The Pacific

Winner of eight Emmy Awards, HBO's epic portrait of World War II in the Pacific is a 10-hour 2010 miniseries that follows the journeys of three soldiers—PFC Eugene Sledge (Joseph Mazzello), PFC Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), and Sgt. John Basilone (Jon Seda)—from Pearl Harbor and the first battles on Guadalcanal, to Okinawa, V-J Day, and the final homecoming. Exploring the American experience in the Pacific theater of World War II through the stories of individuals under fire, The Pacific serves up eloquent testimony to the horrors of war, as soldiers storm out of a jungle darkness split by the flare of grenades, escape bombs that explode in camps, endure tropical rains that bring sickness and rot, and live through the crushing pressure of constant combat. After their victories and sacrifices are vividly portrayed onscreen, the producers remind us that these characters are based on real people: in the powerful final moments, portraits of the actors dissolve into stills of the actual soldiers, while brief biographical notes detail their lives after the war. DVD and Blu-ray extras include historical prologues narrated by executive producer Tom Hanks for each episode, a “making-of” featurette, a documentary on the war in the Pacific, and an extended profile of the soldiers featured in the miniseries. Exclusive to the Blu-ray version is an “Enhanced Viewing” mode with a picture-in-picture multimedia commentary track, as well as a “Field Guide” featuring animated maps, interviews with historians and veterans, archival footage and photos, and more. A perfect companion series to 2001's Band of Brothers, this is highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)