Ike: Countdown to D-Day (DVD, 2004)

The movie follows Dwight D. Eisenhower during the 90 days leading up to the invasion of Europe.
The movie stars Tom Selleck as Ike and this just might be his best role yet.
See how Eisenhower managed the ego's of Patton, Churchill,Montgomery, & de Gaulle.

Rated PG but safe for the hole family a must see !!!!

Don't get this movie thinking it's and action film

i bought the dvd to learn more about the invasion of normandy.It follows the history books pretty close.

Probably the best role I have ever seen Tom Selleck play. A very good series documenting the political struggles that Eisenhower had to overcome to accomplish the monumental task of bringing all allied forces into play for the D-day invasion.

Excellent value. I wnated to give this as a gift to someone who has just returned from Normandy. I saw this movie before I was there and it made my experience more meaningful. The DVD was deliverd so quickly!

Excellent portrayal by Sellick of this historical event. The Patton presented seems quite different from the one portrayed in the movie by that name. Worth seeing to help appreciate D-Day.

It's Tom Selleck, what more can I say? It seems the older he gets, the better he gets! True drama of the days and planning involved preceding D-Day. Interesting and enjoyable

Great insights to the thought process and leadership decisions involved in the D-Day invasion. Great for WWII buffs. Would like to have seen info re the success of the invasion at the end, but true to the title it focuses on the decisions leading up to the invasion.

TOM SELLECK IS IKE~ GREAT DETAILS LEADING UP TO THE LANDINGS IN NORMANDY~

TOM SELLECK IS GOOD~ BUT THIS IS NOT HIS BEST PERFORMANCE NONE THE LESS we like to watch is solid job he does with this~ what makes this worth the watch is how the very opinIonated Monty and Patton try and manipulate Ike and how Selleck pulls off the carefully planned landing. and nothing stops that plan~
I think the only lacking here is they never allows Selleck to make this role his own~ Ike remained a "distant" in this one and ONLY Selleck keeps us glued to the end~ NOT up there with the other World War 2 movies but we give it a solid 7 out of 10 for details, Sellecks looks like IKE. and the chain smoking ADDS feel of just how much pressure this man was under~I THINK WITH A BETTER WRITING FOR A GOOD ACTOR LIKE SELLECK TO MASTER THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN AN OUTSTANDING MOVIE IT ENDS UP BEING A GOOD ONE.

IF YOU FOUND THIS REVIEW HELPFUL PLEASE REMEMBER TO VOTE~

I think this is a great strategic history. Minute by minute you can find how IKE had the capacity to manage diferent and difficult situations, even the hard decision knowing the huge amounts of young boys died.

When this movie was first set to appear on A&E back in 2004, I thought Tom Sellick had been mis-cast as Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, but I was proved wrong. Sellick does a very credible job portraying Ike as he chainsmokes his way to decision after tough decision in the days leading up to the Normandy invasion. As Supreme Commander of all Allied forces, Eisenhower not only has the German army to worry about but also the myriad of conflicting personalities and nationalities that make up his forces. On top of that, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is constantly breathing down Ike's neck. In the end, hard decisions that can cost soldier's their lives have to be made and only Eisenhower can make those decisions. A very good show.

Selleck does a good job of portraying Dwight D., the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in WW II. I like this version because it delves into the decisions Ike had to make that had little to do with strategy or tactics and much to do with keeping the wheels turning in a shaky coalition with the British, French and other nations. Several scenes are devoted to his response to a loudmouth officer who is a fellow Pointer. The officer brags about insider information at a bar and then tries to play the friendship card with Ike.

Another scene involves the confrontation between Ike and George Patton. The actor who portrays Patton--isn't it funny how we can't imagine anyone except George C. Scott in that role?--does a credible job as Selleck dresses him down.

The keeper scene involves Ike's decision to visit troopers of the 101st Airborne on the afternoon of June 5th. Ike was advised that with weather conditions barely tolerable for a jump, the airborne might suffer casualties as high as 50%. He decided to meet with a few of the troopers. Selleck does a great job of portraying Ike's down home persona with the troopers, who were told to tell him where they trained and then to shut up. There are several photos of the actual meeting--Ike standing among scores of troopers--but Selleck brings it to life.

If you are looking for an action movie, this ain't the one. If you are looking for examples of integrity and leadership, this is one of the best.

The producers do not address Ike's relationship with his British driver but I suspect the decision was based upon the title. This is about a general who bears, quite literally, the weight of the free world on his shoulders, and the decisions he must make as the time for the invasion draws nigh.

Excellent study into the mind and diplomacy of Ike. Tom Selleck did a great job, he seemed to be Ike and immersed in the undertaking he had committed to.

There are no battle scenes, but for those interested in how good decisions are made, this movie explains a lot.

I really enjoyed this film, which of course is why I bought it. I am also a fan of Tom Selleck, who I believe does an outstanding job as Gen. Eisenhower. I was a little skeptical at first, but as the movie progressed I found his likeness of the Supreme Headquarters Co. right on. The movie shows how much pressure was on the Commander, and it shows how diligently he handled the situation. With all the decisions from the weather, the commanders, the men, the French General, his head butting with Patton, and even the tide based on the moon, all coming down to the right time to invade Europe. The movie not only shows the intensity of the situation at hand, but how well Eisenhower relied on and trusted others around him to make one of the biggest decisions in the 20th Century.
One of the most amazing things to me was how Eisenhower held the most powerful force in our history one day, then when D-Day began, he did not give one order as there was nothing more he could do. It was up to the men and women of the great Crusade.
This movie is not about the men hitting the beaches, that was Saving Private Ryan. It deals more about the conflict of when and where to hit those beaches.
I hope you enjoy it, and maybe learn something you didn't already know.