When I saw the advertisements for this movie, I was afraid they might make a mockery of this important story by going too over the top (in the style of Michael Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer.) After seeing George Lucas talk about the movie on the Daily Show, however, I definitely wanted to see it. I knew about the Tuskegee Airmen's heroic performance during World War II, and I was very happy to see the story being brought to the big screen by someone like Lucas - I felt that the film might have the budget to really shine.
The movie got off to a shaky start with some truly wooden dialog and dodgy acting which made me fear that the critics might have been correct in their panning of the film. There was, indeed, some very poor acting in the film, but after the first few minutes the primary cast were assembled and they were fortunately much better than some of the secondary actors (bomber pilots' dialog was totally unbelievable for example).
From the first combat scene things pick up and the film becomes rather engaging. There is a surprising level of tension throughout the film, balanced between the struggle between the red tails and the German military (in the air and on the ground), and sadly between the fighter group and their still painfully segregated military back home.
This movie's screenplay has its share of triumphant victory, terrible loss, and unexpected good news at times in the movie when it's very much needed. Anyone familiar with the story will know the historical record, and if that record is something you care about (and it should be), then I would urge you to go see it. I'm glad I did.
The movie got off to a shaky start with some truly wooden dialog and dodgy acting which made me fear that the critics might have been correct in their panning of the film. There was, indeed, some very poor acting in the film, but after the first few minutes the primary cast were assembled and they were fortunately much better than some of the secondary actors (bomber pilots' dialog was totally unbelievable for example).
From the first combat scene things pick up and the film becomes rather engaging. There is a surprising level of tension throughout the film, balanced between the struggle between the red tails and the German military (in the air and on the ground), and sadly between the fighter group and their still painfully segregated military back home.
This movie's screenplay has its share of triumphant victory, terrible loss, and unexpected good news at times in the movie when it's very much needed. Anyone familiar with the story will know the historical record, and if that record is something you care about (and it should be), then I would urge you to go see it. I'm glad I did.