"Rate "Generation Kill"" Topic

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being poor and 10 being excellent, how would you rate this 2008 HBO mini-series about the Iraq War?

2

Never heard of it.

x42

I quite enjoyed so, for me, I'll give it an 8

Any reason why you ask?

6 pretty decent

7

7
I enjoyed this series and have watched it several times on BR when on night shift years ago. Characters all have frustratingly annoying traits but I think that is what makes it work.

7 or 8. I enjoyed the series.

10

7

7

9

8

9

8-9 … Jlundberg, you gave it a 2 … based on you experience with USMC Recon ? Or ?

2, and only that high because you get to see Marines and their gear.

My problem with it was it felt like it's written from a PFC's perspective. I.e., 'I have no idea what's going on in any bigger scheme of things than my own field of view, so I don't understand anything going on around me, which gives me license to complain about every little thing I see.'

Which is then turned into every anti-Iraq War cause celebre, by a Rolling Stone journalist looking for anti-Iraq War cause celebre.

That is simply my humble opinion. Please don't DH me, I did my best to stay away from politics. I'm just trying to describe what I thought was poorly done about Generation Kill. Everything was so dramatic, when reality was much more mundane, by which I mean, stuff like "Captain America" was probably overdone. In real life (in my experience) you don't have someone so aggressively stupid, you have a much more minor incident, which, because it's outside the norm of what usually happens, gets blown out of proportion to provide some character to an otherwise characterless sea of green.

In this case, I think you don't see the actual incident(s), I think you see the exaggerated version, first to make TV more dramatic, and second to be anti-Iraq War (in Capt America's case, a variation of the anti-war standard "lions led by donkeys.").

You're better off watching the Pacific, at least once it picks up after the first few episodes. In my opinion Guadalcanal was done terribly, Australia was sort of 'throw away' (though, a half-century later, I certainly enjoyed the fruits of the feats of my forebears when I had occasion to visit the Land Down Under ;) ), but once you get to Peleliu it's fantastic.

V/R,
Jack

9

10 I was sorry to see it end. The next season would have had to deal with the insurgency which would certainly have been interesting.

I respect your opinion Jack, as you too are a vet … I gave it a much higher rating as with all it's negatives[and positives]. It did do a fairly good job overall and gave a pretty good idea for the novice, etc., of kind of what could have been going on. And yes, like all series of this type you will get stereo types, exaggerations, dramatic license on 'roids, etc. … And in the long and short run was made to make $$$ … Of course Rolling Stone is not known for being pro-military, pro-war, etc. … They did single handedly cost the US the loss of one of it's best Generals. The writer of that R/S article like so many others in the media now want to be the next Woodward & Burnstein. I guest my standards for series, movies, etc. is low compared to some as based on all the shows on military subjects/topics, etc. that I saw in the past. I'm just glad not to see M4s with painted on the side and called Panzers. Which only recently has not been the norm … Just my 2 cents …

Respectfully not giving a damn about the political dimensions being brought up in this thread, 8.

I liked it simply because it reminded me what it's like to be in the field with troops.

8

Gotta go with all the other "crazy 8's", and give it an eight as well!!!

P.

2. Horrible waste of time. Really great acting, but awful story hyped up.

Generation Driving Around and Doing Boring Stuff would have been a more accurate title. Ugh.

Probably a 4 or 5. I read Generation Kill (written by a reporter) and One Bullet Away (written by a recon platoon leader), both about the same action. Would have been MUCH better to of made a movie based on One Bullet Away. Not even close in my opinion as to One Bullet Away being the better book.

9
enjoyed it throughout. Ok some characters do it a bit too much but that is movies, they sort of have to… for the benefit of the masses. In books it might be more subtle.

9

8.

The book is better.

And also read "One bullet away" by Nathaniel Fick, one of the people in Generation Kill to get another perspective.

Cheers,
JohnG

Have read both books, watched the series several times, eaten the MREs etc, and with the usual caveats that this is TV drama I'd give it an eight, because eight is great.

7, 8 if you read the book first,

9.

having read the book, watched the interview with the real marines the book/show was based on. I'd easily give it an 8 and I've only watched the series twice. lol
YouTube link

I'd give a 6 or so. I enjoyed the book more, since it is much more personal.
With the show, they settle into this "just observing things" mode while the book did a great job with the author explaining his mixed emotions about things and how he reacted to things as they went on.

I'd say a 5 – mostly of the opinion somewhere between Legions and Just Jack
- my time was at a higher echelon in Iraq – but I remember the enlisted dog days too