I've waited a long time for a WWI aviation movie, sad to say I'm still waiting. Flyboys was a complete travesty. Sorry to say this because I so wanted to love this movie. In fact, I didn't even read any reviews before watching it. The only think I had seen were a few magazine ads and the TV trailers.

The trailers...ugh. I guess I should have known from them this movie would be a mess. Why, I wondered, did every German plane need to be a red tripe? Why?

Ok, first huge problem with the film - why is every German plane an all red Fokker Dr1? Except the Red Baron, I mean Black Knight's, plane? Yes, you see in this film the normal meat on the table Germans fly all red tripes while the evil baddy hun files a black and white tripe. Here's the reason. The people who made the film figured the average viewer is so stupid they think all German planes in WWI were red Fokker triplanes. And I guess we are all that dumb because I thought all German planes in WWI were red Fokker triplanes.

Now I must admit some of the flying scenes are great. There are some really good moments and this is what makes the movie tragic. It's obvious some people put some real effort into this production but were probably killed when some moron producer or director decided the viewers were all fools and wouldn't be able to tell the difference between an Albatross and a Neiuport. So if you can accept the fact that the Germans only flew hundreds of red tripes maybe you will love the film. WHAT A SHAME THEY MADE DECISIONS LIKE THIS!!

Aside from the technical disaster (maybe most people really wont care) let me address the film in terms of plot, characters and all that trivial stuff to fill time between the dogfights. Well, there was no plot. I mean no plot that someone over the age of five would have trouble understanding. The film, you see, is about the Lafayette Escadrille. You remember, those brave Americans who volunteered to fly and fight with the French before Uncle Sammy entered the great war. And in reality it is an awesome tale full of interesting characters, heroism, and just about everything else which makes a tale awesome. The makers of this movies were somehow able to reduce this to its most superficial level.

Anyone see that flick Pearl Harbor? No, not that old one from the 70's, but the one with the really cute hunks who shoot down Zeros, fall in love with hot nurses, and fly off the Hornet to bomb the hell out of Tokyo? Remember? Turn the clock back from 1941 to 1916 and you have Flyboys. Our hero is a cute hunk from the wild west who knows how to shoot a pistol (and good thing he does) and ride horses.

Our supporting cast is a chubby rich kid who's dad thinks he's garbage and hopes the war will distinguish him somehow (and it does. Of course it does). Then there's the all important gung-ho guy who gets a case of the jitters (don't worry about him, those jitters always go away at just the right time) and has a few too many cocktails. There's the very religious guy with wire glasses who always has his nose in the Good Book and belts out Onward Christian Soldiers while batting down Huns.

Who can live without the guy who can't shoot straight (don't worry, when the time comes his aim is true. Must be the new metal accessory he wears) and knows just a tad too much about the technical specs of those German planes? Or the black guy who's father was a slave and finds the respect in France he didn't get in the U.S. (of course you know the chubby rich kid has a problem staying in the same room with the black guy - but war always brings people closer eventually)?

Then there's the mysterious veteran pilot who's background is unknown and is flying to avenge the deaths of his shot down buddies (never worry, of course he'll go down as a hero!) and wants to kill the dreaded Black Knight. Yes, the Black Knight is the baddy who machine guns allied pilots that have crash landed and are waiting for a bus home.

Keeping this cast of characters in line is our fearless French leader (they even kept the name of the real guy - terrible) who teaches the misfits the facts of life and believes harsh dicipline is a medal and a big hug.

Am I forgetting anyone? Yes! The hot French chick our cowboy pilot hunk falls for. At first we think she's a dirty prostitute, but it's just a mistake - no way could our hero ever love a filthy tart. He even manages to fly her to safety and teach her some english. Cool!

So in just over two hours you'll see dozens of red triplanes zooming all around while brave American misfits do their best to remember their lines and win one for the Gipper.

Don't run, walk to this one. Better yet, buy a copy of a G8 and his Battle Aces and enjoy a more realistic WWI yarn. You can read it while waiting for this turkey to crash land in your local video store. Should be about two weeks from now...

Steve

PS - If there is any good news it's that I didn't have to pay to see this.

LOL...hate to be mean but I think it was fairly obvious from the previews on tv that this was a stinker. When I saw the guy running along the top of a burning zeppelin I was like, "Alrighty then". Or it was some such stunt anyway.

But remember movies are made to make money. And the average viewer doesn't know crap about WW I planes, history, etc. They just want candy cane action, average dialogue, hot girls for the guys and hot guys for the girls (you need women to want to go to it if you want to make any money), and happy little subplots to make them happy when they are walking out the door.

A sad fact of our movie industry and viewing audience. But once in a while you get the good ones like SPR, BHD, Das Boot, Platoon, etc.

Thanks for the type up though!

Thanks for the review from the modelers' perspective. The critics reviews, while not picking up on aircraft types, pretty much concur with you. When I saw the trailer, I thought the ac were doing a bit much in the way of aerobatics and speed for the types. And the guy on top of the burning zeppelin...where was he trying to run to? :-)
At least Snoopy wasn't involved in the dogfights. Or was he?

Damn and thought there might be a movie worth seeing with some decent action. I had read an article in the Wall Street Journal about how much effort they had put into the aerial scenes makes it an even bigger disappointment. If they put more effort into the writing and a little less into the production it might make a good movie.

I get really annoyed when movies like this and Pear Harbor make up characters and story lines when the reality and real people would be much more interesting. For goodness sake why not tell the real story.

Tom

A good WW 1 book which I think would make a great movie was "To the Last Man" by Jeff Shaara. It may not have been totally accurate but it was a great read, that i felt brought out the horror of aerial combat and life and death in the trenches.

Tom

I had a feeling it would be a WWI version of Pearl Harbor..... Why am I not surprised?

The guy on top of the zepplin was a machine gunner who started running when a plane (won't tell you who was flying it) crashes into it. If you can believe it, it's actually one of the less offensive parts of the movie.

It's so sad people make such horrible movies. (I saw this opening night and there were only a handfull of people there. An older crowd too. Jackass 2 was packed. Don't expect a Flyboys sequel.) Think of the great film that could be made if someone did the Frank Luke story. Now this was something real that was seemingly torn from the pages of a Hollywood script.

Serious, Flyboys is a mess. Even the video game is supposed to be pretty bad.

Steve

Ditto on that for 'Goshawk squadron', I don't remember the author, but the book illustrated very well the reality of aerial combat and perfectly dispensed the myth of 'chivalry' in the air. You sneek up from behind (or better from below) and shoot him in the back. The characters join after just a few hours training with illusions of being 'knights of the air', to only be cut down to earth on their first mission and turning to drink to cope with the reality of life on the front line.

This book would make a very good film. Not a popular one, but very good..

Cheers
Henk

While I stroingly suspected it would be a stinker I wanted to believe it had merit. Guess it will be a drunken DVD rental in a few months

I was hoping the same thing we need a good war movie now and then. I saw the "Illusionist" last week it was quite good lots of plot twists. No action but a real good movie.

Tom

Jackass 2. Now there is some real entertainment!!

Pros:
-Great CGI dogfights
- very good trench scene
-Emily Watson look-alike french girl :-)

Cons:
- Terrible lines
- Too cliched
- Radial engine doesnt rotate


better to rent this than to watch it in the big screen. just my 2 cents

Hollywood strikes again!, the "dumbing down" of film and television is an everday occurance, ever notice how many bombs have C4 written in very large type and a big red blinky digital timer?
Every good show starts with a good script, without it ...the film, just keeps a bunch of folks employed making it while they wait for the next one to come along.
Think of your favorite movies and most ( but not all) have a great script...it all starts with the writing. Some shows can survive on visuals alone, but not many.
Too bad about "Flyboys" but I think the tip-off was the title. And yes someone in the art department showed the director a red DR.1 and without a thought ...'that's a great idea..." was bandied about. It wasn't until much later ( I'm guessing) that an Art department assistant pointed out that only one Red triplane was flown, and by then way too late to change. Ah such is life in the film biz......now wheres my soy latte and sunglasses.......
Regards
Joker

I heard the flying scenes were excellent. Drove down to the theater today to catch a matinee only to find they cut the matinee showings out.....after 1 week. Oh well it only was a gallon of gas. Save my movie card for the Flags of our Fathers ---Iwo film by Eastwood

:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) same here! oh well that is dissapointing - I kinda forgot about this movie - what with College Football taking precedence over any other "weekend" related activities...