WWII from Space

Like most who are likely to be interested in something like this I have read countless books and watched countless documentaries. Yes this is beyond US centric, it is very much a simplified view of the major events involving the US. But both graphically and the interesting viewpoint from "space" (really could have called it zoomed out or something, just not as catchy) are both excellent and interesting. This is not and should not be considered a comprehensive look at WW2. But it is a good overview for those who are unlikely to deep dive and it is interesting to a person like me who knows the majority of the deeper story and enjoys the zoom out-in graphics and the perspective that adds.

Absolutely amazing piece of work. I have watched this documentary twice, and I still think about it every so often. It gives a whole new perspective to the war as a whole. My second viewing was with my dad, who is a World War 2 buff, especially in Pacific knowledge, and he loved it. Now, admittedly, the documentary brushes over some finer details of certain battles (as I learned from my father), but it does not detract from the overall picture. For example, at the Battle of Midway the documentary glosses over the tactical details of how the Americans easily defeated the Japanese carriers (as my dad mentioned to me while watching). If you are a serious WW2 buff, you would know that and probably be upset. As guy from the Millennial generation getting a scope of the battle, it is not a big deal. You just have to remember that they are trying to fit in a 6 year war in 90 minutes.

I never really studied the war as a whole, with regards to how it affected global politics after the war was over, or why certain decisions were made with regards to geography, or how it affected politics locally in America. For example, before watching this I would have said "America dropped the atomic bomb on Japan solely because the Japanese were relentless and refused to surrender". Now? After watching this with some global geographic politics shown to the viewer? My answer is "America dropped the atomic bomb on Japan for two reasons, Japan was relentless and refused to surrender, and because they needed to prevent the Russians from defeating the Japanese". I realize my answer is quite overly simplified, and I can guarantee that there were 100 other reasons as well, but this global space map production really shows events in a whole new light that is hard to grasp from a high school text book.

Thanks to the power of technology, they really paint the global picture and educate the viewer very well. If I had to say, it was like watching Total Annihilation (PC Game), WW2 style. They use such cool sounds and graphics which really makes you feel like you are in a PC RTS game, no joke. For example, they use virtual maps with digital shading and digital lines to show movement and route plans and force positions, something that you certainly can't get from a textbook.

If you watch only one World War 2 documentary, I would suggest this one. The 90 minutes goes quick, they really take their time detailing the global scope of the war, and they cover things that include not only the battles themselves but the ancillary events that occurred to make the battle (or victory, or loss, or whatever it may have been) possible.

WWII a New Perspective. One of my favorites to rewatch and watch again. An interesting take on WWII from a perspective that didn't exist during that period of time... SPACE! Full of interesting statistics and interesting facts on the things that made up the war , people, manufacturing, resources, and tactics. With beautiful graphics and music and infographics this documentary brings a new perspective to war that is very enlightening and creates a hunger for knowledge and reflection. Thank You

This movie would have you believe that WWII started at Pearl Harbor! Nothing of what happened before seems to matter, the USA were not in it! So forget about WWII, this movie should be called: the USA in WWII, with an overview of what the lesser players did too.

Of course explaining WWII in that short duration would be a challenge, but in this case it seems to go for a lot of over simplification, the imagery is very gimmicky too and doesn't really add anything.

The "from space"perspective, is no more than a marketing trick, there isn't anything new there and it doesn't add to the comprehension more than moving maps etc... that we've had for decades.

Painful to watch if you know anything about the subject.

WWII was nearly over when I was born, and among friends and family I grew up around veterans who had done the fighting, had killed, and who mostly did not talk about their experiences. During those years and the years after, I was exposed to a lot of material about the war. But I realized how fragmented my understanding was as I watched this unique presentation. When it was over, not only had it filled-in all the blanks, it also gave me an understanding of the incredible effects WWII had on this country when it ended. For me, it was an interesting and educational film that was not one minute too long. (This and Band-of-Brothers may be all you need.) BTW, the film goes along nicely, then at some points the screen will go black for a couple of seconds, and when the picture returns you might feel like it jumped ahead (it had me rewinding to see what was skipped). But it is just a story-telling device that I began to recognize and not worry about, as the movie comes back together nicely. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.