself is futile and most costly on those who do the actual fighting. Coburn is excellent as the battle-wise Sgt. who knows how to keep his men alive. Though a war movie, it is certainly anti-war, and it's one of the best World War II films ever made.

Anglo-EMI Productions, Rapid Film, Terra-Filmkunst, ITC Ent.; EMI Films

Their innocence. Their heritage. Their lives. Nothing would be spared in the fight for their freedom.

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher, Jihmi Kennedy, Mark Margolis, Cliff DeYoung

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Dying's been what these white boys have been doing for going on three years now! Dying by the thousands! Dying for you, fool! I know, 'cause I dug the graves. And all this time I keep askin' myself, when, O Lord, when it's gonna be our time? Gonna come a time when we all gonna hafta ante up. Ante up and kick in like men. LIKE MEN!" – Rawlins

Why watch this?  Broderick and Washington - they are the power that propels the film forward.

Plot Summary: This tells the true story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the first all-black volunteer company in the US Civil War. A young, white army officer is assigned to lead this regiment and fights against the prejudice of his own Union army and the Confederate enemy. The film depicts the regiment's formation, training, and the challenges they faced as they fought for their freedom and the Union cause, culminating in their heroic actions at a pivotal battle.

Dad's Preview: The Civil War has a lot of stories, but this one deserves our special attention. It details the Massachusetts 54th Infantry regiment, one of the first all-black regiments in the Union Army. Not only are they fighting against the South, but their own battles to overcome the wounds of slavery when an ex-slave joins their ranks. It is well-done with strong performances and a memorable soundtrack. This is one of Denzel's best early career performances - he smolders with anger toward those in authority.

Freddie Fields Productions; TriStar Pictures

In wartime, the first casualty is always truth.

Starring: Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Lou Diamond Phillips, Michael Moriarty, Matt Damon, Scott Glenn, Sean Astin

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Don't get in my crosshairs, because I'll have no compunction whatsoever about getting up to my neck in yo' ass. Do you understand me?" – Lt. Col. Nate Serling

Why watch this? A lot happens in war and it's not all heroic.

Plot Summary: A guilt-ridden US Army officer in the aftermath of Desert Storm is tasked with investigating a deceased officer's potential Medal of Honor nomination. As he interviews those who served with her, he uncovers conflicting accounts of the critical mission. The investigation becomes a journey to discover the truth, both about her actions and his own past.

Dad's Preview: This complex film covers a lot of topics: military justice, toxic masculinity, drug abuse, the toll war takes on survivors, friendly fire. It benefits from a nice, tight script, and some top-notch performances by all actors involved. Ryan and Washington never disappoint, but it was Lou Diamond Phillips who surprised me the most. His intense performance, as that one guy who's always riding the edge of sane and insane - right and wrong, stays with you.

Davis Ent., Joseph M. Singer Ent., Friendly Films, Fox 2000 Pictures; 20th Century Fox

Every man dies, not every man really lives.

Starring: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick MaGoohan, Angus Macfadyen, Catherine McCormack, Brendan Gleeson, Peter Hanly, Ian Bannen, James Cosmo, David O'Hara

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Those men who bled the ground red at Falkirk fought for William Wallace. He fights for something that I never had. And I took it from him, when I betrayed him." - Robert the Bruce

Why watch this? This is a powerful film about historical Scotland and its hero, William Wallace.

Plot Summary: This story features William Wallace, a Scottish warrior who leads a rebellion against the tyrannical King Edward I of England. Wallace unites his people and fights for Scotland's independence, driven by personal tragedy and a desire for freedom. His bravery inspires a nation and leaves a lasting legacy in their struggle for freedom.

Dad's Preview: This is a great education. William Wallace leads the Scots striving for independence against King Edward I of England. It is an epic, bloody story full of battles, betrayals and death, yet you'll walk away inspired! The scenery and cinematography are beautiful, set in scenic Ireland. This was Gibson's second film to direct, and he garnered several Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture - well done, Mel.

Icon Productions, The Ladd Company; Paramount Pictures

Frances Ford Coppola presents...

Starring: Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Marlin Brando, Frederic Forrest, Albert Hall, Dennis Hopper, Sam Bottoms, G. D. Spradlin

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Charlie didn't get much USO. He was dug in too deep or moving too fast. His idea of great R&R was cold rice and a little rat meat. He had only two ways home: death or victory." - Willard (voice-over)

Why watch this? This is Coppola's great masterpiece, an insane odyssey thru the Viet Nam.

Plot Summary: Captain Benjamin L. Willard, a U.S. Army Captain in Vietnam is assigned a clandestine mission to find and "terminate" Colonel Walter E. Kurtz. Kurtz is a highly decorated Special Forces officer who has reportedly gone rogue, operating independently and presumed to be mentally unstable. Willard embarks on a perilous journey upriver into the heart of the jungle, confronting the horrors and surreal nature of war as he seeks his target.

Dad's Preview: This haunting masterpiece descends into the jungles and the madness that was the Vietnam War. Like many drug-addicted soldiers, this film is semi-lucid, like passing in and out of consciousness. The entire mission is harrowing and takes the viewer into the heart of darkness. Its imagery, at times nonsensical, at times horrific, will stick with you.

Omni Zoetrope; United Artists

The Hunt Is On.

Starring: Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, Sam Neill, Tim Curry, Fred Thompson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Once more, we play our dangerous game, a game of chess against our old adversary — The American Navy." - Capt. Ramius

Why watch this? The best submarine film ever made, IMHO.

Plot Summary: Marko Ramius, a Soviet submarine captain commanding the innovative stealth submarine Red October, unexpectedly alters course and heads toward the United States. Suspecting Ramius has gone rogue, both Soviet and American navies launch their own hunts for the submarine. However, CIA analyst Jack Ryan believes Ramius might be trying to defect, a theory he must prove before an international incident erupts.

Dad's Preview: I do love a good submarine movie. Run Silent, Run Deep (1958). Crimson Tide (1995). This stands alone at the top. Based on Tom Clancy's novel, this takes us deep into a Cold War sea battle where a Russian sub has gone missing, and the US sends its own sub to intercept her, that is, before she can moor near the US coast and launch ICBM missiles. Connery and Baldwin are excellent in their leading roles as Jack Ryan and Soviet Captain Ramius.

Mace Neufeld Productions; Paramount Pictures

One of the most important and powerful films of all time!

Starring: Robert De Niro, John Cazale, John Savage, Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken, George Dzundza, Chuck Aspergren

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"You gotta listen to me... You wanna stay down here and die? Go on. It's up to you. Now it's up to you." - Michael

Why watch this? The Vietnam war damaged its survivors. Here, we see the depth of that devastation.

Plot Summary: This epic war drama explores the devastating impact of the Vietnam War on a close-knit group of friends from a small, working-class Pennsylvania mining town. It follows three steelworker buddies who volunteer for military service and face harrowing experiences, forever altering their lives and testing the bonds of friendship.

Dad's Preview: This powerful drama follows a group of friends who are back from Vietnam. Some adjust, but some can't - the war still rages within them. The final chapter takes the main character, Mike, back to Vietnam to find his best friend Nick, who returned because he could not handle being home. The film won five Oscars including Best Picture, Director and Supporting Actor (Walken). It is intense and some parts, notably the Russian Roulette scenes, are not for children.

EMI; Universal Pictures

A Salute to a Rebel

Starring: George C. Scott, Karl Malden, David Bauer, Edward Binns, John Doucette, Michael Strong

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." - General Patton

Why watch this? This is the role George C. Scott was destined to play.

Plot Summary: This war film chronicles the World War II career of the controversial American General George S. Patton, beginning with his command in North Africa after a devastating defeat. The film follows his leadership across key campaigns, including the Allied invasion of Sicily and the Battle of the Bulge. Throughout, it explores his complex personality, highlighting both his brilliant military strategy and his outspoken nature and difficult relationships with superiors and subordinates.

Dad's Preview: In real life, Patton was larger than life. Here is a spanning epic that manages to paint an intimate portrait of this complicated, often controversial, military leader. He inspired his men, yet was brutally hard on them. He was such a prima donna that he was often at odds with his superiors. Regardless, he was a military genius who was instrumental in our Allied forces defeating the Nazis in WWII.

Frank McCarthy; 20th Century Fox

Same Land. Same God. Different Dreams.

Starring: Jeff Daniels, Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen, Maxwell Caulfield, C. Thomas Howell, Kevin Conway, Stephen Lang, Sam Elliott

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"We are adrift here in a sea of blood and I want it to end. I want this to be the final battle." - General Robert E. Lee

Why watch this? It was a turning point in the U. S. Civil War - YOU NEED TO SEE THIS FILM!

Plot Summary: This historical epic depicts the pivotal three-day battle of the American Civil War, following the actions and decisions of key figures from both the Union and Confederate armies. It showcases the strategic movements, fierce fighting at crucial locations like Little Round Top, and the climactic Confederate charge known as Pickett's Charge.

Dad's Preview: This is a very well-done historical epic recreating one of the most pivotal battles in American history. The viewer is asked to take in all the pieces that had to come together for this battle to occur. It is all there: Devil's Den, Little Roundtop, Pickett's charge. I get that this was years ago, but historically, it is important to understand what occurred there in June of 1863. Jeff Daniels' performance shines, as Col. Chamberlain, in charge of the 20th Maine on Little Roundtop.

Turner Pictures, TriStar Television, Esparza/Katz Productions; New Line Cinema

It explodes in the no-man's land no picture ever dared cross before!

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris, Richard Anderson, Joe Turkel, Peter Capell

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I apologize, sir, for not telling you sooner that you're a degenerate, sadistic old man. And you can go to hell before I apologize to you now or ever again!" - Colonel Dax

Why watch this? ... it's a superb war film set in the trenches of the first World War.

Plot Summary: Colonel Dax, a French officer in World War I, is ordered by his superiors to lead his men in a suicidal assault on a German position known as the "Ant Hill". The mission ends in disaster and the French General, in an effort to deflect blame from himself, demands that three soldiers be court-martialed and executed for cowardice. Dax, a former lawyer, volunteers to defend his men against the blatant injustice of the proceedings.

Dad's Preview: The significance of Kirk Douglas on American cinema cannot be overstated. Where his contemporaries (Wayne, Stewart, Peck, or Tracy) filled roles as the dependable hero, Douglas often played the more complex man. He was usually conflicted, sullen, explosive, difficult to read. He was an acting force. In this film he plays a French commander who refuses to send his men on a suicide attack and faces trial by court-martial. This powerful anti-war effort is engrossing, mostly attributed to Douglas' performance.

Bryna Productions, Harris-Kubrick Pictures Corp.; United Artists

Stripped of everything - they lived and loved and fought as if there were no tomorrow...

Starring: John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda, Burgess Meredith, Patricia Neal, Brandon DeWilde, Dana Andrews

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Old Rock of Ages, we've got ourselves another war. A gut bustin', mother-lovin' Navy war." - Cmdr. Paul Eddington, after the attack on Pearl Harbor

Why watch this? One of the best films ever about the US Navy.

Plot Summary: During the immediate aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, U.S. Navy Captain Rockwell "Rock" Torrey finds himself reassigned to a desk job following a controversial decision in battle. While adjusting to this new role, he begins a romance with nurse Maggie Haynes and attempts to reconnect with his estranged son, Jere, who is also serving in the Navy. As the war intensifies in the Pacific, Rock is given a chance at redemption when he is tasked with leading a crucial and dangerous mission against the Japanese forces.

Dad's Preview: This film is not a typical Wayne war movie. It focuses on the effect war has on the men and women embroiled within it. It paints a realistic picture of the lives of Navy personnel. Wayne's Rock Torrey can command a ship, but his marriage failed and his own son hates him. Kirk Douglas' Paul Eddington knows how to get things done, but he is hiding a violent temper beneath his easy-going persona. We also see the savagery of Naval sea battles, where ships fire huge shells at one another, causing incredible damage and mutilate the sailors on board.

Otto Preminger; Paramount Pictures

Leave No Man Behind.

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Sam Shepard, William Fichtner

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Don't really matter what I think. Once that first bullet goes past your head, politics and all that shit just goes right out the window." – SFC "Hoot" Gibson

Why watch this? This is a historically accurate account of the 1993 Mogadishu Raid.

Plot Summary: In 1993, a group of elite U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force operators are sent into Mogadishu, Somalia, on a mission to capture key lieutenants of a powerful warlord. However, the operation quickly escalates into a brutal and prolonged firefight when two Black Hawk helicopters are shot down. The stranded American soldiers must fight their way through hostile territory in a desperate struggle to survive and rescue their comrades.

Dad's Preview: I remember seeing the news footage of a US helicopter pilot's body being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. This film replays the confusion of that day as two U.S. helicopters were shot down in the middle of an African civil war. We witness the bravery of the U.S. soldiers who went in to extract the crash victims. Courageous as that was, the brutal reality is that a terrible toll was taken on the Somali militia and citizens, as well.

Columbia Pictures, Revolution Studios, J. Bruckheimer Films; Sony Pictures Releasing

The Most Honored Picture In History!

Starring: Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Harold Russell, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Cathy O'Donnell, Hoagy Carmichael

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #23 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of The Best Years of our Lives

"I was burned. When I came to, I was on a cruiser. My hands were off. After that, I had it easy..." - Petty Officer 2C Homer Parish

Why watch this? Civilians need to see this to better understand our armed service veterans.

Plot Summary: Set in the aftermath of World War II, this story follows three servicemen returning to their small Midwestern town. Each man faces unique challenges readjusting to civilian life, including joblessness, changing family dynamics, and physical disability. The ex-servicemen must face the emotional and practical difficulties of transitioning back into society and navigate their new realities.

Dad's Preview: It might be easy to imagine that World War II Veterans returned home and re-acclimated without a lot of problems. They were America's Greatest Generation anyway, right? Of course that was not the case. This film follows three very different soldiers, all returning from overseas to the same hometown. It's a well-written, poignant film that gives the viewer a new appreciation for the price these servicemen paid both abroad and back home after the war.

Samuel Goldwyn Productions; RKO Radio Pictures

The first casualty of war is innocence.

Starring: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Keith David, Forest Whitaker, Francesco Quinn, Kevin Dillon, John C. McGinley, Reggie Johnson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Somebody once wrote: "Hell is the impossibility of reason." That's what this place feels like Hell." - Chris Taylor

Why watch this? This is the apogee of Vietnam films. It's gut-wrenching.

Plot Summary: Vietnam in 1967 sees a young American, Chris Taylor, leave a privileged life to volunteer for infantry combat. Thrust into the heart of the jungle, he quickly confronts the brutal reality of warfare and the disillusionment that follows. As the conflict intensifies, Taylor finds himself caught between two conflicting ideologies represented by his sergeants, one embodying ruthlessness and the other compassion.

Dad's Preview: This is Chris Taylor's journey through war in Vietnam. He leaves college and enlists in the infantry (most infantry soldiers were not in college). His platoon becomes embroiled in an internal civil struggle between the brutal Sgt. Barnes and compassionate Sgt. Elias. Tom Berenger's portrayal of Barnes is one of the most powerful I have ever scene on film. The war scenes are intense, harrowing, and almost too real. One can easily see how experiencing that war would seriously damage the men who came home.

Hemdale Film Corporation; Orion Pictures

The list is life. The man was real. The story is true.

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagallie, Embeth Davidtz, Mark Ivanir, Beatrice Macola

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #25 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Schindler's List

"They came with nothing. Nothing. And they flourished. For six centuries there has been a Jewish Krakow. Think about that. By this evening those six centuries are a rumor. They never happened. Today is history." – SS 2nd LT Amon Göth

Why watch this? ... to remember, and not let it happen again - EVER on this Earth.

Plot Summary: During World War II in German-occupied Poland, a German industrialist named Oskar Schindler arrives in Kraków seeking to make his fortune amidst the war's chaos. Initially driven by profit, he establishes a factory employing Jewish workers, seeing them as a source of cheap labor. As the Nazi regime intensifies its persecution of Jews, Schindler is confronted with the atrocities of the Holocaust and undergoes a profound moral transformation.

Dad's Preview: How do you tell a story so horrible it defies belief? As honestly as you can. Many films have referenced the Holocaust, using it as a backdrop. However, no film more directly confronts humanity's most devastating chapter than this dark, necessary effort. It recounts fascist Germany's creation of the Płaszów concentration camp during World War II. The Jews sent there endured total upheaval, horrible prison conditions and merciless torture by Nazi camp officials. It was horrific. Director Steven Spielberg, himself a Jew, had to commit this story to film, and his effort is a masterpiece on both inhuman depravity and the courageous human spirit.

Amblin Entertainment; Universal Pictures

Ordinary men. Extraordinary times.

Starring: Damien Lewis, Ron Livingston, Dale Dye, Scott Grimes, Neal McDonough, Donnie Wahlberg, David Schwimmer, Kirk Acevedo, Michael Cudlitz, Rick Gomez, Frank John Hughes, Matthew Settle, Rick Warren

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"The only hope you have is to accept the fact that you're already dead. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function: without mercy, without compassion, without remorse. All war depends upon it." – Lt. Speers to a very nervous Pvt. Blithe

Why watch this? This encapsulates WWII in an enthralling, intense, realistic package.

Plot Summary: The story follows Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, from their training in the United States to the end of World War II in Europe. The series chronicles their experiences through significant battles like D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge, highlighting their courage, sacrifice, and the bonds of brotherhood forged in combat.

Dad's Preview: Ground-breaking HBO mini-series spanning 10 episodes (yes, I realize it's a mini-series not a movie). This is the unequalled exposé regarding the events of U.S. Army soldiers in World War II. Each episode is engaging, poignant and important to understanding the war in Europe. Its realism matches that of Saving Private Ryan (1998). In fact, one episode was directed by Tom Hanks. This is not just an HBO mini-series, it is U.S. History 101 - an absolute must see for every American.

Playtone, Dreamworks Television; HBO Entertainment

the mission is a man.

Starring: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Giovanni Ribisi, Matt Damon, Vin Diesel, Adam Goldberg, Barry Pepper, Dennis Farina

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #3 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Saving Private Ryan

"The boy's alive, and we are going to send somebody to find him, and we are going to get him the hell out of there." - Gen. George C. Marshall

Why watch this? This film honestly illustrates what many infantry soldiers went through during WWII.

Plot Summary: A squad of US soldiers during World War II, led by Captain John Miller, survive the D-Day invation. They get a new assignment to venture behind enemy lines in German-occupied France to locate Private James Ryan and bring him home safely. This extraordinary assignment is sparked by the tragic news that Ryan's three brothers have already been killed in action, and the government hopes to spare his family from further loss. As the soldiers confront the brutal realities of war, the film explores the moral dilemmas of risking many lives to save one man.

Dad's Preview: If you watch only one segment of film from all of Dad's lists, it has to the first thirty minutes of this movie. It is hard to watch, but it should be a requirement of everyone daring to call themselves "American". This amazing war epic focuses on a mission to find one man in France after the invasion of Normandy. But the story behind the story is that war can be confusing, bloody and costly in human lives. Here nothing is held back - Director Spielberg did his best to take us there. The ensemble cast is amazing, led by Hanks and Tom Sizemore's career-best performance.

Amblin Entertainment, Mutual Film Co.; DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Pictures