Red Tails (Film) Review

Red Tails

Released: 20th January 2012
RRP: TBC
Director: Anthony Hemingway
Starring: Terrence Howard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Bryan Cranston, Nate Parker, David Oyelowo
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 120

Despite a worthy fact-based story and obvious good intentions, Red Tails suffers from one-dimensional characters, corny dialogue, and heaps of cliches.

1944. To help win the war, the Pentagon brass has no choice but to consider the untested African-American pilots of the experimental Tuskegee training program. Just as the young Tuskegee men are about to be shut down and shipped back home, they are given the ultimate chance to show their courage. These intrepid young airmen take to the skies to fight for their country - and the fate of the free world. -- (C) Official Site

Phelim O'Neill (Guardian [UK]) said:
"The true story of the Tuskegee Airmen, a squadron of African-American second world war flying aces, is one of those amazing tales that you just couldn't make up."

Robbie Collin (Daily Telegraph) said:
"Red Tails has been described as "jingoistic, corny, uber-patriotic and old-fashioned", not by some disobliging critic but by George Lucas, its executive producer."

Tom Huddleston (Time Out) said:
"There's no sense of threat or danger: this is a film with its head stuck firmly in the clouds."

Ian Freer (Empire Magazine) said:
"This has great action, an affable cast and an inspirational story. But given its subject, it could have been so much more."

Claudia Puig (USA Today) said:
"It's only half of a good movie. As soon as those dogfighting planes land, the story trips up by skimming the surface of history."

Mary F. Pols (TIME Magazine) said:
"A feature film that falls much closer to the goofy Hogan's Heroes in the spectrum of World War II-focused productions than Saving Private Ryan."

Stephen Holden (New York Times) said:
"A mildly entertaining classroom instructional about the Tuskegee Airmen."

Peter Debruge (Variety) said:
"Apart from the occasional thrill provided by CG-enhanced aerial dogfights, this stuffy history lesson about the groundbreaking African-American fighter pilot division never quite takes off, weighed down by wooden characters and leaden screenwriting."

Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times) said:
"Substitute 1940s fighters for spaceships, move them closer to Earth, and you have the audience appeal of this movie."

Todd McCarthy (Hollywood Reporter) said:
"In the end, it's the flashy action and innate inspirational elements that make a measure of impact here. But you just know there's so much more to this story."



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