Product: Flyboys [Blu-ray] (2006)
Rating: 4.0
A Nice Film to Watch
Not an epic film, but it does what a movie is supposed to do: entertain you with drama, suspense, action, and a little humor. Like many here, I absolutely love history. I am also often disappointed when "historic" movies totally fumble historic facts. But I've given up on trying to get 100% accurate history from dramatic movies. I've got plenty of books that can give me that. I read some of the reviews here of those who know WWI better than me. I ABSOLUTELY respect them, but I can't help but feel that if these movies were made with the accuracy they demanded, a lot of the audience would be lost. I think the people who made this film care about history, but they can't afford to lose money. "Gods and Generals," a huge box office flop, was a good example of real accuracy losing its audience.Three things I really appreciated about "Flyboys:"The role of Eugene Skinner, based on the real Euguene Jacques Bullard (who was from my father's hometown of Columbus, GA). Bullard was not technically in the Lafayette Escadrille, but it is so important to have him in the movie to communicate his story. Like the producers said, a lot of people will think he was a "PC" Hollywood creation. I hope the day comes soon when people will stop assuming these things.The role of Lyle Porter, or the cliche "religious one." I don't know if he was based on one of the real pilots, but I'm glad they treated his Christianity with dignity and respect.And I really liked the scene where the pilots trained. When I watch it, I feel like I'm watching the birth of United States aviation as it happened back then. I feel like I'm watching history even if the participants don't realize the impact of what they were doing. Some of the bravest military men are the ones who sign up to go into battle with new, untried weapons.Read a book for the real story and the real facts. In the meantime, this is a decent film, well worth watching.