Product: Flyboys [Blu-ray] (2006)
Rating: 3.0
Promising acting and character development let down by pitiful cliches and dreadful dogfight sequences
This movie could have been very good. The acting is for the most part believable - Martin Henderson in particular gives an excellent portrayal as the embittered, war-weary squadron commander, and is by far the standout performance. James Franco as always does well with what he has been given. The historical background of certain aspects of the Lafayette Escadrille is given screen time as well as World War 1 pilot training tactics - that's nice to see.What destroys the film are the ridiculous aerial combat sequences. There are a few decent scenes but the bad far outweighs the good. Firstly, practically every German fighter is a DR-1 mocked up in the colours of Richtofen's Flying Circus - why sacrifice authenticity for a cliche? Then the directors felt the need to have an evil 'Enemy-Ace' who goes around strafing downed allied pilots as the central German antagonist. Instances like this did happen, but this is just another tired cliche that comes across as dismal. The worst offence however is the depiction of dogfighting. The idiotic manoeuvres and speeds portayed are totally unrealistic. Why do these film directors constantly feel the need to do this? It's as if the normal capabilities of the aircraft aren't enough for them (think Pearl Harbour vs. Dark Blue World or Independance Day vs. Top Gun - the difference is dramatic.) Then they'll throw in some gung-ho victory cry or cornball line to cap it off...In short, this is another film to add to the long, long list of movies that begin with promise and then deteriorate.