Johnopfor Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 (edited) Having seen it, I'd rate it as much better than Pearl Harbor, but not quite average. At least there were no major anachronisms like Arleigh Burke's in the anchorage. The fundamental problem is writing. The movie couldn't decide whether or not it was a buddy movie, a heroic movie with a romance subplot or Terrence Howard chewing the rug in DC. They could have cut every single scene in Washington except when AJ gets the escort assignment for the 332nd and the movie would have been better for it even without any changes. The subplot with Pretty Boy needed to either be promoted to the main plot, with Joe Little as the protagonist, or cut. It didn't work with Pretty Boy being missing for half the bloody movie. If cut the movie should have been about Joe and Marty as a buddy movie. Oh, and the director and writer need a real lesson in dramatic impact. They totally flubbed Gannon's last scene, it shouldn't have been cut to leave the dramatic effect of Capt. Miller's conversation with Capt. Julian. The stupid stall-turn could easily have been cut and replaced by something more realistic (it was only used twice) but that's straying into the realm of nit-picking. I agree with most of this, most of the scenes were like an ADHD experience (very short, lacking detail and very compressed). In my opinion, The Tuskeegee Airmen's story is way too complicated and detailed for just a two hour movie. I think that a better story can be drawn up with the true stories of the real Tuskeegee airmen than what was put up on screen. Being that the true stories are more interesting, and would attract more history buffs to the theater, it would have been a better idea to go that direction. Some of the scenes were so compressed, and poorly explained, that it has cause some controversy already. The Operation Shingle scenes are the perfect example. Even without the fictional airbase attack, a lot of people (including Terrance Howard) were under the impression that the 332nd flew over the Normandy beaches. In reality, it was Anzio. Maybe it was just me, but that German "destroyer" looked like a WWI battlecruiser....I don't remember destroyers having 11-12 inch gun turrents. I was also under the impression that the escort fighters performed fighter cover over the bomber formations, not flying through the B-17 kill boxes..... The movie could have done without the evil German ace with the scar on his face. I was very disappointed with Lucas, but his films have been going downhill for many years. For something that was supposed to be a labor of love for him, it appears that he didn't put in a lot of work in it. The man only put 60 million of his own money into the production, I'm pretty sure that it will make at least that. With that said, I'm sure that he wasn't expecting a huge blockbuster, so would adapting a true story to the movie would have been better than just hodgepodging a bunch of cliche scenes together.....and cost pretty much the same? For all of those who keep stating that it was "good for Hollywood moviemaking", well then you shouldn't be so hard on Pearl Harbor....... Edited January 27, 2012 by Johnopfor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HOLMES Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 I have read all these comments and have come to the conclusion that I will keep this one at arms length until maybe they make another better factual movie.. <_< Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mawz Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Just a head's up everybody. Tamiya has re-released the P-51D with Tuskeegee airgroup markings in 1/48 and 1/72 scale. They are available now thorough Squadron. I built a P-51B years ago with Tuskeegee airgroup markings that I obtained after-market. I may have to add in the 'D.' Darn! I have to build another Mustang. Life is tough isn't it? And Hasegawa's also doing a release of the P-51D with 332nd markings. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Johnopfor Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 And for those of you that are looking just for decals, Warbird Decals has a nice set in 1/48 scale.... And Aeromaster has this set, and this set in 1/72 scale..... And this set, along with this set in 1/48 scale Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steve N Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Aeromaster also does (or did) a couple of Tuskegee P-51 sheets in 1/72, which I used on the Academy kit. Academy actually makes a special Tuskegee Airmen edition of thier 1/72 P-51C with markings for two Red Tails aircraft, one of them Archer's "Ina the Macon Belle." I couldn't get the decals to cooperate, and the kit nearly got "flight tested" into the nearest wall. Fortunately a freind came to the rescue with some Aeromaster replacement decals (I added the fifth kill in Archer's honor, even though he wasn't officially credited with it until just a few years ago.) SN Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AVGBob Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 I just got the 1/48 warbird set in part of a trade. They look pretty nice. I have a Tamiya D in stock and have a C coming in on another trade. I think I'm going to do both as Tuskeegee planes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Johnopfor Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Aeromaster also does (or did) a couple of Tuskegee P-51 sheets in 1/72, which I used on the Academy kit. Academy actually makes a special Tuskegee Airmen edition of thier 1/72 P-51C with markings for two Red Tails aircraft, one of them Archer's "Ina the Macon Belle." I couldn't get the decals to cooperate, and the kit nearly got "flight tested" into the nearest wall. Fortunately a freind came to the rescue with some Aeromaster replacement decals (I added the fifth kill in Archer's honor, even though he wasn't officially credited with it until just a few years ago.) SN Aeromaster (Squadron) still has some of the 1/72 scale sheets on hand (see the links in my earlier post). Warbird also had a 1/72 scale set, based on thier 1/48 set, but they no longer stock it. Academy kit decals are essentually garbage. The only good sets from thier kits are the current ones printed by Cartograf. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Raymond Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 time to watch the half in the bag review: http://redlettermedia.com/half-in-the-bag-red-tails/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steve N Posted January 28, 2012 Share Posted January 28, 2012 Unfortunately, the Aeromaster sheet that the markings I used came from (72-175) appears to be out of production. I had heard horror stories about Academy decals, but figured they couldn't be THAT bad..turns out they were. It was nearly impossible to get them to conform to detais, but the real disaster came when I attempted to mask them to do some touch-ups to the silver paint (which had rubbed off along the spine due to excessive handling while attempting to get the decals to lay down.) I used the most low-tack thing I could find: post-it notes. I assumed that with as much solvent as I'd used, the decals would be permanently fused with the paint. I was wrong... The project would have ended there and then, had I not been able to get ahold of the Aeromaster decals, which worked beautifully. Strangely, the next model I built was the Academy Me-163. I held my breath and used the kit decals, as I really had no other option. Surprisingly, they went on with no fuss at all (and the Komet kit was actually several years older than the Mustang.) SN Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RockyController Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 (edited) I went into the movie knowing it wasn't going to be a factual movie and thoroughly enjoyed the movie for what it was meant to be and that is based on real events. Even my husband who isn't as much of an aviation buff as I am enjoyed the movie. We didn't think the CGI flying scenes were over the top, cartoonish, bad or anything else negative. If anyone has seen the Horsemen Aerobatic Team fly might recognize something as well... Edited January 29, 2012 by RockyController Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hoops Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Am I the only person who thinks that Lucas' statements about the "Studio execs not wanting to make or distribute this move, because of an all black cast" could be just a marketing ploy? I can't come up with another good reason why he would spread that all over the press. What really struck me is the interview on Oprah, where they commit to "prove those studios wrong, we will show them money can be made on an African American led movie." If so, it's pretty underhanded, but rather clever. It would definitely be tapping into the zeitgeist, i.e. the occupy protests, but I don't if I'm quite that cynical. Hmmm.... Hoops Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Plano Guy Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 (edited) Unfortunately, the Aeromaster sheet that the markings I used came from (72-175) appears to be out of production. I had heard horror stories about Academy decals, but figured they couldn't be THAT bad..turns out they were. It was nearly impossible to get them to conform to detais, but the real disaster came when I attempted to mask them to do some touch-ups to the silver paint (which had rubbed off along the spine due to excessive handling while attempting to get the decals to lay down.) I used the most low-tack thing I could find: post-it notes. I assumed that with as much solvent as I'd used, the decals would be permanently fused with the paint. I was wrong... The project would have ended there and then, had I not been able to get ahold of the Aeromaster decals, which worked beautifully. Strangely, the next model I built was the Academy Me-163. I held my breath and used the kit decals, as I really had no other option. Surprisingly, they went on with no fuss at all (and the Komet kit was actually several years older than the Mustang.) SN OUCH! That had to hurt. I admire you're "sticking" with it and getting the job done. (pun intended ;)) I have used Alclad laquer paint for the NMFs before and found that it stands up to the handling pretty well. It won't rub off as easily as enamels or acrylics. I use mostly enamel but Alcad seems to be pretty tough. Edited January 29, 2012 by Plano Guy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spongebob Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 Am I the only person who thinks that Lucas' statements about the "Studio execs not wanting to make or distribute this move, because of an all black cast" could be just a marketing ploy? Actually, if you talk to anyone in the TV/Movie business, the money behind "Hollywood" represents some of the most racist, anti semetic and superficial folks on the planet...but they're rich, fund entertainment projects and donate to the Democratic Party so they get a pass by those normally hypersensitive to such things. Read up on how most any actor with a Jewish sounding name changes it or how scientology has become a pre-requisite for getting a role in certain studios. Heck, had a good friend fired from a project when they discovered he wasn't gay (the producers were and told him they were uncomfortable working with Non-Gay men...stuff that would have the EEC going ape-poo anywhere else). So, I totally believe it. I'm surprised nobody has brought up "Twelve O'Clock High" yet...fictional story, used actual combat footage for the most part (and bought and crashed a B-17 for an opening scene) yet the story is so well done it's required viewing in both Navy and AF ROTC programs because of the awesome depiction of challenges combat leaders face. As for today's reliance on SFX, just compare "Pearl Harbor" to "From Here to Eternity" (both love stories set around Pearl Harbor) and to "Twenty Seconds Over Tokyo" for the Doolittle raid (which was added to PH because test audiences felt the original ending was a downer). Spongebob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GForceSS Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Other than the phony paint schemes on almost all the German planes I enjoyed the movie today. The horrific sequences inside the fortresses was something I had not previously seen. The story was a bit thin but it was well told and the caracters stories really connected you to each one. I give it a B+. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steve N Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 We finally went to see Red Tails this evening. I tried to keep an open mind..it wasn't terrible, but not great either. I could rivet-count it to death on historical/technical/markings inaccuracies, but I tried to see it for what it was intended to be: a live-action version of a 1950s action/adventure comic. From that perspective the one-dimensional characters, ridiculously cliched dialogue and ham-fisted performances weren't quite as painful as I'd feared. The CGI was OK, but still pretty obviously CGI, and the cockpit/aircraft interior scenes were obviously studio process shots. Overall, the combat sequences just didn't feel "real." Overall I'd give it a "C." SN Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jotter Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 It was really bad.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
thomregit Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 If you liked Pearl Harbour you're gonna love this! ;) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Av8fan Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 (edited) Re Pearl Harbour: I like Kate Beckinsale. C'mon Dam Busters! Edited February 24, 2012 by Av8fan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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