Every Tom Hanks War Movie, Ranked
American actor Tom Hanks is one of the most popular actors around, having appeared in dozens of films during his long stint as a movie star. He's still going, too, and he never fails to disappoint. The two-time Oscar-winning actor is often regarded as one of the finest performers alive, excelling at his job and always bringing memorable, convincing performances. He's also become a beloved icon, with many netizens adoring his down-to-earth and kind nature.
His filmography isn't limited to one genre either. Actually, Hanks has appeared in just about every genre imaginable, from sci-fi to comedy, and even a few war films here and there. Now, for the purposes of this list, the definition of a war film is pretty rigid: the movie has to be mostly, or entirely, about war, and not have it be a passing mention or a minor part, so movies like Captain Phillips are out of the question. That said, here is the definitive ranking of every war movie starring Tom Hanks.
5 'Greyhound' (2020)
Greyhound is set during the Second World War, specifically during the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest campaign of the war, which lasted from 1939 until 1945 — basically the entire length of the conflict. In this fictitious story, Hanks stars as US Naval Commander Ernie Krause aboard the destroyer Greyhound, who is sent to protect Liverpool-bound Allied convoy HX-25. This convoy is set to cross the Mid-Atlantic Gap, an open stretch of ocean wherein Allied vessels are out of range of air support.
This movie is based on the 1955 novel The Good Shepherd by C. S. Forester, with a screenplay written by Hanks himself. While Greyhound is an entertaining movie, there's ultimately nothing super special or singular about it that sets it apart from other war pictures. Its scenes with U-boat combat are tense and rewarding, but the pacing feels a bit too fast at times. At the end of the day, Greyhound is far from a bad or even a mediocre film; it's just not fantastic.
4 'Charlie Wilson's War' (2007)
Charlie Wilson's War is one of Tom Hanks' lesser-known flicks, which is primarily about the Soviet-Afghan War of 1979-89. In this biopic, Hanks portrays Charlie Wilson himself, a US Senator who was heavily involved in Operation Cyclone, a US military operation to provide weapons and support to the Mujahideen, Afghan insurgent fighters, during the conflict. Though the movie doesn't really show a lot of the actual conflict itself, it showcases what was going on behind the scenes in the US government and the CIA.
Still, the war is a significant backdrop to the film, and is basically the entire plot, even if it isn't shown in full force. Charlie Wilson's War proved to be the final project made by director Mike Nichols before his passing seven years later, so it's good that he ended on a high note. It is a pretty good movie; nothing super groundbreaking, but good enough to earn five Golden Globe nominations and an Oscar nod for the ever-great Philip Seymour Hoffman. In short, Charlie Wilson's War is a fun biographical dramedy that shows what really went on behind the curtains of American politics during the Soviet-Afghan War.
3 'Bridge of Spies' (2015)
Bridge of Spies is set during the Cold War, a period of extreme tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, which lasted from the late 1940s until the early '90s. The Cold War was called so because it was more of an arms race and sabre-rattling standoffs, with both nuclear superpowers preparing for the other to strike. Fortunately, the US and the Soviet Union never fully came to blows, instead fighting through a series of proxy wars such as the Vietnam War.
This movie is based on a true story, with Tom Hanks starring as American lawyer James B. Donovan, who is tasked with defending a man arrested for being a Soviet spy. Following the trial, he is asked to facilitate a prisoner swap between the spy and a captured American military pilot. This war movie is more of a political thriller and courtroom drama than an action-oriented flick, but it expertly depicts the tension between the two powers and the bureaucracy and espionage that defined the conflict. Bridge of Spies is absolutely amazing from beginning to end, standing as one of Steven Spielberg's most underrated efforts.
2 'Forrest Gump' (1994)
Based on a novel of the same name by Winston Groom, Forrest Gump is a beloved classic in the film world, which has captivated the hearts of many in the 30 years since its release. The story follows Forrest, a boy with both a physical and a learning disability, who is later revealed to be an extremely fast runner. Forrest's life is depicted from his childhood into adulthood, recounting the events that led to the opening scene, which occurs in 1981.
Though many do consider it to be a war movie, Forrest Gump doesn't entirely revolve around conflict. A significant portion of the movie does feature the Vietnam War and Forrest's time in it, where he becomes a model soldier and receives the Medal of Honor. As many know already, the adult version of Forrest is played by Tom Hanks. In fact, Forrest Gump was actually one of two films for which Tom Hanks won back-to-back Oscars for Best Actor, the other being Philadelphia. Ultimately, it isn't a movie that everyone likes, but overall, it is seen as a legendary bit of cinema that tugs at audiences' heartstrings. It also won a bunch of awards, including Best Picture, so there's that.
1 'Saving Private Ryan' (1998)
Saving Private Ryan is set during World War II, and opens up on a pretty sombre note, depicting the D-Day landings at Normandy, specifically in the American landing sector called Omaha Beach. This area suffered the heaviest casualties on D-Day, so the result, as expected, is an absolute bloodbath. In fact, the landing scene was so realistic that a hotline had to be set up for traumatized veterans who were there that day. A man with the surname "Ryan" is killed during the landings, and military command prepares a letter to send home to his mother, notifying her of his death. However, they discover that Ryan has three brothers, two of whom have also died within the last week. The third, James Ryan (Matt Damon), parachuted into France in the wee hours of the morning and is currently unaccounted for. Thus, command makes the difficult decision to bring him home alive, so that his mother can have at least one of her sons come home safely.
For this mission, Captain Miller (Hanks) and his squad are sent to find James Ryan and bring him home. Saving Private Ryan is one of the most realistic movies in terms of the depictions of combat and chaos, but it also has a touching and heartfelt storyline. It's violent, gruesome, and moving at exactly the right times, and shows the brotherhood and the bond between soldiers during the Second World War. While Forrest Gump is a more beloved and cherished movie, Saving Private Ryan stands as Hanks' best war movie because it is exclusively about war and opts for a brutal yet genuine approach that makes it all the more impactful. In fact, it was so realistic that it even affected veterans.
Saving Private Ryan
- Release Date
- July 24, 1998
- Cast
- Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Vin Diesel, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeremy Davies, Matt Damon, Ted Danson, Paul Giamatti, Dennis Farina, Joerg Stadler, Max Martini, Dylan Bruno, Daniel Cerqueira, Demetri Goritsas, Ian Porter, Gary Sefton, Julian Spencer, Steve Griffin, William Marsh, Marc Cass, Markus Napier, Neil Finnighan
- Runtime
- 169 minutes
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
- Writers
- Robert Rodat
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