Inspired by true events fades onto the screen at the beginning of Red Tails and we’re off to 1944 Italy, and World War II. The story of the ...
Inspired by true events fades onto the screen at the beginning of Red Tails and we’re off to 1944 Italy, and World War II. The story of the Tuskegee pilots has been floating about for quite some time now, since the late 80’s by all accounts. It’s only now though, that the story of African American pilots who were kept mostly on the ground in the second world war hits the bigscreen. And it has a big name attached to it from a producer and assistant director point of view. George Lucas. You know the guy, he made a few movies about some guy with a laser sword and asthma. And while Lucas’s role is alot smaller than his previous outings, Red Tails certainly arrives amidst a bunch of hype with his name attached.
The Tuskegee Pilots are a group of African American pilots who are eventually called into duty after spending much time on the ground or flying pointless patrols. 1944 was a very different place back then, where racism seemed to be the norm. But through hard word and incredible bouts of bravery, these African American pilots earn the respect of their colleagues and peers.
Cast wise Cuba Gooding Jr and Terrence Howard are the names on the poster, and both do an adequate enough job on screen. The supporting cast, namely the pilots themselves can be a bit hit and miss. At times they shine brightly but at other times the come across as false, contrived and struggling to perform. One exception though is Ne-Yo, believe it or not. He is thoroughly convincing as Smoky. And while the cast are incredibly likeable, the performances are inconsistent enough to grate on your nerves after a while.
The aerial dog fights here are a sight to be hold though. They’re fast paced, full of action and are very tightly edited. Unlike the rest of the movie, particularly around the dialogue scenes. Some of the cuts during conversation from one actor to another seem nearly half a second too long at times, and you end up with a very stop / start conversation on occasion and as a result Red Tails can feel a little clunky.
That said though, it looks convincing for the time period, it’s got some great action, and on a number of occasions, you will be slipping toward the edge of your seat. Unfortunately a 2 hour running time doesn’t do the movie any favours, and it can feel a little bit dragged out. 15 minutes could have easily been shaved off I reckon.
Overall though, Red Tails is definitely worth a watch. Even with its flaws, Red Tails has quite an old school Saturday afternoon matinee feel to it and it does offer a decent enough slice of entertainment.
