Tom Hanks' new documentary series, World War II with Tom Hanks, has been described as "one of the largest documentaries in human history", but a review questions whether it lives up to that billing. The 20-part series, presented by the Saving Private Ryan star, sees Hanks open with the assertion that the conflict is "the largest event in human history" and that it "changed everything for all of us".
The review draws comparisons with ITV's monumental 1973 series The World at War, which spanned 26 episodes. Despite its grand claims, the new series is said to fail to feel epic. Key events, including Hitler's rise to power, the German advance through the Ardennes in 1940, and the Dunkirk evacuation, are rushed through too quickly, with books written on each subject reduced to brief summaries.
A particular weakness identified is the series' reliance on talking heads. With first-hand witnesses from the war now dead, the programme turns to academics and popular historians, but their contributions "rarely contain major insights" and often just repeat what has already been shown. One example cited is history podcaster Dan Carlin, who unnecessarily exclaims: "September 1st, 1939! A storm breaks over Poland!" The experts are also said to be filmed and lit in a plain, uninspiring manner.
However, the review acknowledges that the series is compensated by "tremendous archive film", some of it newly discovered. It highlights how the programme effectively cycles through contemporary propaganda responses from all sides of the conflict, providing a rounded snapshot of Allied and Axis fortunes.
Overall, the review suggests that the series does not overturn settled opinions about the war, nor does it offer the kind of deep analysis that would stand up to a "dinner party test". Nevertheless, it concludes that Hanks's efforts have not been wasted.
