The Pacific

  • Review Date: March 13, 2010
  • NR
  • Genre: Drama
  • 2010
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Intense drama for older teens about less-known side of WWII.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this powerful World War II drama, which follows a group of soldiers through the island-hopping campaign in the Pacific theater, includes realistic battle scenes that are quite intense, and show the confusion and terror of combat, as well as the terrible human cost. There are plenty of grisly images during and after skirmishes, along with a good bit of swearing and some smoking and drinking. The series is intense, and might be a bit too much for young teens, but it offers an unsparing look at war for older teens and adults.

  • The message of this show is clear: War is hell. The realistic battle scenes show the enormous human cost of battle, and show how even the survivors are rarely left unscathed.
  • The young men who went off to war demonstrate the entire range of reactions to battle, from abject cowardice to terror to noble self-sacrifice, though the main characters tend toward the latter. The soldiers might tease each other mercilessly, but when the bullets start flying they all have each other’s backs. Their fear during combat is entirely understandable, and their quiet bravery is often inspiring.
  • This wartime drama features numerous grisly combat sequences using machines guns, handguns, knives, and bombs. There are close-ups of mangled corpses and wide shots of beaches strewn with corpses and body parts. The battle scenes are very realistic, and the mayhem and carnage are all shown here.
  • Some episodes -- though not all -- include sex scenes, including female nudity. Soldiers often talk about missing female company.
  • A good bit of swearing, including unbleeped uses of “f--k,” “s--t” “piss,” “screw,” and “bastard.”
  • A few mentions of specific products, including Ford cars and Johnny Walker whiskey.
  • Many characters smoke cigarettes, as was common in the era, and the soldiers often drink.

What's the story?

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, the youth of America rushed to enlist. Defending their country seemed like a noble undertaking and their spirits were high, at least until they reached the battlefields of THE PACIFIC. Most G.I.s understood the basics of the European campaign -- they knew the places where they were fighting and they felt like they understood the enemy, but the war in Asia was totally different. This stunning series follows three Marines, Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joe Mazzello) and John Basilone (Jon Seda) through the war, as they battle an unfamiliar enemy on tiny islands that nobody had ever heard of. As they work their way closer to Japan, the boys who enlisted become combat-hardened men, and learn that the horrors of war exact a heavy toll even on those who survive unscathed.


Is it any good?

 

The Pacific is the companion series to HBO’s Band of Brothers, which followed a World War II Army unit across Europe. This series follows the same format and comes from the same team, executive producers Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Based on books by actual veterans of the Pacific campaign, the series offers a realistic, and generally historically accurate, look at the other side of the war: the campaign that took place far, far away.

The series brings the viewer tight into the jungles of Guadalcanal and the beaches of Peleliu, where terrified soldiers faced off against the determined Japanese in some of the bloodiest battles of the war. The harrowing and realistic combat scenes showcase the horrors of war, as well as the often-noble reactions when ordinary soldiers go way beyond the call of duty in valiant, and sometimes vain, efforts to save their comrades. Yes, some of the moments are dramatized, but for the most part The Pacific paints an accurate picture of wartime life. It’s not always pretty to watch, but it’s an amazing look at an important chapter of history.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about World War II. Was it a just war? Was it necessary? What do you think would have happened if the United States had not entered the war?

  • How does this series, and especially the battle scenes, compare to some of the classic World War II films that often glorified combat? Why do you think there are so many more films about the war in Europe than the fights in the Pacific?


This review was written by Will Wade
Teen, 17 years old
March 21, 2010
 
TEEN
I loved Band of Brothers and i love this Mini series

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 5, 2010
 
Pretty harsh show to watch
I'm glad CSM updated their review - when I first saw it said there was no sexual content or nudity, so I was rather upset when they turned out to be wrong. The first two didn't have any, but the sex scenes were pretty graphic in the third one. The forth is on right now and HBO listed nudity in the beginning. I don't know why I thought HBO could actually make a show without it. Besides the breasts, the war scenes are VERY realistic, so I would have probably given up on the show anyway. This is NOT a show for younger veiwers, it would have a solid R in theaters.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
July 23, 2010
 
Some episodes -- though not all -- include sex scenes, including female nudity. Soldiers often talk about missing female company. But, but it offers an unsparing look at war for older teens and adults.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 15 years old
November 13, 2010
 
This is a piece of american/world history. If you hate this, you hate america and the people who gave their lives for others. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just wanted to mention a piece of counterism that wasn't mentioned. All the soliders smoke the same very famous american brand. (Luckey Strike)

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 4, 8, 11, 12, 18, and 18 year old
April 23, 2010
 
For kids, With a parent.
I think kids can watch this if they are with a parent, Read rating description, Without a parent 16- NO WAY! Parent Review: VERY Good show, Love some drama and fighting sometimes.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 15 years old
March 23, 2010
 
Not bad. Gory, but it is a war show.
I love this series. K so this is about the war with Japan, and all I can say is wow pretty awesome. Let me share my ideas of the content: Blood & Gore 8/10 Profanity 6/10 Smoking & Drugs 3/10. This isn't really bad of a show. The gore in it has blood squirting from Japs being shot, and when the get bombed they get thier arms, legs, etc... blown off. The swearing they do swear, but it's not the worst, and they smoke cigars. It's ok for 13+ I say, but that's not up to me, it's upto the parent.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 2, 4, and 6 year old
December 2, 2010
 
Gripping and emotional must see for warfare enthusiasts
Being a big fan of the Band of Brothers series as well as having quite an interest in 20th century warfare, I was definitely looking forward to The Pacific from hearing about the production. The production quality of this series and it's respect for these historical events are outstanding and provides the viewer with a very emotional look at the effects of brutal warfare. My big gripe with the series is the totally unnecessary sex and nudity scenes that are peppered through a few of the episodes...thus raising my recommended viewing age. Other than that this is a must see for any warfare enthusiasts.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 16 years old
May 26, 2010
 
Perfect show!
I've seen every episode. Terrible language and violence. Both male and female nudity. Plus, sex! But it's great. It's very very sad.(One of main characters dies after he gets married.) The good things are that it's SO entertaining and it's educaional. I love it. It's my favorite show.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 21, 24, and 24 year old
May 15, 2011
 
Some episodes have some explicit content related with sex

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 12, 13, and 14 year old
March 28, 2010
 
There is sex and nudity in the series - parents please be warned!

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Will Wade
Studio:HBO Home Video
Directors:Carl Franklin, David Nutter
Cast:James Badge Dale, Joe Mazzello, Jon Seda
Genre:Drama
Run time:400 minutes
DVD release date:November 2, 2010
MPAA rating:NR

This review was written by Will Wade
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you see The Pacific?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it