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Red Tails - how bad is it?


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I think too many are relying on technology to make the movie and forgetting that story is what makes a great film.

This right here sums up EXACTLY what the problem is and has been in HW for at least the past 20 years or more...

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I would say no, they didnt look like gangstas to me. Just a bunch of guys in the military, similar to any other movie like this.

Thank you, I can put up with a lot but would have found that a sad and ironic state of affairs.

Hopefully one day they will make a movie about the 332nd, 477th, 555th, 761st, 92nd and 93rd that is a historical drama first and an action movie second.

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I always try to support anything plane related in hopes they will make more. I think its worth $10 even though they will get a lot of stuff wrong.

I don't get it. This was never billed as a film devoted to the pleasure of airplane geeks. It was (presumably) designed to tell the far too often overlooked story of the Tuskegee Airmen and their contribution to the war effort and the effort to achieve equality for African Americans. Was anyone really expecting a 100% authentic, 100% technically accurate film here? If so, you had your sights set WAY too high from the get-go.

Is it going to get the Oscar for best picture? Probably not. I haven't seen it, but I plan to, simply to appreciate what it was intended to portray. If it turns out to be as bad as "Pearl Harbor" (God help us all), I'll be disappointed. If not, I'll be pleased.

I couldn't agree more. Why look a gift horse in the mouth? I'd rather see an airplane movie then another ridiculous romantic comedy or slasher film. Why "rivet count" to death a film made for the average guy/gal? Are there really that many movies about military aviation out there? "Dogfights"on the History Channel was all CGI but I would gladly have watched 5 more seasons of that then be subjected to yet another Ice Road Truckers or Pawn Stars episode!!

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I'll be seeing it tonight. After hearing George Lucas interviewed about it, it's easy to understand why he made it the way he did.

You know what... that's precisely the view I had; I wasn't interested (actually partly because Lucas was involved) until I heard Lucas discuss his views and aim. Its not meant to be the Pacific, Band of Brothers or Saving Private Ryan. Why? Because lets face it, they aren't really accessible films/ministries for the majority of population. Yeah people who are into it or like high quality film making or war buffs. He wanted a film that was action packed and accessible to young black men; if history and accuracy is going to suffer, so be it. At least it will make them interested and maybe then they will learn more.

BoB, Tora Tora Tora and even Midway were to name but three quite entertaining yet not so over the top and cartoonish movies. Not just in special effects but in the script and how the acting was not plasticky and shallow. Why do all too many movies, not just war or aviation ones have to be so damn phony baloney and over the top in such things today? Dirty Harry movies were all quite thrilling but had interesting characters and scripts, enough credible action to keep the viewer watching but still believable to a credible point.

Hollywood has lost its way in most movie making for a generation now... That is too bad as the home environment and not just the commercial movie theatres allow watchers to really get into movies today. Acting too is definitely on the downhill slide in most movies today. :(

I disagree. Tora Tora Tora was a box office flop and Midway made money partly because it reused so much footage that it didn't have to have many special effects. I actually think they are pretty mediocre war films, and are filled with plasticky and shallow acting/plot. Put them beside Apocalypse Now (a film from that period 1970~1980) and they look like they are cartoons.

Oh if you want a great war film, Days of Glory (or L'indigines) really was enjoyable to watch.

Edited by -Neu-
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You know what... that's precisely the view I had; I wasn't interested (actually partly because Lucas was involved) until I heard Lucas discuss his views and aim. Its not meant to be the Pacific, Band of Brothers or Saving Private Ryan. Why? Because lets face it, they aren't really accessible films/ministries for the majority of population. Yeah people who are into it or like high quality film making or war buffs. He wanted a film that was action packed and accessible to young black men; if history and accuracy is going to suffer, so be it. At least it will make them interested and maybe then they will learn more.

I disagree. Tora Tora Tora was a box office flop and Midway made money partly because it reused so much footage that it didn't have to have many special effects.

I actually think they are pretty mediocre war films, and are filled with plasticky and shallow acting/plot. Put them beside Apocalypse Now and and they look like they are cartoons.

Oh if you want a great war film, Days of Glory (or L'indigines) really was enjoyable to watch.

For a Hollywood movie Tora Tora Tora did very well in hi-lighting the events leading up to the attack on Dec. 7. The plot was perfectly fine for the context of the movie IMO. Its level of accuracy was pretty good for a movie, remember it's not a documentary. The camera work and the editing was quite good with nice flying scenes too. Good general acting and it is a movie that did well to tell the Pearl Harbour attack.

Midway too used pretty good facts had a nice historic plot and personal sub plot to lay the movie out on. Sure it used lots of canned film but that's ok. The group of actors was very strong some of Hollywood's best in the 70's and the scenes were not over the top with silly hype and nonsense. It too is an enjoyable movie.

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My 15 year old daughter and I are goling to the late show tonight...I told her a few stories about the Tuskegee airmen and she is quite excited to see the movie.

This is pretty cool when a 15 year old girl is excited to learn more about WW2.

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I just got in from seeing it with my wife.

It was OK as far as it goes.

I could have sworn I heard a sound from a ball turret that was from one of the Star Wars machines.

There was a close up shot of a P-51 with a cuffed prop...

A scene with the bad guy in his yellow nosed 109 buzzed across the screen sounding like a T-6.

I was disappointed in the sound effects. I didn't hear too many of the P-51 "screaming". I love the sound of those engines, but not in this movie.

The hokey love story was predictable.

All in all, It did look good, the effects were well done, if not a bit over the top.

I asked my wife what she thought of it...she just said "I know why you wanted to see it, it has airplanes in it".

'nough said.

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BoB, Tora Tora Tora and even Midway were to name but three quite entertaining yet not so over the top and cartoonish movies. Not just in special effects but in the script and how the acting was not plasticky and shallow. Why do all too many movies, not just war or aviation ones have to be so damn phony baloney and over the top in such things today? Dirty Harry movies were all quite thrilling but had interesting characters and scripts, enough credible action to keep the viewer watching but still believable to a credible point.

Hollywood has lost its way in most movie making for a generation now... That is too bad as the home environment and not just the commercial movie theatres allow watchers to really get into movies today. Acting too is definitely on the downhill slide in most movies today. :(

Now, I wouldn't despair about "movies today..."

remember "Glory", "Saving Private Ryan", "A Few Good Men", "Master and Commander", "The King's Speech" and "The Hurt Locker" just to name a few. Not exactly the end of cinema.

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Now, I wouldn't despair about "movies today..."

remember "Glory", "Saving Private Ryan", "A Few Good Men", "Master and Commander", "The King's Speech" and "The Hurt Locker" just to name a few. Not exactly the end of cinema.

Unfortunately the list of dogs from Hollywood is much longer than the list of good ones and hits.

Edited by Les / Creative Edge Photo
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Now, I wouldn't despair about "movies today..."

remember "Glory", "Saving Private Ryan", "A Few Good Men", "Master and Commander", "The King's Speech" and "The Hurt Locker" just to name a few. Not exactly the end of cinema.

See I guess some times it a matter of perspective, from a differant point of view. What I mean by that is, I went to see red tails with my father in-law today. After the movie we were talking about it, I mentioned that sometimes it sucks having knowledge of the subject and being able to spot the errors and inaccuracies in a movie. He understood what I meant and said how he hated apocolypes now (He's a vietnam vet), I got that and said I felt the same way about "the hurt locker" (I'm an iraq vet).

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I watched the movie The Tuskegee Airmen (the one with Laurence Fishburne) a few months ago, is Red Tails more of the same, better, or worse?

Red tails is pretty good, but you could almost call it "Tuskeegee airmen II"

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Now, I wouldn't despair about "movies today..."

remember "Glory", "Saving Private Ryan", "A Few Good Men", "Master and Commander", "The King's Speech" and "The Hurt Locker" just to name a few. Not exactly the end of cinema.

I beg to differ; hated glory, couldn't stand a few good men, despised saving private ryan (the character of the fella from the 29th ID is repulsive; why cast the person as a loser from a unit that landed right next to the 1st ID on Omaha Beach, who's A Co. out of Bedford, Va sustained 90-something percent casualties in the opening wave... There's a reason why the D-Day memorial is in Bedford... The only thing decent about the movie was the opening scene), and I couldn't stand hurt locker.....

Now, Gettysburg and Gods and Generals were both excellent movies. Albeit from the looney Ted Turner, but good nonetheless. Flags of our Fathers and letters from Iwo Jima, We were soldiers, black hawk down, the great raid (book was better though... :) ), and let's not forget Band of Brothers! Taking Chance is also a pretty excellent movie as well. These are all great movies....

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Hollywood has lost its way in most movie making for a generation now... That is too bad as the home environment and not just the commercial movie theatres allow watchers to really get into movies today. Acting too is definitely on the downhill slide in most movies today. :(

You are so right. These days, movies that have epic potential are usually expensive to make, and as such are made to cater to the average Joe and his family. Producers want the broadest possible audience. Authenticity takes a back seat to over the top action, fast pacing, over acting, and the typical unnecessary romantic subplot.

Red Tails looks like more of the same.

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At least we have some flying on the big screen!! I will be there at 10 am. Will I enjoy myself? Oh yeah! Will I want to build all the mustangs I can in the next 2 days?...hell yeah.

-Jim

ABSOLUTELY! Saw it today...can't get it out of my head...incredible movie. Entertainment factor...THROUGH THE ROOF. Accuracy factor...not so much, but I can look past that. It was just freaking great entertainment.

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Just got back from it.....as with all war movies there was historical inaccuracies that a history buff will notice....but I expect that.

What I didn't like about this movie is it dragged along for most of the movie.....it really didn't have much tempo......there was a little love story but they never developed it.....there was acually quite a few story lines that weren't developed. The film was made by Lucasfilm........and usually George Lucas has a real talent for keeping the tempo going in a movie.

Most of the CGI was pretty good.....but the tempo did drag and there was so much potential in the various story lines in the movie that weren't developed.

I'm glad I saw it.....but they really could have done much better on developing a better storyline.

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Am I way off base thinking that yellow-nosed 109s were based only in northern France?

What about the yellow tail markings on the Me-262's? Another nitpick I don't believe you transitioned directly from a P-40 to a P-51.Some training would have been needed going from a Model T(P-40)to a hotrod (P-51D).They completely skipped over the P-47's they used and the P-51B/C before they got the P-51D.

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What about the yellow tail markings on the Me-262's? Another nitpick I don't believe you transitioned directly from a P-40 to a P-51.Some training would have been needed going from a Model T(P-40)to a hotrod (P-51D).They completely skipped over the P-47's they used and the P-51B/C before they got the P-51D.

Yea, but like has been mentioned before, you only have 2 hours and you are trying to show a topic. Just don't have the time and all that would be missed by 90+% of those out there.

I too would love to see a whole miniseries on this topic though!

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I'm surprised no one has mentioned Der Rote Baron as a great aviation movie.

The picture is amazing, and it's accuracy is almost perfect, possibly one of the most accurate aviation stories I've seen to day with that sort of quality in it.

Granted it is not WWII, but still.

Edited by Nineoniner
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I'm surprised no one has mentioned Der Rote Baron as a great aviation movie.

The picture is amazing, and it's accuracy is almost perfect, possibly one of the most accurate aviation stories I've seen to day with that sort of quality in it.

I'm hoping you were being sarcastic.

That movie was so far removed from reality it was fiction. Brown and von Richthofen meeting in no-man's land!? True they at least tried to introduce some aircraft that were in the air during his time, but the whole thing was total fiction...nothing near what actually happened. My shoulders were sore from cringing.

Richard

Edited by anotherP51nut
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Well I was let down. I am very glad the public is so up in arms about the movie, but you know what, they deserved better. I mean, I met a bunch of them at Gathering of Mustangs in 2007. It would have been so much better if they would have educated the public a little more. But hey, I dont make movies, so I dont know what would sell.

Oh, and what bothers me about a lot of the Lucas films...the car on the springs thing he does whenever their is an in-cockpit scene. I have watch Lee Laudeback fly on video at Stallion51 a lot, and I dont see why they have to bouncing all over the screen...

-Jim

(Not a film critic or FUll time hostorian)

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