WWII in HD

The series is absolutely compelling and moving. That said, it seems as if everything these days is 'high definition', including sunglasses. Perhaps we more have a situation of 1080p fuzzy-grainy footage than anything else. If the film had been restored more, I might not be sharing this quibble, but leaving blotched frames and long scratch marks is not so much 'verisimilitude' than it is plain old wet-gated film with minimal digital intervention. The title is true high definition, and whoever did it should get an award. Again, this series is absolutely must-see; nothing I have seen this year on television beats it. The lead sequence on each episode featuring the little shivering Asian boy and the tank emerging from smoke and mist must rank among the most stirring images anywhere.

I cannot get enough of this series. I think it is the best done thus far. It is much better than Ken Burns's documentary, in my opinion.

The footage is unbelievable. The personal stories are heart wrenching. I love the way they go back and forth from the actual people, who are in their 80's now, and the actors voicing the story. Perfect. WWII In HD is well thought out and produced documentary. They could easily take this and turn into a dramatic mini-series. Hmmm, note to self...

It also has a great soundtrack. I wonder if they will offer it in stores or online.It's just so moving. Well done. Now let's see one on Korea and Vietnam.

Having seen the 1970's World At War series plus many other WWII old color documentaries I was not expecting much new in WWII in HD. Much to my surprise I found the entire series absolutely compelling and I watched it all in one day recorded off the TV. It is so much more than just restored old color movie clips (that are very far from HD quality). The story-telling around a number of real-life American war veterans, including recent interviews with them, brings the five year history of the US role in WWII into fresh focus today. The role of Allied military forces is barely covered, however, furthering the misconception that the US alone won the war. Although the story jumps between war theaters around the world the brilliant editing shocks the senses with scene after scene of the horrifying cruelty inflicted on soldiers and civilians throughout the world. Graphic footage of blasted bodies and wounded children is very hard to watch but the end result is the most effective anti-war film I have ever seen. The fanatical resistance of the Japanese military plus their diabolical cruelty caused tens of thousands of US soldiers to die in epic battles on small Pacific islands. Now I understand better why Truman decided to drop the atomic bombs rather than risk up to a million more US soldier deaths in an invasion of the Japanese mainland (I just wish he had given civilians in Hiroshima and Nagasaki a few hours to evacuate beforehand). The combination of actual color footage plus unique editing makes this series a must-see even if it takes nearly eight hours to watch. Very highly recommended.

(This is only like my second or third time writing a comment on a film/series, sorry if it is confusing.) I did not expect much out of this series just because I have seen so much on World War II, but I gave it a chance and to my surprise it was very good. The information was basic knowledge but the film was good. I usually stick to books so there was a lot of film that I have never seen before. My mother, who does not know much about History watched this with me and did learn a lot but not so much to where the information was confusing to her. I think the best show out of the 10 episode series is "Glory and Guts." All in all this was a good series. I am going to buy it and add it to my collection.

The first thing many viewers tend to do, myself included, is compare this to the 2007 World War II series by Ken Burns. I won't rate the two except to say they are both exceptional works of film. The main difference is the amount of color and gruesome scenes in "WWII In HD" and the amount of time devoted to the home front in "Ken Burns' The War." Other than that, both offer a very emotional ride. The amount of amazing stories that come out of World War II seem limitless.

The most striking thing about this series (1) was all the color photography; (2) were all the gruesome scenes of mutilated, dead bodies and men clinging to life; (3) the emphasis on the Pacific Theater. I really appreciated the latter because this all the intense and brutal battles on those Pacific islands have never gotten "the play" the European Theater has received via movies, TV shows and documentaries. Far more people know all about Hilter and his Nazi regime than they do about exactly what went on in places like Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and other islands. The carnage and what happened in those places was unbelievable to me. This program did an amazing job of education us on that key element of World War II.

I received a PM from a man who worked on this project and he detailed some of the problems they had in bringing this to us, the public. I thank him, though, and all who worked on it for a memorable TV series, to say the least! Great stuff. I was very sorry to send it end, which is the highest compliment I can give it.