Boring

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

I know many people loved this show and don't want to hear otherwise, but this is my review and my honest opinion was I did not enjoy it. It starts with a lot of build-up and build-up and as I was waiting for a climax I realized the point of this show wasn't going to be a climax, but the life as a marine in between.I can see how if I'd served in the military this show would be fascinating. I would warn that it has little drama outside the day-to-day regimen marines in combat go through. The show triumphantly portrays how time as a marine probably is, but I don't think that is as exciting for most non-servicemen.I'm in finance, and I did not go see The Accountant expecting to get an in-depth lesson on the effects of exchange rate fluctuation on inter-company account reconciliation, and wisely the director didn't give us one. (hey I would've loved it, but would've been in the small small minority!) The show looked and sounded great. Acting was fairly good. And the setting felt as real as it gets. It dawned on me halfway through the show that there were no normal dudes—every single marine had a stereotypical quirk about them- the bonehead, the talker, the Brazilian, the gay one, the fearless one, muscle guy, the paranoid idiot leader, etc etc.In the end, the lulls were just too much to overcome and by the time I finished the series I was kind of relieved. 5/10

I had heard of "Generation Kill" when it premiered in 2008, but was unable to view since I do not have HBO. So I forgot about it for a while until some time ago I was looking around at the local library when I just happened to sight this little, television masterpiece, and decided, especially in light of what the result of our adventure in Iraq has been in the last few years, to give it a chance. And though I can't say "Generation Kill" was necessarily my favorite viewing experience, I'm glad I did. Based off of the memoirs of a Rolling Stone reporter embedded with the 1st Marine Recon Unit during the first days of the US invasion of Iraq, it begins on the eve of that faithful event by introducing the viewer to the men of 1st Marine Recon (many of whom are based off of real life Marines), their code, standards, and every day experience. When they learn that the invasion is going ahead, they also learn that a reporter from Rolling Stone will be coming with them. Initially reluctant to having a greenhorn tag along with them, they warm up to the young writer when they learn he used to write for Penthouse, a magazine many of these young, red blooded males are familiar with! Through the production, we see the course of events through the eyes of the Marines and their "hang around" in a the most unsugar coated method possible, and we come away with no illusions about what war is really like.What makes "Generation Kill" so different from other war productions is the fact that it strips away the unnecessary fluff and puff and presents the story in an almost character ensemble/documentary style. In "Generation Kill" there is no music score or opening theme, only the crackle and chatter of voices over the radio greets us at the beginning and end credits of each episode, multiple units and men sounding off into the dead of night, which truth be told, is far more effective than any music theme could be (That being said, the final scenes of the last episode feature a most appropriate use of Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around", the only recorded song used in the entire series). There is also not much in the way of heroics or glory for the simple reason that in war, there is none to be found. There are no eagles soaring, or glory sounding tunes, or any other BS like that; only following the orders of your superiors (Even if they're complete fools or incompetent), hurrying up and waiting, and of course, death and destruction. And that last part is especially evident in "Generation", as the series pulls no punches in regards to the civilian "collateral damage" that occurred in Iraq during our invasion, and thus shows the cost civilians pay when armies, even with the best of intentions, come charging into their environment in a combat role (To those who think US troops patrolling troubled neighborhoods would be a good idea, I challenge them to watch this and then try to argue for that idea!). All of this is effectively shown through the tremendous efforts of the directors, producers, show runners, writers, and actors such as Jon Huertas, Alexander Skarsgard, Lee Tergesen, Stark Sands, Neal Jones, Michael Kelly, Chance Kelly, former real life 1st Marine Rudy Reyes, James Ransone, and many, many more who I don't have the space for. To round it up, "Generation Kill" is a mini-series that leaves nothing to the imagination when it comes to the chaos and absurd nature of conflict, be it Iraq or anywhere else. As one former Marine commented here, this is the closet thing to war short of going there and actually filming it. For a former service member to say that, you know they did something right here. If you want to see what the reality of conflict without actually being there, then check out "Generation Kill". Stay frosty.

This show is simply worth watching. It takes a creative and well written show with good actors to hold my attention; this show does it for me! It's very raw and shows everything you need to believe the story being told. If you are into military and suspenseful shows with no regard to political correctness- you should watch it. It is done well! The acting is on point. The characters are diverse. There is blood, there are tears, there is laughing, and there is drama. It is very believable. I enjoy seeing a group of diverse characters, as opposed to a bunch of angry bloodthirsty soldiers. They all fall somewhere in between being patriotic and understanding their place in the war and just seriously wanting to kill someone.There is interesting insight into the dynamic of the Marines vs the Army. It appears (based on other reviews by Marines) that it is pretty accurate. WATCH IT!

What you get to see here is a one-of-a-kind mini-series: this is as close to a documentary as it gets. The realities of modern warfare are shown honestly with no political agenda and you are left to draw your own conclusions. When I watched this series I remembered a quote from another film, 'The Siege' from 1998, where Bruce Willis' character, a high ranking army official, says something along the lines of: "The army is a broad sword - not a scalpel. So trust me, you do not want to call the army, unless you have absolutely no other option". From an artistic point of view what stands out the most is the ensemble of actors. Not once during the entire seven episodes did I not believe I was watching the actual characters - the performances and the direction in this production are flawless. I've never seen a series that felt as real as this. This goes beyond mere entertainment - this is simply the best contemporary television has to offer. 10 out of 10.Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/