ironhorse_iv Review of Red Tails

Red Tails (2012)

The engine is the heart of an airplane, but the pilot is its soul. Red Tails is a pretty good movie

[6/10 · 17 July 2013]

I think this movie took a lot of criticize just because the fact is that the executive producer of the film is George Lucas, and fans haven't yet forgive him for the Star Wars prequels movies. This movie is the first Lucasfilm Ltd. production since Radioland Murders (1994) not to be associated with the Indiana Jones or Star Wars franchises. In my opinion, the prequels were pretty alright, and this movie was honestly fun to watch! Directed by Anthony Hemingway, Red Tails is based on the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American combat pilots during World War II. George Lucas has always love the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, that he even interview about their experiences for the film story and use original mission logbooks used by some of the pilots. I think Anthony Hemingway does a great job directing it, but it's really does look like a George Lucas movie. By the way, Samuel L. Jackson almost directed this film. Lucas only took over direction of re-shoots, as Hemingway was busy working on episodes of the HBO series Treme, but it really doesn't look like Hemingway's work. It's definitely George Lucas' broad, meta, pulp comics style. Some of the fade transitions look cheap and rushed, and it would be better with a little film grain. That's all I would change. The characters were memorable and distinctive, and I cared about them. It had some suspenseful moments and it went by fast and entertained. The plane fighting was quite well done. The CGI wasn't distracting and was use for good use. I really got into the film. The story starts out in 1944. World War II rages, the Allies face a problem as more and more bombers planes are lose to German air power. Hoping for a chance to show his superiors, how useful the Tuskegee Airmen can be, Col. A.J. Bullard (Terrance Howard) and Major Emanuel Stance (Cuba Gooding Jr) ask them to give the Tuskegee Airmen a fighting chance against the Luftwaffe in fighter-to-fighter combat. The superiors give them a chance, so now the pilots must courageously waging two wars at once one against enemies overseas, and the other against discrimination within the military and back home. Despite both actor's names getting top billing on the DVD cover and the marketing posters. The film is little about their characters. Most of the film focus on the tight-knit group of pilots lead by Capt. Martin "Easy" Julian (Nate Parker), a secret alcoholic. The group includes Lt. Joe "Lightning" Little (David Oyelowo) an cocky risk taker who has a subplot romantic with a Italian woman name Sofia (Daniela Ruah), the youngest pilot Ray "Ray Gun" (Tristan Wilds) trying to prove to his peers that is worth enough to go on the missions, and other characters such as Andrew "Smoky" Salem (Ne-Yo), and David 'Deke' Watkins (Marcus T. Paulk). Some people didn't like the acting, but I thought it was OK. At less, the movie portray these fictionist African American WW2 vets characters in a positive light, unlike Spike Lee's 2008 war film, Miracle of St. Anna that made similar characters into mindless jerks. I do like the characters, soundtrack, action and story. Still there are faults. I thought the editing was horrible. I thought the whole Stalag 18 scenes could have been taken out. While Red Tails portrays largely fictional events based on the exploits of the Tuskegee airmen, although many viewers were left with the impression that the film was entirely historically accurate. A lot of the claims made in the film such as the number of losses suffered by bomber crews under their escort, the encounters with Luftwaffe jet fighters and the overall record established by the Tuskegee Airmen are not that accurate. In truth, it was very inaccurate. Who cares honestly if this movie is 100% accurate? They don't claim it to be and it certainly isn't a documentary so some critics get over it. Some people got mad about the fact that the film made the Luftwaffe look like buffoons. Not really in my opinion. They were taking out bombers left and right in the film. Overall, sure the Germans had amazing pilots, but all the Germans cared for were kills, by the end of the war most of those aces had been shot down, which is why the Luftwaffe was horribly weak with really inexperienced and poorly trained pilots by the end of the war. Some people hate the film due to its propaganda. Audience have seen these stories a dozen times over that some people got tired of it. Underdog group who happens to be a different race overcomes prejudice and rises to the occasion and we get all the cheesy montages about how 'racism is bad' message. Some people just hate the overbearing patriotism feel of the film. It portray Americans like heroes while the Germans are all faceless, inhuman, and contempt. Lucas doesn't understand that the 'popcorn' war movie is grossly outdated, and audiences won't buy into it anymore. Modern war films depict war as ugly, bloody, tragic, morally complex, and show both sides suffering from the insanity. Lucas made the film as though it was another Star Wars movie. That's fine as far as sci-fi/fantasy is concerned, but falls flat on its face regarding modern war films. I think the biggest reason why it fail was because the studios were reluctant to back the film because white audiences don't really support majority black cast film. Sure there one or two films here or there but not generally. Still, it's a great story about heroic men that don't always get the spotlight and need another look. It's not that bad of a film. I honestly like it. For the vets. I salute you and you are never forgotten. To the Plane, To the last Bullet, To the last Minute, To the last Man we fight.