Generation Kill

Kadayi

Kadayi

Newbie
Joined
Oct 6, 2003
Messages
6,034
Reaction score
0
Anyone else seen this series yet? It's an HBO mini-series adapted by the writers behind 'The Wire'* based off of a Rolling Stone Journalist recounting of being with a front line Recon unit involved in the initial invasion of Iraq. It's well done and worth a look if you haven't seen it, and certainly isn't an advert for War, or the prowess of the American Military machine.

*AKA the greatest TV series yet
 
Yeah it looks pretty ****ing awesome. Also, it's more stuff by David Simon and Ed Burns. Therefore it will be better than pretty much 95% of everything else on television.
 
Well worth acquiring chaps. Upto episode 4 now and some of the madness of what's going on is just plain scary. Even more so in that this is a historical account.
 
The book was a pretty good read, and I'm anxious to see if the series can live up to it, if not surpass it.

Sounds like it's worth a watch.
 
I've been acquiring the episodes as they go along. Really good.
 
Is it really like MASH? As I've heard from a few people it is.
 
I've seen the first 3 eps so far. I like the show in general, but I don't like how they portray the military. Their unit is chalk full of incompetence and other idiots.

Captain America is ****ing funny though even if he's a complete tool.

"What are you doing?" "Denying the enemy transportation."
 
AmishSlayer said:
I've seen the first 3 eps so far. I like the show in general, but I don't like how they portray the military. Their unit is chalk full of incompetence and other idiots.

Captain America is ****ing funny though even if he's a complete tool.

"What are you doing?" "Denying the enemy transportation."
Click to expand...

Apparently thats exactly what happened though. Some of the scenes have been toned down a bit and apparently a few have been exaggerated, but they made the show with input from the actual marines in 1st Recon and a few of them are actually playing themselves in the show as well.
 
AmishSlayer said:
I've seen the first 3 eps so far. I like the show in general, but I don't like how they portray the military. Their unit is chalk full of incompetence and other idiots.

Captain America is ****ing funny though even if he's a complete tool.

"What are you doing?" "Denying the enemy transportation."
Click to expand...

The book is full of this kind of absurdity. I would read it and suddenly find myself shocked at how foolish and stupid some of the people and actions were.

Although last I checked, one or two marines who the author was with have written refutations of a few of the things they differ with in his account.
 
Quite a few support him though and the series portrayal, and a few were involved in the shows making. Plain truth of the matter is, there's a lot of confusion in warfare, esp in a situation like Iraq and the show is reflecting that. I don't think the troops themselves are portrayed as incompetent, far from it, but some (not all) of the officers clearly are. The main aspect that is almost bizarre in a lot of ways is that, say unlike a business, with the military it's practically a crime to question the direction or dictates of your superiors. Where as in a business it's not unusual for your juniors who are often better placed to come up with suggestions/ideas and alternatives to a main strategy, and a smart leader pays attention.
The face off between Lt Fick and 'Encino man' over the Artillery strike being a classic example.
 
This show is now the best show on TV since The Wire has gone. Damn was that episode awesome. Shame this is only a mini-series though :(.
 
You talking about episode 5 Sparta?

The frightening thing is this is based on true events, and we are only seeing it from the perspective of a small ground team of elite soldiers. The degree to which you can go from being, joe schmoe going about your day, to casualty of war because some numb nuts is trigger happy, or an air strike gets called in is deeply troubling......

Great series, and I'm definitely going to have to read the book once it's finished, but it's quite harrowing in a lot of ways. To be expected from the guys behind the Wire though.
 
At first I felt bad for Captain America because people were so mean to him, but now I understand.
Also the medic and First Lieutenant Nathaniel Fick kick ass.
 
LT is very cool, and the Doctor doesn't hold back when it needs to be said. I feel sorry for both, because they are both decent guys stuck with inept commanders. Encino man is as bad as Captain America. I can only assume the guy bought his commission, because he sure as hell can't of earned it.

A few of the guys I work with have been watching it as well, and everyone is pretty much hooked on it. There is a fair degree of whiskey tango talk throughout the day, esp as we are on a crunch atm. :rolleyes:
 
Dammed just watched episode 5, I can't believe how much they ****ed up. And how many civilians lost their life because of it
I also can't believe how much the ambushers ****ed up, I mean you have an open stationary humvee
and no one gets hit, also isn't the glass in the humvee supposed to be able to stop ak rounds?
In any case Iceman is up there with doc and Fick.

I never got why they don't shoot the engine block after warning shots fail, I'm pretty sure I saw real
soldiers do that in video's of Irak. And I felt bad when in episode 4 they shot those guys running from
the truck
 
I'm interested. I'm steaming through the Wire right now (episode 11, season 3 so far - AWESOME, as always) and I quite enjoyed Over There, Americanised as it was, so I'll check this out soon as I can.
 
Iceman owns. I hope to see more of the actor in future stuff as he's a very good actor. EP5 was a brutal one for sure, I really thought it was going to go badly tits up for them at the bridge. Rolling Stone = lucky charm.

It's a shame that they didn't have a reporter with them in Afganistan tbh, as it would of been interesting to see them doing the sort of work they should be doing. ;)

If you are loving the wire, you'll definitely like GK Antipop.
 
The guy that plays Iceman is the son of Stellan Skarsgard (sp?). You may or may not know who he is.
 
Yeah I knew it was him (Alexander Skarsg?rd). He's doing a pretty good job playing as Colbert tbh. Best charachter in the show, aside from Ray (James Ransone)
A few times I've noticed his swedish accent surface but nothing too serious :p

Really good show, just as I expected it to be. War is 95% sheer boredom and 5% utter chaotic terror.
 
Bumped for awesomeness. Started watching this series earlier this week and I am up to episode 6 now. Really enjoying this. It is like a mash-up of Band of Brothers, Kelly's Heroes, MASH, and the Deer Hunter. Like Kadayi said some of the madness going on is just plain scary. Some stuff is probably a bit exaggerated, but the sheer stupidity of some of the officers is plain scary. Great actors too. The dude playing Iceman is awesome and Ray is very lolworthy at times, but I also quite like the Godfather and Whopper Jr. Gonna watch the 7th episode and the DVD extras tomorrow, and then probably get the book.
 
worth mentioning that after i finished the wire last year, i went straight to this and was not disappointed. i cannot say it's a favourite tv show as it's so short - i have my top collection saved for longer shows such as the wire, sopranos, etc - but it's certainly a brilliant, amazing and well made tv show. david simon can just do no wrong.
 
I also heard many good stories about The Wire. Might try that next. That is an unconventional police series right?
 
Gray Fox said:
I also can't believe how much the ambushers ****ed up, I mean you have an open stationary humvee
and no one gets hit, also isn't the glass in the humvee supposed to be able to stop ak rounds?
Click to expand...

The walls of humvees dont stop them so why would the windows.
 
Shakermaker said:
I also heard many good stories about The Wire. Might try that next. That is an unconventional police series right?
Click to expand...

the wire is basically the best tv show in the world and i'm not a fan who likes stating things like this as fact

but it is
 
I downloaded a few episodes of the wire, but I can't get through the first episode before getting too bored to continue watching.
 
yeah david simon and ed burns went all out to make it as anti for the masses and dumbed-down as possible, so it's turned a few folk off. sucks to be them

but i really recommend sitting it out for the first three episodes, and by then you'll of met omar and you'll love it. yet to meet someone who didn't like it after a few episodes.
 
knut said:
the wire is basically the best tv show in the world and i'm not a fan who likes stating things like this as fact

but it is
Click to expand...

Pretty much this. I am yet to meet a person who has watched the first season and didn't seek out the rest immediately upon finishing it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Marc Laidlaw releases Half-Life 2: Episode Three's plot
Replies
32
Views
39K
BabyHeadCrab
BabyHeadCrab
DER KRAKEN
Who is the G-Man? G-Man theories....
Replies
3
Views
37K
PixelDude45
P
Omnomnick
Dota 2 Weekly Patch - 09/05/13 + International 2013 News Recap
Replies
6
Views
3K
JossiRossi
JossiRossi
hot564231
Steven Spielberg's Alien Invasion TV Series
Replies
6
Views
974
Barnz
B
A
The Episodic Problem
Replies
24
Views
10K
rjthrog
R
Back
Top