philip-00197

If the point of artistic license and dramatisation is to... increase the sense of drama - Missions Commandos (MC) falls about as flat on its face as humanly possible.

What, arguably, could be some of the most dramatic and captivating scenes possible, is turned into a massive yawn fest. Never mind the sense of war and fear of being on a commando mission - if MC sends your mind anywhere other than off to sleep you are to be commended.

Seldom is advice so easy to give; move along people - there is, absolutely, nothing to see here.

As if that wasn't long enough a further 68 characters are required. Sorry for that.

You could argue that "Liberation D-Day to Berlin"does a reasonable job of describing what the title suggests - but that would have to be in a void of all the other documentaries already covering the topic. Arguably more to the point -you would have to look past some pretty poor use of the English language and be willing to endure a frivolous use of over-rhetoric and hyperbole.

National Geographic's launch of "a brand new" WWII documentary, on VE-day, feels way more done by necessity than for actually having something "new" to say on the subject. It's a shame as there are many new angles from which to show this topic - presenting something so "middle of the road" of what's already been done, so many times before, feels like a waste.

If you know very little about this topic it may be worth a go. If you have some previous knowledge - a wide berth is likely the best advice.

Britain an the Blitz (BatB) is not your "ordinary" war documentary - it does not focus on; strategic decisions, frontline fighting action or the ongoings in the minds of people on the battlefield. Rather it focuses on the social and fatiguing aspects of life during wartime. It does so pretty well.

BatB covers, as the title implies, the period of the most severe bombing of Britain during the Second World War - from the 7th of September 1940 to the 11th of May 1941.

We are let into the world of some those affected by the relentless bombing of indiscriminate targets. Civilians as well as military, women as well as men, children as well as adults. The whole documentary is in colour which arguably adds to the sense of "being there".

BatB offers no insights into the rationale of "this type of warfare" - it does however offer a few compassionate glimpses into the world of those affected. In so doing it offers a different kind of insight into the effects of war and tells a story that, arguably, should be told more often.