Product: Flyboys [Blu-ray] (2006)
Rating: 5.0
'Flyboys' is an impressive achievement
Where does one start when reviewing a movie like "Flyboys"? Does one discuss the attention to historical detail? The facts behind the real-life Lafayette Escadrille? The surprisingly great acting from a cast largely comprised of unknowns? The amazing flying sequences and special effects?Really, the movie "Flyboys" is a monumental achievement and an effort of which everyone involved in it can take pride.Prior to the United States entry into World War I a number of American men traveled to Europe lured by a fascination with the relatively new ability to fly (many people had never seen an airplane at this time). They joined a squadron known as the Lafayette Escadrille (named after the French general who aided America during the Revolutionary War).Airflight was incredibly dangerous at this time and even more so when flying into a combat zone. Aerial dog-fighting was also a close quarters affair with mere feet between opposing pilots. Indeed the life expectancy for WWI pilots was also extremely short. As one character comments of another's hard edged nature "Bet he doesn't make friends easily." The always excellent Jean Reno interjects with "All of his friends are dead!"So into this backdrop comes "Flyboys" which follows the stories of a group of mismatched new arrivals to the squadron. We have, among others, a Texas rancher faced with the repossession of his land, a young aristocrat seeking the approval of his father, an African American prize fighter eager to repay the kindness shown to him by the French and a young man seeking to follow in his families military heritage.Together they forge a friendship and from stumbling beginnings an effective fighting force.It's an engaging drama and one that I have already ewatched three times. It is nicely complemented on this DVD release by an impressive number of special features the prize of which, for me at least, is the documentary on the inspirations for the characters and historical research and a second one on the real-life Lafayette Escadrille. There is of course a very engaging commentary track which also highlights the great amount of detail that went into the making of the movie.When it was released the movie was criticized by some rather ignorant reviewers who railed against some of the details in the movie. They complained for example about the gunman atop a zeppelin shooting at the fighters buzzing around him. This, however, as the producer Dean Devlin explains, was based on historical fact when Devlin came across a picture of one such gunman in a history book of WWI.Yes, "Flyboys" is an impressive achievement and well worth your time and money.