Product: Flyboys [Blu-ray] (2006)
Rating: 3.0
Watch for the Thrills of Great Flying Sequences
In "Flyboys" we enter the world of brave, daring fighter pilots during World War I. It is based on real events, namely "the Lafayette Escadrille," the squadron formed largely by American volunteers who joined in the French Air Service before America entered the war. This is an intriguing episode that should be remembered, and "Flyboys" lives up to our expectations as far as its great aerial sequences are concerned.James Franco ("Spider-Man") appears as Blaine Rawlings, Texan rancher who becomes one of the American volunteers after seeing a news reel in theater (and punching a banker off-screen). It's not a bad start, but still his character could have been more three dimensional with a better script and direction. Actually, he and other members of the Lafayette Escadrill are not given many chances to shine, especially on the ground.In fact, the back stories of the volunteers sometimes look clichéd and Blaine's sub-plot involving a French farm girl drags a bit. Jean Reno plays a French captain who has to train the new recruits patiently, but like "The Da Vinci Code," somehow the director missed the opportunity to use Reno's unique persona effectively.Still, all these flaws would be forgotten once the film starts showing the dogfights, which, I think, are mostly done with CGIs, but still impressive and thrilling. The great flying sequences would bring us back to the day of good, old-fashioned action films.