In 2001, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks teamed up to help bring to life one of the best WWII sagas ever made by way of HBO’s Band of Brothers. The 10-episode series quickly became an award-winning hit that, to this day, still has the ability to captivate audiences thanks to its realism, but it turned out to be only the first part in a massive trilogy that spans land, sea, and air. Now, 16 years later, it’s the second part that’s seeing a surge on streaming, proving that it still remains essential viewing.
Jon Bernthal Stars in a Harrowing War Epic

HBO

Hitting HBO on March 14, 2010, The Pacific is a sprawling war epic that tells the tale of U.S. Marines fighting Japan across some of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific Theater during World War II. Focusing on the experiences of real-life Marines Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), Eugene Sledge (Joseph Mazzello), and John Basilone (Jon Seda), the cast also includes Rami Malik, Ashton Holmes, Isabel Lucas, and Jon Bernthal as Sgt. Manuel “Manny” Rodriguez. Scoring a solid 89% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 91% from viewers, The Pacific is much different in tone than Band of Brothers. Where the first part of the trilogy focused heavily on the camaraderie and brotherhood of Easy Company, the second spends considerable more time exploring what combat does to the individual soldiers, and how difficult it is to return to normal life afterward. The result is a series that, like its predecessor, won numerous awards, including the Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries. All that being said, it would be another 14 years before Spielberg and Hanks reunited for the third part of their epic saga. Released in 2024, Masters of the Air brought the trilogy to the skies, examining the actions of the 100th Bomb Group, an American B-17 bomber unit stationed in England during the European air campaign. Starring Austin Butler, Callum Turner and Anthony Boyle, it wasn’t nearly as well received as the first two in the series, but it’s still a compelling watch in its own right thanks to its brutal action.
‘The Pacific’ Is Worth Adding to Your Digital Library

While it is available to stream with a subscription to HBO Max, The Pacific has also been enjoying newfound success in the Apple TV Store as of late. Per Flix Patrol, amongst all the TV shows available for purchase, the WWII masterpiece has the distinction of being one of the most popular of them all, as it currently sits at #14 in the Top 20.

Of course, while The Pacific focused on the Marines, it wasn’t a true naval series in the traditional sense, as it mainly centered around land battles. With that in mind, there’s always the possibility that a fourth entry in the series could shed light on the U.S. Navy’s carrier fleet during the war, but for now, nothing has been officially confirmed.

Release Date

2010 – 2010-00-00

Network

HBO Max