Having enjoyed BAND OF BROTHERS, I was looking forward to watching this big-budget follow-up detailing the experiences of various soldiers fighting in the Pacific theatre during WW2. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the same level of quality as the earlier production, and indeed the whole series is beset with flaws that threaten to sink it before it gets going.
The main problem is the lack of interesting characters. Band of Brothers remained engaging because it followed the same group of soldiers through different battles. THE PACIFIC attempts to follow the diverse stories of three separate groups of characters, and it doesn't make a very good job of it.
There's a great deal of chopping and changing from one story to the next. Lead characters occupy most of an episode before disappearing and not showing up again until the ending. There isn't much time for characterisation or depth, so the sequences set outside of the battles are particularly unappealing. The nadir is one episode, early on, which takes place entirely in Australia, with the boys on leave free to booze and chase women. It may have been fun to experience, but it certainly isn't fun to watch.
However, the good news is that it does get better - in the end. The expensive, expansive battle sequences are absolutely riveting and superbly portrayed. The battles of Guadalcanal, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa are all present and among the best depictions of combat that television has to offer, chock full of explosive effects and realism. The producers don't shy away from the violence, either, with death an ever-present reality and the Japanese engaging in some sinister tricks that would recur in the Vietnam war. It's just a shame that more time couldn't have been given to the campaigns, because without them The Pacific stagnates.
The main problem is the lack of interesting characters. Band of Brothers remained engaging because it followed the same group of soldiers through different battles. THE PACIFIC attempts to follow the diverse stories of three separate groups of characters, and it doesn't make a very good job of it.
There's a great deal of chopping and changing from one story to the next. Lead characters occupy most of an episode before disappearing and not showing up again until the ending. There isn't much time for characterisation or depth, so the sequences set outside of the battles are particularly unappealing. The nadir is one episode, early on, which takes place entirely in Australia, with the boys on leave free to booze and chase women. It may have been fun to experience, but it certainly isn't fun to watch.
However, the good news is that it does get better - in the end. The expensive, expansive battle sequences are absolutely riveting and superbly portrayed. The battles of Guadalcanal, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa are all present and among the best depictions of combat that television has to offer, chock full of explosive effects and realism. The producers don't shy away from the violence, either, with death an ever-present reality and the Japanese engaging in some sinister tricks that would recur in the Vietnam war. It's just a shame that more time couldn't have been given to the campaigns, because without them The Pacific stagnates.