Product: Flyboys [Blu-ray] (2006)
Rating: 5.0
Don't listen to the "experts".
I have been looking forward to seeing this movie but became reluctant after reading the rather mediocre reviews it received from the so-called "experts". I decided to ahead and, as usual, the "experts" got it all wrong. FLYBOYS not only met my expectations, but also exceeded them.I'm a big history buff and am usually very disappointed with Hollywood's rendition of historical events. For me, it really detracts from a movie when I see things like Sea Sparrow missile launchers on the deck of a destroyer in Pearl Harbor, or when William Wallace supposedly has a torrid affair with a Princess who was, in reality, only three years old at the time of his death, and I expected to find similar fault with this movie. I found no such errors here. The true life story was most accurate, including such details as the lion which served as the mascot for the Escadrille LaFayette, the dented bullets which the flying aces had to sort through before each flight, and the fact that over one million allied soldiers lost their lives at Verdun.Hollywood movie critics have a difficult time with true stories. True life, especially when accurately presented, doesn't always have the same flair as fictionalized accounts, and critics have given rather harsh reviews of the plot, totally missing so many details surrounding such things as camaraderie, respect and traumatic real life emotions. And no, in real life, people don't always live happily ever after and the hero doesn't always ride off into the sunset with his sweetheart.Beyond the historical accuracy portrayed here, the film has sensational filming, particularly in the air battle scenes. The aerial views depict the miles of devastation of French countryside surrounding the trenches. The casting is more than adequate with particular mention going to Jean Reno as Capt. Thenault. James Franco also gives a superb portrayal of American Ace Blaine Rawlings.If you are a history lover, and particularly interested, as I am, in the Great War, I urge you to go and watch this movie. You will find it historically accurate and yet able to bridge the gap into being an entertaining movie. Remember that this is not some Hollywood enhanced idea of war, but rather an accurate depiction of the real life events that surrounded the American pilots who became the Escadrille LaFayette. The critics got this one all wrong. Surprise, surprise.Monty Raineywww.juntosociety.com