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WWII In HD Review: Series Premiere
Tomorrow night, the History channel will premiere the start of their 10-hour series WWII In HD. The series features color-footage of the Second World War and the stories of twelve Americans who fought in or contributed to the war in some capacity.
I wouldn’t consider myself an enthusiast when it comes to war specials or documentaries and most of my knowledge of World War II is limited to the information I retained from high school history class and repeat viewings of Saving Private Ryan. That said, I found the start of this series to both interesting and educational, which I’m guessing is what History channel is going for here.
The first two episodes begin with America’s entrance into the war, following the attack on Pearl Harbor and also featuring footage of the battles at Guadalcanal and North Africa. In addition to battle footage, we’re also shown video of life in America and Europe during wartime. Voiced by various actors, including Tim DeKay, LL Cool J, Rob Lowe, Amy Smart, Steve Zahn and Jason Ritter, the series jumps from one perspective to another, finding a natural rhythm as the footage of the war is brought together with the narrative of the “characters” to take us through the story.
The footage alone could be enough to make this series great. Everything’s in color and the quality is far above what I would’ve expected to see, given the time it was taken. From ships exploding to young marines in the heat of battle, or more graphic scenes, including execution footage and the sight of charred bodies laid out on the battle field, the series doesn’t hold back, so if you have a weak stomach or an extreme distaste for violence, this series isn’t for you.
As I said above, the footage alone could carry this production but History has done an excellent job by including first-hand accounts of the events being shown through the narratives and also putting the footage together in such a way that there’s an element of suspense.
Again, some of the footage is pretty graphic, so parents of young kids might consider viewing the first episode before deciding whether or not they want the kids to watch. Otherwise, WWII in HD looks to be an excellent series on the war, that should appeal to anyone with a an interest in witnessing a few pieces of this huge event in our nation’s history.
WWII in HD will premiere over five consecutive nights Sunday – Thursday, November 15-19 at 9-11p.m. ET on History.
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