Some say that World War II ended way back in 1945, that our boys came home to shake off their years-long nightmare and begin putting back together the American Dream, secure in the knowledge that they had done their duty for God and country. But one man is still on the front lines, the sound of far-off Panzers still ringing in his head, his mission far from over—nothing is over. Nothing. You don’t just turn it off, not when you’re Tom Hanks, and you know that Adolf Hitler is still out there, being portrayed by various actors and commanding armies of paid extras, and scheming to once more bring about CGI-enhanced destruction. So when you’re Tom Hanks, you sign on for another tour of duty with Universal’s In The Garden Of Beasts, the adaptation of Erik Larson’s book about the experiences of U.S. ambassador William Dodd, his trip to Berlin in 1933, and his encounters among the Gestapo in the early days of Hitler’s reign. With Hanks tapped to play the lead role, the film may finally bring Hanks face to face with Hitler, and maybe this time Hanks can stop World War II before it even begins. Just give him the chance.
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