Review from The Patriot Resource:
This presentation from The History Channel concentrates on the military exploits of Founding Father and the first President of the United States, George Washington. The presentation doesn't concern itself either with Washington's early life or his role as the nation's first President. The presentation picks up with Washington's assignment as an emissary prior to the French and Indian War, which led to his second mission in which a French emissary was killed in an action initiated by Washington. The presentation starts by spending a good deal of time on Washington's mistakes early in the French and Indian War. It then spends the remainder of the time emphasizing how Washington learned from those mistakes and brought about different results in the American Revolution.
The presentation follows The History Channel's format of making heavy use of dramatic reenactments that resemble theatrical films more so than documentaries. The cut of the presentation that The Patriot Resource received did not have completed visual effects for the battles scenes, although what was included was impressive and bore some resemblance to the sequences seen in Mel Gibson's The Patriot. Speaking of theatrical films, the presentation used soundtrack music from Backdraft, Braveheart, Gladiator, The Last of the Mohicans, Lord of the Rings, The Patriot and a couple of other pieces that we recognized but couldn't name.
However, this was only temporary music like the narrator and replaced with original music and Stacy Keach for the final edit that aired.
Although the presentation does its best to resemble a theatrical film, there is quite a bit of documentary-quality content. The dramatic elements only occasionally feel like filler. The presentation has a leisurely and sweeping style that is established immediately and remains throughout. For those who are history buffs, there isn't anything new or even controversial to be found here. For those who are unfamiliar with the nation's first commanding general and President (these days that seems to be a majority of Americans) should find the presentation informative, entertaining and entirely appropriate on this Memorial Day weekend considering George Washington served his country for nearly twenty years.
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