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158 out of 214 people found the following review useful: Just attended the Premier, 28 July 2006 Author: glider_pilot from United States
I just attended the premier of Flyboys at the Oshkosh Airshow. Enjoyed it thoroughly. The flight scene special effects were difficult to impossible to distinguish from the actual flying. Director Tony Bill discussed the background and making of the film to an audience composed largely of aviators including some of the best such as Bob Hoover, Sean Tucker and others. A difficult audience to impress and impressed they were.The film does not shy away from the ugly aspects of combat nor does it ignore the seamier aspects of the non-flying life although that is nowhere near becoming graphic. The history has been treated accurately - and yes there was really a black pilot as portrayed in the film. I have read a number of histories and autobiographical accounts of the American volunteers - they were idealistic and naive. Thats just the age they lived in - don't judge the characterizations by todays standards.Anyway, a wonderful film.
96 out of 127 people found the following review useful: The aerial combat was exciting, tense, and realistic, 19 September 2006 Author: Douglas Young (the-movie-guy) from Memphis, Tennessee
(Synopsis) World War I began in Europe in 1914, but by 1917, the United States had still not entered the war. However, many brave young American men went to France to fly and fight for the Allied powers. They joined the Lafayette Escadrille fighter squadron. The Germans had better planes, weapons, and pilots. The average life expectancy for a fighter-pilot was three to six weeks. Why did these Americans volunteer to fight in France with certain death when their own country was not at war? This was a time when men were idealistic, but naive to embark on a great adventure. Blaine Rawlings (James Franco) was forced to leave his home in Arizona after the family ranch was foreclosed by the bank. Blaine sees a newsreel of fighter-pilots in France and decides that he has nothing to lose. Briggs Lowry (Tyler Labine) can't do anything right and is shamed into joining by his rich father. African-American boxer Eugene Skinner (Abdul Salis) had been living in France, a racially tolerant country, for many years, wanted to give something back to his new country. These Americans were under the command of French Captain Georges Thenault (Jean Reno) and American Squadron Leader Reed Cassidy (Martin Henderson). They were the world's first combat pilots.(My Comment) The film was inspired by a true story. What that means is that the writers could write anything they wanted to about the pilots' personal lives. There were actually 38 American volunteers with an average age of 26 that joined the Lafayette Escadrille. Thirty were college educated and eleven were sons of millionaires. These men had a sense of adventure and romance of war, and they believed in "dying with honor." The movie uses a composite of these qualities of the actual pilots, and yes, there really was a black pilot in the squadron. The movie does not shy away from the real aspects of war or the sordid aspects of life on the ground. After every mission there are some pilots who do not return, and we get to see their replacements, and how the pilots deal with the loss of their friends. The aerial combat was exciting, tense, and realistic with the attack on the zeppelin being the best scene of the movie. There is a love story that slows the pace of the movie, and it was a little too long. You will love the scenes with Whiskey, their mascot lion. I think the writers could have used the real pilots' stories and names, and it would have been a better movie by giving credit to those young men. If you like war pictures this is a movie to see. (MGM Pictures, Run time 2:19, Rated PG-13)(8/10)
79 out of 105 people found the following review useful: A bunch of Ariel Tactics pushed by a romantic storyline., 20 September 2006 Author: rljediknight from Salt Lake City Utah, United States
I really enjoyed the movie. You didn't have to think much about it, it was what it was. Apparently there are some close ties to the true story but it never seemed an issue of trying to portray something too realistic. I am not a huge Franco fan, in fact his poutiness wears on you in most films but he seems to do a really good job of mixing it up, meaning he smiles in this one. I saw a pre-release screening and everyone that I spoke to agreed that it was a good movie. The special effects were really good, the airplanes seemed very realistic for the most part. The close ups seemed a little fake but the tactics seemed really good. I found a bit of cheesiness in the dialog at times but managed to not pay too much attention too it. It wasn't deep but kept you interested the whole time. Don't get me wrong, it was no Saving Private Ryan but it had enough action and drama to keep you interested. They even threw a bit of humor in to keep you loose in your seat. I would recommend it to anyone, just don't expect to walk away a changed person for having seen it. It was a fun movie with some good historical point.
62 out of 81 people found the following review useful: Entertaining, 22 September 2006 Author: coldevinc from North Carolina USA
Very Entertaining. I will recommend it. Attention to detail was very factual, such as filing the bullets so they wouldn't jam and the Spandaus having to be hand cocked. Drideckers, the three winged Fokkers; did not enter the war until the very end. There were also two lions; Whisky and Soda, who were later banned to the stables because they kept peeing all over the château. The characters were very well done and told a good story. I hope it makes people look up the fliers and read about them. There were quite a few men that made up the Esquidrille and all were very interesting. When fact becomes legend print the legend.
96 out of 153 people found the following review useful: Star Wars meets the French Foreign Air Force in WW1, 23 July 2006 Author: Big Al-12 from United States
When this movie hits theaters this fall it will be setting a new standard for digital FX photography action scenes. I had a hard time telling the difference between the real stunt flying and the CGI. It almost makes George Lucas's dogfights in space look crude. (OK, maybe with the exception of that fantastic first shot in Episode 3.) But imagine that level of technological knowhow applied to a WW1 dogfight. And like the original "Star Wars" there is a scene here involving the German equivalent of the Death Star threatening Paris that is nothing short of spectacular. A shame, then, that the rest of the story is less than inspiring. Whatever the actual history, I didn't quite believe the subplot of the black American pilot. He seemed a cliché and just one of several stock characters. The love story ultimately goes nowhere, either, though James Franco and Jennifer Decker both turn in moving performances. As innocent and naive as Franco and his friends seem, they never get past the cardboard stage. It would've been more interesting to me if they were a neurotic, drunken, whoring bunch of elitists, most of whom would then never get over the experience. Rather than tell that tale of a decadent, sophisticated flyboy of the Lafayette Escadrille, however, they settle here for the Disney version, appealing to the lowest common denominator and an audience of teenagers, with Franco doing a good job playing Luke Skywalker, or maybe Gary Cooper. Jean Reno seemed largely wasted. I kept hoping he'd have more to do. But lest you think I had a bad time, think again. This is a movie about "aeroplanes," and they are all terrific, be they replicas or virtual. And the overall production design is superb.
55 out of 73 people found the following review useful: Cinematic Clichés fly as often as the planes, 23 September 2006 Author: mgenovese-1 from United States
Do not expect much from the plot as you need not scratch the surface too deeply to experience de'ja vu. (I've seen these plot elements before in just about every war/buddy/love story flick I have ever seen). The acting is decent and the special effects are superb. Do not see this movie with high expectations regarding the plot and you will not be disappointed. The effects wizards took a page from Howard Hughes as there are plenty of clouds in the air combat scenes to lend a feeling of depth and speed. The dog fights are pretty exciting and worth the price of admission to see on the big screen.
60 out of 83 people found the following review useful: Visually Stunning ... Historically Accurate, 28 August 2006 Author: Sean Haffner from Stratford, Connecticut, USA
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
On Saturday, August 26th, I saw the first public screening of "FLYBOYS" at the Warner Theatre in Torrington, CT.For those of you who don't know the story of the Lafayette Escadrilles, they were a squadron of Americans who, during World War I, went to France before the US joined in the fight. The Escadrilles were trained there and flew missions against the Germans. They are credited with helping to stop the German advance into France in the early stages of the war.James Franco plays Rawlings...a cowboy whose ranch has been foreclosed. As he's watching a newsreel about the Lafayette Escadrilles, the local sheriff tells him that he has an arrest warrant for him and tells him to leave town. Then we see the other pilots-to-be as they leave for France: the all-American guy with the pretty fiancée, the rich guy who's been a disappointment to his dad, the black American who is already in France making a living as a boxer, etc...At the Escadrilles' airfield, they meet up with the Escadrilles leader, Captain Thenault (Jean Reno, who is really under-used in the movie) and Squadron Leader Cassidy. Cassidy is known for flying extra missions after their main missions, so that he can try to exact revenge for any pilots that they lost during the main missions (I actually found him to be more interesting than Rawlings).They are dropped off at the American barracks, which is a mansion that's been taken over by the military. As soon as they get into the mansion/barracks, Rawlings is jumped by a young lion…the Escadrilles' tame mascot "Whiskey" (which is a true part of the Escadrilles' history). Then we are shown the pilots' flight training in a fairly short montage which ends with each of them taking off on their first solo flights.After that, their real missions begin. Their first mission is a bust when they are ambushed by the Germans, but with each following mission, the pilots improve. After awhile, they begin to earn the respect of the more seasoned pilots. As their missions continue, some of the pilots are killed and replaced by newbies with their own unique personalities, including a Bible-carrying Christian who sings "Onward Christian Soldiers" as he shoots down German planes (I liked this guy). There is also the cliché pilot who loses his nerve early on in the film, only to come back strong later (but this is still handled well).We are introduced to the German ace Wolfert, who has the sense of honor and chivalry that other movies about World War I pilots always overplayed a bit too much for my liking. Thank God, Flyboys doesn't make the same mistake...they make it clear that Wolfert will kill the allied pilots when he has the chance. We are also introduced to the "Black Falcon", who is Wolfert's counterpart in the German squadron. He is sadistic and has no qualms about shooting a pilot who has crash-landed, walked away from his plane, and is no longer a threat. Although all of the Germans are the Escadrilles' enemies, the Black Falcon is the real "bad guy" in the movie. He is used sparingly in the film, but to good effect.There is also a love story...and, just like most movies based on history...this love story is unnecessary for the telling of the Escadrilles' story. Rawlings meets a pretty French girl after he crashes during a training mission. Rawlings is taken with her, and tries to build a relationship with her. She is afraid of getting too attached to him, afraid that he's going to be killed in combat, but eventually she gives in to his advances (as if she wouldn't ...come on). The love story could have been worse, could have been more sappy, could have been Pearl Harbor, but it wasn't (at least I give the filmmakers credit for that).Now, if you've seen the trailer for Flyboys, you've already seen glimpses of the high quality of the visual effects. I was reading that the movie cost somewhere around $60 million…and these days, that amount of money doesn't usually lend itself to a visual effects-heavy movie. But this movie is LOADED with long visual effects sequences of the highest quality. Except for some shots of the pilots in the cockpits that you just KNOW were shot on a sound stage, everything else looks fantastic. The big scene with the zeppelin that is in the movie's trailer is great. The flight scenes in general are exciting and tense. The flight characteristics of the planes are very realistic, and they don't do anything that the real planes couldn't have done. Also, the sound effects and editing are fantastic. I'll say right now that this movie should easily be nominated for Oscars in the visual and sound effects/editing categories.I know enough about the Escadrilles to know that the filmmakers didn't stray too far from historical reality (Tony Bill even mentioned that the black character wasn't in the film as the "token black guy"...the first black American fighter pilot WAS a part of the Escadrilles…and except for in the beginning of the movie, they don't make a big deal out of it). Again, putting aside the love story part of the movie, the story is very well-told and the acting is solid. Even James Franco, who I have always found to be wooden in past films, seems relaxed and comfortable in his role as Rawlings, and he gets the job done (although I might have gone with someone less well-known who was just a better actor in general). The actor who played Cassidy (Martin Henderson) and Jean Reno are excellent (although Reno's role is a bit too small).DON'T WAIT FOR THE DVD!! See this movie in a THEATER, to get the full effect of the amazing work done by the filmmakers.
53 out of 71 people found the following review useful: Lafayette Escadrille, 22 September 2006 Author: SonOfMoog
This is the story of American volunteers who fought for the French during World War I before America entered the war. It is based on a true story, and largely faithful to that story. The first world war was the first "ugly" war. It is the first war where, as one of the characters observes, "Neither side will win. It will just end." And, this movie does not shrink away from showing the horror, the ugliness, and the overwhelming grimness of war.Because the special effects made it possible, more than any movie in recent memory, it graphically shows the excitement and the adrenaline rush of combat flying. The combat sequences are nothing short of dazzling; they were so good I could experience vicariously the rush of bullets tearing through cloth fuselages, the spins and turns, and dips and climbs, and barrel rolls, and dives, and with all that, I could look inside myself and know I did not have the courage to do what they did. In the end, that's what this story is about, and the love story, the individual pilot lives fade into the background.Still, it's worth noting, one of the movie's best moments is the denouement where we learn what happened to the Americans of the Lafayette Escadrille, those who survived. I won't spoil it for you, just know that truth is stranger than fiction, and often a good deal sadder. I enjoyed Flyboys for what it was: the chance to vicariously experience the adrenaline rush of aerial combat. Performances were good, and Jean Reno was great as the captain of the Lafayette Escadrille. Nice popcorn flick.
91 out of 147 people found the following review useful: Twenty minutes worth, 24 September 2006 Author: btillman63 from Arizona
There are five combat sequences that make this flick worth your ticket--maybe 20 minutes worth seeing in the entire film. The CGI is excellent, especially the Gotha bomber. Wow. And the Zeppelin ain't bad.Having said that: It's riddled with factual and historical errors, ALL of which were avoidable had the writers/director cared to pay attention. (It probably would have cost nothing to do it right.) A short list would include: Nonexistent aircraft in 1916 such as the Fokker Triplanes (all of them red except the black one!), Sopwith Camel, SE-5, and Bristol Fighter.The concept of training pilots to fly in a combat squadron is of course absurd but the director apparently thought it necessary as a plot device.French airmen learning to fly in a British airplane (Sopwith Strutter) is equally absurd.For the real hair splitters, the Gotha and some triplanes have the straight-edged Balkan crosses that appeared two years later. Other fingernails on the blackboard include "9mm Spandau" machine guns (they were 7.92 Mauser) and "canvas" covering on the wings when cotton or linen were used because canvas was much too heavy.But beyond that, the script takes a pedestrian approach to what could have been a more evocative, even inspiring, film. There are no standout performances, and the syrupy, chaste romance goes nowhere. The only reason for including it probably was to draw in more of an audience as a date flick (not quite a chick flick.) For those of us who truly enjoy aviation films, this one proved a major disappointment but hey, within limits, almost any WW I flying flick is better than no WW I flying flick.
44 out of 59 people found the following review useful: A fun adventure that plays loose with history, 22 September 2006 Author: Wailwulf from United States
When I first saw the previews and read the synopsis, I was expecting a horrible film like Pearl Harbor. Fighter pilots in love with a girl. Happily the love story is not sappy or sickening and actually helps create character development. And how the love story ends is a very nice non-Hollywood ending.The Planes look magnificent, but could have been done better. The use of German Dr1's (the Fokker Triplanes) as the only German fighter is understandable as distinguishing friend from foe. However, making all of the Dr1's (except for the main villains ) solid red is extremely annoying. While it is up to some discussion if the Red Baron's Dr1 was all red or mostly red, it does not mean that all Dr1's were red, especially all red. The Dr1's came from the Fokker factory usually in an olive drab paint scheme with a light blue underside. The film makers could have added a red scheme to the planes but left a portion olive drab and blue underside, it still would have made the Germans distinctive without being clones of Manfred von Rictoffen.The dogfights are fun to watch and are fairly exciting, however the planes fly highly unrealistically at times. Overall the CGI is excellent but at times it is noticeable as CGI. The planes that explode (Explosions are such a Hollywood staple :) ) are unrealistic. The planes are traveling 70 t0 100 miles per hour in reality, but the explosions react as if the plane is standing still, going up in a ball instead of being spread along the doomed plane's path.Over all it was fun to watch and covers a historical period that has long been neglected in film.
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