Good technical, realistic opening. Unfortunately the WW II story of the average soldier is lost in the quote We gotta save a kid! end quote heart-warmer. D-day was the story of thousands who risked everything and sometimes sacrificed all for their fellow servicemen. This Ryan vignette is a sideline for the non-hardcore (who seem to often love the opening sequence, oddly.) See The Longest Day for the overall story. It is THE movie that the current generation don't believe was ever made. Then tell me about how Hollywood used to quote glorify end quote war!