Sea Sickness
I'm a history fan and I was really excited when I got this set as a gift. The Series is a collection of footage from different countries that participated in the War. The idea of presenting the War from different vantage points was appealing, and this approach seemed ideal for bringing together complex naval operations. The best lessons that the Series presents are probably how not to make a naval documentary.

The starting credits for Victory at Sea is rolling ocean scene, with the camera bobbing up and down and the horizon shifting and tilting. After about two minutes of this you're ready for a Dramamine. This seems like a film making faux pas: don't make your audience vomit.

Broadway music and war epics don't mix. The music and the scenes seem to be mismatched: as German dive bombers are destroying London, the music almost whimsical. The music is constant, and unrelenting. Without the footage and the narrative, you could be watching a Looney Tunes cartoon and a chase scene with Foghorn-Leghorn.

If the opening credits didn't make you nauseous, the narrative will. The narrative is riddled with clichés and hyperbole. As ships are getting bombed, the narrator seems to compelled to constantly explain: ships on fire, ships sinking and men dying. Between the music and the narrative, it almost seems like they made the film for radio broadcast.

The biggest failure of this series is that it does a terrible job with explaining history. There are few maps showing locations and positions of ships. The maps they do show are vague and not very useful. The documentary series "Why We Fight" does a better job at explaining wartime tactics and the Axis threat.

missing episodes
This is a very good series, BUT there needs to be instruction on seeing all of the episodes. I found it in another review, click the ARROW next to main menu. I was some upset to think that I only got 15 of the 26 episodes.

A great Historical epic brought to life.
Seeing the Series Vactory at Sea has returned me to my childhood where we knew that it was the right thing to fight the bad guy. This series presents the events in it's historic proportions.

Another release
This is the fifth (count em FIVE) release of this series on DVD and what most people fail to comment on is the actual DVD release itself. Yes, Victory at Sea was one of the best naval warfare series presented with actual B&W footage with narration by Leonard Graves and the music by Richard Rodgers as in ALL the Victory at sea releases whether it is a DVD or VHS edition. St. Clair Vision (2007), Mill Creek Entertainment (2005), A&E Entertainment (the History Channel version) (2003), Emson (2004?) and now St. Clair Entertainment 2008 re-release re-packaged edition, all have versions out and EVERYONE comments on the series instead of the actual quality of the DVD set itself.

Emson is the company that sells 50 movies for $9.95 on 4 DVD and you get what you pay for. The same goes for their Victory at Sea version- unwatchable as the DVD's lock up or skip like crazy. Not bad considering I picked it up on a clearance rack for $5 at a discounter that sells mostly clothes. The audio video quality is better for the others but none have gone through (if any) restoration and one is just as good as another. A small bonus is the History Channel version that has a Peter Graves (no relation to Leonard) introduction overview for the uninitiated of the proceding episode. If you can't Peter Graves, then any other version would suffice but stay away from the el-cheapo versions out there as most of older series, movies and shows are public domain for any "studio" out there who is willing to put them on DVD and make a buck. Hence, the multiple versions of the same series of Victory at Sea that are floating around out there.

A TIMELY CLASSIC
This "Victory at Sea" is an excellent re-mastering of an American classic. The video and sound quality must be close to the original, considering the extensive use of actual WWII film footage. The series still captures the immensity of the Nation's sacrifices needed to help win the war. This is more real history than Hollywood, and it makes one reflect on how relatively secure the United States has been since World War II. The Richard Rodgers soundtrack seems timeless. One might find oneself humming the melodies days after watching "Victory at Sea".
Highly recommended.