How can this be overrated?

Kudos to you, sir.

Blatant rip-off of Saving Private Ryan? Not hardly, Dude, you're looking at two different time periods totally and half way around the world as well. World War II European theater vs Korean conflict very much different no similarities exist the use of flashbacks used often in war films is vaguely similar in the fact they both occurred at both ends of the movie but they were quite different there as well they were not at a war site dig in SPR it was at Arlington National Cemetery. A close 7 1/2 minutes is not total rip-off. Besides this film also was done in a perspective other than our standard American point of view and well done at that.

"I'll tell you why:

1) It's a blatant rip-off of Saving Private Ryan. SPR is the only war movie ever made, the only one about this approximate period in time and the only one that uses flashbacks. Therefore, Taegukgi is a total rip-off.

2) It's cheese. Totally melodramatic. This has nothing to do with the fact that most haters don't know or understand anything about Korean culture wherein family ties are typically far more important than western culture, nor that most Korean dramas are very emotional anyway. That has nothing to do with it.

There, that pretty much sums up the typical arguments made against this movie.

Questions?"

Wow.

1) Um, no. SPR was the only war movie ever made? Er, if I were allowed to swear then I would use any manner of expletives in conjunction with a consctructive arguement to prove you wrong there. SPR is one of only three credible war films released over the past decade, the others being this and the thin red line - TTRL was beyond jaw dropping in narrative and cinematography, something with SPR was lacking. Why is Taegukgi a rip off of a film that uses a completely different period, a completetly different story, completetly different narative...and, more importantly, a completely different conlcusion..?

2) No, because war doesn't have any value of drama what so ever - so any war film that has any sense of melodrama is immediatly classed as crap? This film is not cheesey, for the following reason - it is superbly acted. Um, nuff said on that one. The latter part of your statement is valid to a point, and that point stops when you only consider the family ties. The film deals with one immediate family, but at the start we are introduced to the next generation of that family, in which, this scene, sets the absolute mood for this film and results in the emotion of the final scene.
The whole point of the film wasn't to convey the horrors of war, far from it - it was to show the amount of love between two brothers who are eventually torn apart by war, and if this film, a korean film...what with their dedication to family and what not, didn't express that...then, you're a moron if you didn't see it.

Actually, you're #2 is totally illogical considering the subject matter and story of the film...it is actually impossible to come up with a viable contrary opinion...

Well my friend, apart from the fact that millions (yes, millions, thats not a typo) of non-Korean watch the Korean dramas and cry, and they tell us that Korean dramas and films are one of the most emotionally moving in the world...
If you didn't feel any stirrings of emotion during this film, you are obviously a robot with no feelings whatsoever.
It might also help if you had any idea of Korean culture and it's language... and any sense.

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Why are u comparing a movie made in Korea with one made in America? Different people, different movie, different directors, different time period. It's no rip-off, this movie is just telling people how war can separate even the closest relationships.

right ok you got me, i'm half korean. i like korean movies. but i'm half scottish too, and I live in the UK. so it's not like I don't like American/English movies. Also, i did not say that it was "the best war film ever on the planet", as you have quoted.
When I said that many American war films are average compared to Brotherhood, I was talking in the context of people saying the film is overrated, when it clearly is not because the film does not get a lot of recognition globally compared to most American films and more particularly war films.

I understand that this may seem an overly emotional film to some, but you must understand that this is how Koreans feels about the war. The war technically has not ended. It was really a war for nothing in the end, and I was almost pushed to tears which is something I would almost never do with a film. It may have been because I was in Korea visitng my family when i watched it, and seeing my grandfather made me think too about the suffering of Korean people have gone through as he lived through the Japanese occupation and the war. Of course, I also sympathise with the the Americans, British and other allies of course being half british. however for the british and the americans and the like - they came out on top despite the losses - koreans didn't really gain anything, yet they had many losses.
anyway, don't mean to turn this into a history class. Brotherhood is, I think, a very good example of film-making.

ditto i just watched on Film4 as well (across the water in Glasgow)

Thought the film was brilliant, end of.

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I totally agree with you;
it had some of the most savage battle scene's in film history, but no where near the intense camera work of Saving Private Ryan
this film tries to be sort of a realistic film about the futulity of war, but then it's main character goes through over the top Rambo like splurges several times during the movie. He would of won the medal of honor at least a dozen times, in real life. In my opinion, you can't have it both it ways;an anti war film that glorifies combat.(in this way, SPR was a bit ooverrated too)
This film reminds me most of the movie 'Pear Harbor'

"Probably the best warmovie ever done? I think so"

I think the movies great for the pro-war crowd that likes to see a lot of blood and violence, but on a pure 'realistic war film'? I dont think so. The battle scene's are a bit hard to believe. Look at the last battle, Jae Tee first fights for the Red Flag unit. He's all crazed and confused, like a walking zombie, killing as many South Koreans as he could get his hands on. But somehow still manages to stay alive in all this carnage, I guess because of his fighintg skills. But wait a moment, his unarmed brother manages to jump from behind and wrestle him to the ground. But Jae Tee don't recognize and keeps repeating "kill, kill, kill" I must Kill".
but nothing but a couple of slaps from his bro to snap out of it, recognize his brother, and pick a machine gun conveninatly left close by, and expertly mow down his former comrades. Did he make any friends while on his stint on the ohter side? We don't know , cuze he killed them all.

and how about the battle where caution is thrown to the wind as they rush throught the streets to capture the N Korean officer?