Band Of Brothers - Complete HBO Series commemorative gift set (6 Disc Box Set) [2001] | ![Band Of Brothers - Complete HBO Series commemorative gift set (6 Disc Box Set) [2001]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5154X0SP0ZL._SL160_.jpg)
 enlarge | Actors: Damian Lewis, Donnie Wahlberg, Ron Livingston, Scott Grimes, Peter Youngblood Hills
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: £59.99
Buy New: £13.29
You Save: £46.70 (78%)
New (19) Used (9) Collectible (3) from £13.19
Rating:  184 reviews
Sales Rank: 43
Format: Box Set, Pal, Widescreen
Languages: French (Subtitled), Swedish (Subtitled), Norwegian (Subtitled), Danish (Subtitled), Finnish (Subtitled), Croatian (Subtitled), Czech (Subtitled), Greek (Subtitled), Hebrew (Subtitled), Hungarian (Subtitled), Icelandic (Subtitled), Polish (Subtitled), Turkish (Subtitled), Dutch (Subtitled), Bulgarian (Subtitled), Romanian (Subtitled), Arabic (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Dubbed)
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Number Of Items: 6
Running Time: 782
Discs: 6
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.8 x 1.7
EAN: 7321900251525
ASIN: B00005UP86
Theatrical Release Date: September 9, 2001
Release Date: November 5, 2002
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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Amazon.co.uk Review
A genuinely epic achievement, the 10-part World War II drama Band of Brothers is a television series that makes big-screen Hollywood war movies look small in comparison. Based on the book by historian Stephen Ambrose, the series follows the US 101st Airborne Division's "Easy" E-Company from initial training through D-Day and across Holland, Belgium, Germany and Austria until the end of the war. Coproduced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the series take its initial inspiration from Saving Private Ryan and borrows that film's visceral visual approach to combat scenes using hand-held camerawork and de-saturated photography. But where Band of Brothers excels is in its scrupulous attention to the realities of military life (retired US Marine Captain Dale Dye, who also co-stars, is the man to credit). After the high drama of the parachute drop on D-Day, Easy's greatest trial comes during the Battle of the Bulge, when they are besieged at Bastogne in the depths of winter. In one of the most harrowing and credible depictions of war ever committed to film we see the men enduring the repeated artillery attacks of the German forces and experience, if only vicariously, some of the sheer terror of the assault, while being humbled by the soldiers' courage and determination. Such feelings are enhanced by the series' masterstroke--bookend interviews with the surviving members of Easy Company, who talk with barely suppressed emotion of the experiences we see recreated. The endorsement of these veterans elevates Band of Brothers beyond any mere "war film"--its extraordinary achievement is that it shows the horror and savagery of war without gloss or jingoism, and yet celebrates the fraternal bonds and dogged heroism of the men who fought. On the DVD: Band of Brothers arrives handsomely packaged in a six-disc box set with two episodes on each of the first five discs. Sound (Dolby 5.1) and picture (1.78:1 widescreen) only enhance the series' epic credentials. Disc 6 contains all the extras, the meatiest of which is the marvellous 80-minute documentary "We Stand Alone Together" about the real men of Easy Company. There's also a first-rate, genuinely interesting 30-minute "making of" feature about actor boot camp, visual effects and blowing up fake trees among many other things. This is complemented by actor Ron Livingston's revealing Video Diaries of boot camp. Additionally there's a "Who's Who" section and footage of the HBO premiere at Utah Beach, plus a TV spot for car company Jeep. --Mark Walker
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| Customer Reviews: Read 179 more reviews...
TV doesn't get any better than this..... November 26, 2002
134 out of 136 found this review helpful
'Band of Brothers' is the finest TV series I have ever seen. A bold statement maybe, but one that stands up to scrutiny in my opinion. Yes, 'The Sopranos' is a brilliant drama and '24' is a top-class thriller, but 'B.O.B' just has that epic feel, that you are watching something that might never be repeated or certainly bettered. The story of the men of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne is one that deserves telling; these heavily-trained young soldiers suffered on the front line of the majority of the crucial battles during the American involvement in World War 2. They forged an unusually tight bond with each other and were led by some of the finest soldiers of the war. It could also be justifiably said that they, as a company, sacrificed more than the usual.
The ten-part series consists of hour-long forays in to the viewpoint of different soldier's experiences, from a major to a medic. The action is superbly visceral and realistic, using the same shaky, hand-held camera techniques seen in 'Saving Private Ryan,' to which B.O.B is a close relative, sharing the Spielberg/Hanks connection as well as the subject matter. Action aside however, it is the depth of characterisation that sets this series apart. Granted, the running time allows for this, but it is beautifully done nonetheless. We gain a real insight into many of the men's characters, from the joker George Luz to the bitter Sobel, the cynic Nixon to the dignified Winters. Indeed, these two characters are so finely crafted it is easy to forget that these actors are not in fact the real men. British star Damian Lewis is outstanding as Major Richard Winters, the glue that holds 'Easy' together. His portrayal of a man worshipped by his men due to his courage, discipline, loyalty and leadership skills is nothing short of perfection; real-life veterans suggest that Lewis was a close to capturing the spirit of Winters as is humanly possible. Ron Livingston, playing the smaller but crucial role of Winters' best friend Lewis Nixon, is also excellent, adding a touch of comedy through the hard-drinking, dry cynic Nixon. The acting is uniformly excellent, a mixture of British and American actors doing themselves proud. For me, the series highlights include the Bastogne sequence, the capture of Foy, and the jubiliant scenes following the taking of Hitler's 'Eagle's Nest.' At no point is the momentum lost, with fierce battle scenes piercing the poignant character moments like loud machine-gun fire.
If you are like me, you will not want it to end. Watching it all in a short period of time on DVD is certainly the way to watch this, as the immediacy adds to the effect. Overall, a scintillating piece of television, almost perfect. If you don't like war, its maybe not for you, but equally B.O.B should not be dismissed just as a 'war' series. There is far too much depth and character for that... If the men of Easy Company were in a class of their own, then this series is fittingly superior in its own field and is a worthy testament to them.
Best TV series ever... without a doubt September 27, 2003
33 out of 33 found this review helpful
As a Brit, I watched the first episode of Band of Brothers just expecting another pro-American, Hollywood-made war series, but got something very different. An un-biased series following a troop of American para-troopers, this is quite a moving, yet eye-opening insight into what these normal men achieved in breaking down Nazi Germany. After buying the DVD (which I had wanted ever since seeing the series) and watching it over and over again, it becomes even clearer, the detail and effort put into the series by the superb Steven Spielberg, and Tom Hanks, who I am starting to admire as a director . You really start to feel for the men of Easy Company, and by the end of the series, Band of Brothers will mean much more than just a title...
A must-see April 23, 2005
39 out of 40 found this review helpful
I was forced into watching this by a friend and only really agreed because i'm a Damian Lewis fan but i now have to admit that it was absolutely superb! I cannot criticise any aspect of this programme. I genuinely felt like I knew the characters and, as the end was approaching and casualties were amassing, I desperately wanted the 'brothers' to make it through. The scenery was so realistic that it could easily have been war-torn Europe in the 1940's.As someone who doesn't generally like war films I can honestly say that this isn't typical of the genre as it is character based rather than just a stream of special effects laden scenes (although there are some amazing special effects). A particularly unique feature is that the surviving members of 'Easy Company' introduce each episode, as the entire story is based on real events. Spielburg even had the forethoughht to not inform the audience of the identity of the veterans until the end so that we wouldn't know who lived or died. This programme reminds us of what normal men did for their countries and the world and I think 'B.o.B' shows us that we should never forget what those heroes endured for us all. 'Band of Brothers' is truly poignant and moving, a credit to the excellent cast and crew (and not forgetting the real men of 'Easy Company'), and I cannot recommend this highly enough.
Touching, Stunning, Superb September 10, 2006
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
Very rarely does a film/series get the complete approval of the critics and public. Even Lord of the Rings, probably the most critically acclaimed films of all time, have received numerous ratings of 1/5 on Amazon and similar sites for various reasons.
It is testimony to the brilliance of Band of Brothers that this is now the 143rd review and the lowest is 4 stars - and there are only 5 of them, one because the DVD didn't work first time!
And there is a reason for this. 10 hours is enough to get, well, emotionally attached to the characters, and when some of them inevitably die it's incredibly moving. The series is extremely clever, and doesn't just portray Easy Company, it makes YOU into another member. That is the realism of the content and shows the excellent character building that has been done.
The music is beautiful, get the soundtrack as well! It's brilliantly cued and for the most part is kept in the box, but when it is used it just heightens the power of each scene.
In conclusion, there are parts that will make you stare long and hard at the floor, not wanting to look (Doc Roe at the end of his episode - I won't say any more, it gives it away), and parts that make you smile - and sometimes even laugh at the heroics. One part that comes to mind is Captain Speirs's suicidal run back and forth to connect with I company.
Buy it, you won't regret it, and my copy will get endless re-views.
Band of Brothers is better than any war film! October 14, 2004
46 out of 48 found this review helpful
Band of Brothers is the epic mini-series (although mini is the oppisite of its scale) produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. By this info, we can already tell its going to be great. Each of the 10 episodes is directed by a different person, giving each episode a different flavour.It tells the story of Easy company 506/Parachute infantary Regiment of the 101st Airbourne, an elite group of around 100 parachutists. The series show all of their expieriences from the rigorous training they go thorough, capturing a gun battery and a town in Normandy (D-Day), parachuting into Holland and showing the companies leader, Major Richard Winters, single handedly take on 100 crack SS troop (with a little help from his platoons after about a minute of him fighting them), holding the line at Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge, facing massive artillery and mortar attacks every day in arctic conditions and, taking the famous 'Eagle Nest' at Bertchesgarten, Hitlers personal holiday home in the German Alps. And the more amazing thing is, everything in this series really happened in WW2, and all the characters are based on real people! Seriously, I cannot tell you how good this series is, just get it. After watching it, you can't help being inspired by the men of E company, who also are interviewed at the start of some of the programmes. The acting is superb, the special and visual effects are breath taking, the camera work is amazing and the bonus features (An hour and 20 minute ,long programme dedicated to archive footage and interviews with the real E company men, a 'making of' featurette, Ron LIvingston's (the actor who plays Captain Lewis Nixon) video diary of the actors bootcamp, a 'whos who' in Easy Company and ,a slighty random, spot of advertising from jeep)
just puts the icing on the cake
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