Red Tails (2012)

A crew of African American pilots in the Tuskegee training program, having faced segregation while kept mostly on the ground during World War II, are called into duty under the guidance of Col. A.J. Bullard.

Director:

Anthony Hemingway

Writers:

John Ridley (story), John Ridley (screenplay),

Stars:

Cuba Gooding Jr., David Oyelowo, Andre Royo

2 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Terrence Howard	...	Colonel A.J. Bullard
Cuba Gooding Jr.	...	Major Emanuelle Stance
Nate Parker	...	Marty 'Easy' Julian
David Oyelowo	...	Joe 'Lightning' Little
Tristan Wilds	...	Ray 'Junior' Gannon
Ne-Yo	...	Andrew 'Smokey' Salem
Elijah Kelley	...	Samuel 'Joker' George
Marcus T. Paulk	...	David 'Deke' Watkins
Leslie Odom Jr.	...	Declan 'Winky' Hall
Michael B. Jordan	...	Maurice Wilson
Kevin Phillips	...	Leon 'Neon' Edwards
Andre Royo	...	Antwan 'Coffee' Coleman
Method Man	...	Sticks (as Cliff Smith)
Bryan Cranston	...	Colonel William Mortamus
Lee Tergesen	...	Colonel Jack Tomlinson

Storyline

Italy, 1944. As the war takes its toll on Allied forces in Europe, a squadron of black pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen are finally given the chance to prove themselves in the sky - even as they battle discrimination on the ground. It's a tribute to the unsung heroes who rose above extraordinary challenges and ultimately soared into history.

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Plot Keywords:

italy | african american | battle | tuskegee airmen | colonel | 

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Taglines:

Courage has no color

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sequences of war violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian German

Release Date:

20 January 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eskarda 'Czerwone Ogony'

Filming Locations:

Croatia

Box Office

Budget:

$58,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$18,782,154 (USA) (20 January 2012)

Gross:

$49,875,589 (USA) (1 June 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Lucasfilm, Partnership Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an interview with The New York Times, George Lucas stated that the personalities of Easy and Lightning are based on Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, respectively.

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Goofs

During the initial bombing run to Berlin, one of the bomber pilots says that engine number three is losing pressure, but when the shot goes to the plane's exterior, engine number one has stopped operating.

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Quotes

Lieutenant General Luntz: Colonel, the word is you're arrogant.
Colonel A.J. Bullard: If arrogant is the only word people use to describe me now, I would say I think I am making progress.

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Connections

Referenced in Tosh.0: Bad Breakdancer (2012)

User Reviews

Walked out before the movie was over.

I cannot speak to the whole movie as I could not be bothered to waste my time all the way to the end. I can tell you why I left though. The acting was terrible. It is almost as if the actors are shot up with some kind of depressant. When they are attempting to be funny it comes across as ridiculous. When they are trying to be serious it comes across as boring and slight. When they are trying to be dramatic or inspiring it falls so far short as to make you wonder why you are still there. (and why I left).

Aside from the inadequate acting, the characters themselves as written are not what you would expect. They are not disciplined or particularly smart. They are benign, happy go lucky, airy, slapstick caricatures. The shots of them in combat ring about as true as Spy Kids.

It is really as though the people involved in making this movie have never even bothered to view other war movies, never mind trying to reach for the tone and feeling of real life war. There is no sense that the true emotional core of this topic is ever seriously attempted.

This subject matter is so inspiring on its own that it is quite shocking to see that something this unfeeling and flat could be the result.