Storming Juno

Storming Juno is a good movie and I love how its a break from hearing about Omaha, Omaha, Omaha, and Omaha. Omaha may have been the most well defended beach but Juno was the Second most well defended. The acting was good the narrator was a bit clunky and I think if this movie had a higher budget it would have been better. If your looking for a good Canadian War movie I would recommend you check this one out.

Canadian troops storm Juno Beach on D-Day. This is more History channel than a narrative movie. It probably has aspirations of being Band of Brothers. It seems to be more dedicated to historical accuracy and veteran service than an exciting thriller. It uses some historical footage. The production is limited and the style is old fashion. I really don't like the low energy narration. The acting is also limited and non of the characters stand out. It makes any narrative rather problematic. There are some war action that tries to replicate the actual action but they aren't the exciting thrilling type. This feels like a modern TV movie made by historians and TV filmmakers. There is value in this especially as a service of remembrance.

I was pleasantly impressed! It's not the greatest war epic of all time or anything but make no mistake, for the semi-educational historical war docu-drama genre, this is Spielberg Saving Private Ryan level stuff.

There are some cheesy moments and the budget shows at times with the graphics and lack of background actors. But I was still thoroughly impressed by the overall production value and was never taken out of it wherever it was obvious the budget maxed out. The film really succeeds at giving you enough little endearing backstory moments to care a bit about the characters and what's going on. The actors are not gonna win any Oscars but again, for this budget and this genre, they did their job and engaged me as a viewer. They should certainly all be proud of the end product.

I'm guessing it was made for TV so it's not overly graphic but it nonetheless did a great job at capturing the horrific intensity, fear and chaos of storming the beaches with some great explosions and countless troops getting mowed down by turrets with good effects. The camera work is solid and really goes a long way to make what was probably just a couple dozen actors look like a true war on the beachfront.

If you're a fan of this kind of stuff or interested in Canada's role in WWII, this is a no brainer. And if you even just happen to catch it, it's worth watching and probably one of the highest quality things you'll see from any genre made for just a few million dollars. Glad I found it =)

Unlike the misconception that Americans don't appreciate the contributions of our neighbors to the north, I (and countless others) fully understand the sacrifices made to keep the hope of freedom alive in this world.

As a long-time USAF Airman, I've worked and played alongside some of the great men and women of Canada. And would trust my life, and protect theirs, any day if necessary.

Thank goodness for stumbling upon this movie, and reminding myself that we have the greatest neighbors right next door. We all aren't the narcissists that are depicted. We are truly blessed. God Bless Canada. But please come get all your geese...they're everywhere. Haha.

Dedicate yourself to viewing a war film or documentary over the course of the Sept 11th Remembrance Holiday W/E. Canada is a modest nation in terms of population, temperament and the size of our film and doc industry. Our story is unique, and it's been too long overshadowed by our American neighbor's mega-industry. Recently, there have been some excellent Canadian films about this nation's contributions in various wars. STORMING JUNO (2010) is one not to miss. An excellent docudrama depicting events on the D-Day invasion when Canadian troops landed at Juno Beach. The director eerily captures the Canadian personae: boys hardly men, of quiet strength, determination, ability and courage; also fear, trepidation and naiveté going to battle, with their remarkable performance against grueling odds. Veteran survivors - now octogenarians are interviewed following the dramatization. Their emotions span pride, shame, sadness, nostalgia and a sort of bewilderment. STORMING JUNO enacts specific events of the men who served in the various divisions: the amphibious tank team, the beach landing team, the paratrooper team, all set on achieving their objectives in a gripping minute by minute story.