RED TAILS is George Lucas's throwback to old-fashioned war films where the emphasis is on action over complex storytelling and the like. I know this film was panned on release but I found myself enjoying it regardless, at least on a superficial level. It's not on par with something moving like GLORY but it does tick all of the right boxes and even though parts of the story are clichéd, I was still engaged in the tale.
The script is nothing to write home about, playing out all of the usual characters from the wild man fighter ace to the gruff but proud officer and the rookie. The cast is undistinguished with only Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard standing out as the guys at the top. However, RED TAILS does offer plentiful action, and it's a lot better than I was expecting. Yes, Lucas is still obsessed with CGI, and absolutely everything in this film is a CGI effect (including a football!) but so much money has been spent in post production that the effects look remarkably good. This is a thrilling, old-fashioned adventure and one I had no qualms about enjoying. It's certainly better than the STAR WARS prequels...
The script is nothing to write home about, playing out all of the usual characters from the wild man fighter ace to the gruff but proud officer and the rookie. The cast is undistinguished with only Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard standing out as the guys at the top. However, RED TAILS does offer plentiful action, and it's a lot better than I was expecting. Yes, Lucas is still obsessed with CGI, and absolutely everything in this film is a CGI effect (including a football!) but so much money has been spent in post production that the effects look remarkably good. This is a thrilling, old-fashioned adventure and one I had no qualms about enjoying. It's certainly better than the STAR WARS prequels...