World War II Movies

War Movies about World War II, 1939-1945

Battleground (1949)

★★★★☆
Friday, July 23, 2010
Battleground (1949)

The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944.  Movies have tried and failed (the aptly named but poorly executed Battle of the Bulge) and succeeded (Band of Brothers, countless others)….  But few manage to combine the two into a wildly excellent, yet kind of disappointing picture such as Battleground. What do I mean?  Well, let’s get... »

Destination Tokyo (1943)

★★★☆☆
Monday, July 12, 2010
Destination Tokyo (1943)

Yeah, sometimes you just have to kick back, and take in the classics for what they are.  That is to say, undeniable products of their time.  1943’s Destination Tokyo is definitely one of those films. I’d go as far as saying that Destination Tokyo is one of the prime examples of your typical US wartime... »

The Battle of Okinawa (1971)

★★★½☆
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
The Battle of Okinawa (1971)

Toho Studio’s 1971 epic The Battle of Okinawa is definitely an, um, interesting piece of film.  A telling of the last major “battle” (if you want to call it that) of the Pacific War, the invasion of Okinawa in 1945, from the Japanese perspective. Now, I’m going to go out on a limb and try... »

The Sun (2005)

★★★☆☆
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Sun (2005)

The Sun is a distinctly, well, curious movie.  It follows Emperor Hirohito through the final days of the war, as he lives them out isolated in his bunker beneath the Imperial Palace, and then during discussions with General MacArthur. I suppose the obvious comparison to any other film would be Downfall, or any other film... »

WWII in HD (2009)

★★★★☆
Monday, June 21, 2010
WWII in HD (2009)

Last year the History Channel brought us “WWII in HD.”  A Compendium of (99%) color film, some never seen before, from the war (from all sides) digitized in high definition.  Interleaved with interviews and stories from the people who were actually there, WWII in HD is likely the closest you will actually get to... »

Winter in Wartime / Oorlogswinter (2008)

★★★½☆
Monday, May 24, 2010
Winter in Wartime / Oorlogswinter (2008)

Making its appearance on this side of the pond on 5/31 (Blu Ray and DVD) is Winter in Wartime (or Oorlogswinter).  A Dutch film that explores what happens to a young boy who is dragged into the war quite... »

The Pacific (2010)

★★★½☆
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Pacific (2010)

The Pacific (2010) Hrm.  I was really, really hoping this would be a suitable companion piece to 2001’s Band of Brothers.  (Yes I know I still have to write a review for that one!)  I was suitably disappointed, I’m afraid. Part of the problem is that Band of Brothers set the bar way too stinking high. ... »

Saving Private Ryan (1998, Blu Ray)

★★★★½
Friday, May 7, 2010
Saving Private Ryan (1998, Blu Ray)

Saving Private Ryan (1998, Blu Ray) Well, its finally happened!! Saving Private Ryan is available on Blu Ray! Awesome! I’m going to leave the gist of things to my other review of Saving Private Ryan, based on the DVD, and stick to the Blu here. In short.  Wow.  I can honestly say that this was like watching... »

The Pacific Pt. 1 (2010)

Monday, March 22, 2010
The Pacific Pt. 1 (2010)

I’m going to write up a review of the first episode of HBO’s new miniseries, The Pacific, just because I don’t want everyone to think I’m asleep at the wheel here! Without a doubt, The Pacific is a companion piece to 2001’s Band of Brothers, from the long somber intro, to the black,... »

Hart’s War (2002)

★★½☆☆
Friday, February 26, 2010
Hart’s War (2002)

Hart’s War (2002) Hart’s War is a courtroom mystery twist drama movie wrapped up in a war movie.  There, I said it.  While it turns out to be a fair contender in the first categories, as a war movie it just isn’t all that. Lt. Thomas Hart (Colin Farrell) gets sent to Augsburg prison camp in... »