Editing Errors

Rating: 2/10 (27 January 2005)

I was looking forward to seeing this film. Mr. Scorsese usually puts out such fine films that frankly I am a bit shocked at some of what I saw.
Early in the film, the meteorologist played by Mr. Ian Holm, is engaged in conversation with H.Hughes regarding the type of cloud Mr. Hughes would like in the film... dialog is used relating the desired type of cloud to women's breasts and the meteorologist identifies this type of cloud as "cumulonimbus..." However, breast look alike clouds,(and they do actually exist), are identified correctly as "mammatus". Any licensed pilot on planet earth knows this, let alone all the meteorologists...
Furthermore, during an early segment regarding how an airborne sequence is to be shot, Mr. Hughes in his role as director of "Hells Eagles" is discussing an aerobatic sequence using two aircraft... the engineer states that "doing double barrel rolls will increase the gyroscopic forces and tear the aircraft apart" (this is paraphrased by me). But, notwithstanding my imperfect recollection of the dialog, the facts are not correct as nothing of the sort would take place.
In addition, during the sequence involving the flight of the single engine aircraft which has been flush riveted, the film shows H. Hughes flying an aircraft with only a windscreen in front of him. During the flight sequence edited in using the real aircraft, there is a canopy above the pilot's head, clearly visible. Even more unfortunate, H. Hughes' hair through this sequence shows up as light colored, even blonde in a plan view shot, photographed from above as the aircraft flies underneath.
I did not go to this film to pick it apart - it was just another night at the movies with Mama and Baby Bear... I was quite disappointed at these obvious errors.
The whole experience left me asking: "What was the point of this film?"