When Band of Brothers first showed on HBO, I had to go to a friends house to watch. But after seeing the first two episodes, he went back to college and I was cut off. About a year later, it was anouced that Band of Brothers (or BoB as we like to call it) would be released on DVD. Little did I know when asking for it as a Christmas present, that I would be receiving my most cherished and valued gifts ever. My friends and I watched it over the course of 3 days between Christmas and New Years Day and we were hooked. It has since become tradition to watch it at least once a year, and it never gets old. If you've never seen it, you must.

The story follows several young volunteer paratroopers through their training in Georgia and their role in the D-Day invasion, up to V-E day and the end of WWII in Europe. There is no sole lead actor but rather an ensemble cast with superior talent and diverse characteristics. Several characters closely resemble their real-life counterparts, while others are an amalgumation of soldiers who did thier part to win the war.

The first time you watch BoB, you may be confused as to who's stories you should follow, and which plots are subplots. But after several viewings, you start to love certain characters and parts. My friends and I all have our favorite characters and favorite episodes, and none of them are the same. It is a testament to the consistant quality of a Tom Hanks/Steven Speilberg project.

My favorite aspect of BoB is Prologue to each episode. At the start of each episode various anonymous WWII veterans share their thoughts on the situations coming in that episode. There aren't any names or ranks given, only the stories of soldiers who fought through this horrendous war and came out with a contex in which this stories as a whole could be told. Only after the last episode are we informed as to who was who and who did what. This makes you want to watch the whole thing over again so you can relate these heroes to their actions.

The details:

-The DVD set contains 6 discs in a very cool metal case with embossed titles.
-The first 5 discs contain the 10 part series with 2 episodes per disc.
-The sixth disc contains some very special features.
-Each episode is presented in widesreen and high definithion, with a DTS soundtrack available on every episode.
-Each episode runs about an hour long. (We have yet to watch it all the way through in a single day, but it will be done.)
-Some parts are extremely violent and gory, but none of the battles are as extensive as the beach invasion of Saving Private Ryan.
-You can get it for about $65 online, but getting it for $100 is still a great value. (We've seen it about 6 times so it easily costs less to buy then to rent for the long haul.)

Special Features:
-Ron Livingston (from Office Space) is one of the many actors in BoB. Throughout the actor boot camp, he was allowed to carry a camcorder to record their daily activities and exercises. This feature (Ron Livingston's Video Diary) has been broken up into 12 parts about 5-10 minutes each and is a very enteraining change of pace from the main presentaion of BoB.
-There is a 30 minute feature on the premiere in Normandy with many of the real life veterans giving their thoughts on a summarized version of BoB.
-The main special feature is "We Stand Alone Together" an excellent documentary featuring the veterans from the story as well as others closely linked to it. They visit battlefields where they had experienced the carnage of war so many years before. They tell stories of friends they had, and bonds they made. It is a must see for anyone who loved Band of Brothers, and those who've seen it and didn't love it, are few and far between.

In summary, everyone should see Band of Brothers at least once. Its informative, engrossing, and altogether excellent. Its on a level shared only buy great films and trilogies such as The Godfather and The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. You'd have trouble finding anyone who would disagree with me on this.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older