Flyboys - the movie

[Steven Broomfield]

I'll go - it can't be as bad as Pirates of the Caribbean 3

And then I read the review from today's "Telegraph":

"I wasn't holding out much hope for Flyboys, a long-delayed epic about volunteer US fighter pilots on the First World War. In the event, what's particularly deadly about it is that it finds no new ways to be bad. It has a kind of pre-programmed ineptitude: sluggish, militaristic score, hopeless join-the-dots script, the caption saying "Paris, France" a few minutes in. It's even got Jean Reno in it.

The dogfights are dizzy CGI extravaganzas in which bullets rip through fuselages like a CGI knife through CGI butter. The movie's a tortuous, 138-minute nosedive."

Maybe I'll wait for the DVD......

[Rob B]

Well thats another oppertunity to cuddle up in the local flea pit destroyed, with Film critics like you lot its back to Black and Whites!

Rob

[Guest Trenchwire]

well said rob its not a bad film mate so ignore that crap,its a film at the end of the day try and remember that steven or are you after jonathan ross's job

[PhilB]

(apart from the Indian RAF ace, Roy Lal)?

Adrian

For anyone who, like me, didn`t know about him:-

Indra Lal Roy was born in Calcutta but was educated in England where he attended St Paul’s School, London. In July 1917, he was granted a commission in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and by October he had joined 56 Squadron and was sent to France. After further training in England he joined 40 Squadron in Byras, France in June 1918. Over the next 13 days he had 9 victories over enemy aircraft. On 22 July 1918 Roy and three other pilots were attacked by German Fokker DVIIs and during the engagement his plane was shot down in flames. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).

He was 19.

[Rob B]

Cheers Trenchwire I would love a job like that, you might well have given it a reprieve.

Cheers,

R

[Steven Broomfield]

well said rob its not a bad film mate so ignore that crap,its a film at the end of the day try and remember that steven or are you after jonathan ross's job

(I think)

Sorry, I look on film as entertainment, it's true, but I object to handing money over to cynical, content-over-style, let's make a bigger bang than the next bloke-type stuff. What's wrong with film as art and truth, as well as entertainment?

'Good' films ("Saving Private Ryan" - until the saccharine-coated ending - "Lord of the Rings", even "Harry Potter") manage to have something more than noise and CGI. I just object to the cynicism Hollywood shows these days - without going too far off-topic, does a film NEED to be whacking nearly two and a half hours? "Pirates of the Caribbean" is a prime example: judicious editing could have taken 30 or 45 minutes off, with no loss to a flaccid film.

I don't actually like JR's reviews anyway - too quick to massage the egos of Hollywood's finest for my liking.

Hey - I agree, it is only a film, but I still think the viewer deserves some consideration, and not to be treated like a popcorn-guzzling robot.

As I said elsewhere, I bought "La Grande Illusion" for on DVD 6 quid at HMV today: 109 minutes of first-class acting; excellent direction; no CGI; a story not just of men at war, but of social change. I can do no better than quote from the sleeve notes:

"An impassioned call for the unity of humankind across class and national boundaries, the film also offers a quietly subversive social analysis of French society".

The Nazis banned it - is there higher recommendation?

Sorry, trenchwire, we'll have to disagree about our film choices.

[fitzee]

Steven

I couldn't agree with you more. "Flyboys" fails on so many levels it's laughable[except I payed $9.50 to see it here in America]. I can't imagine why somebody would blatantly disregard historical accuracy when filming a biographical movie. Yes the sets were very well done and the Neiuports

were great to see, all the more reason to give the viewer something more to bite into than the crappy cliches and weak script writing that I had to endure. Why would the film maker choose to portray the Germans as flying all red Fokker Triplanes in every battle scene? I was dumbfounded. The director said in an interview that the audience might otherwise be confussed as to who were the "badguys" ...give me a break! I posted the following excerpt on another thread about upcoming film "The Red Baron", need I say more!

From a studio press release about the upcoming film"The Red Baron"

Manfred, Freiherr von Richtofen is the most feared and celebrated pilot of the German Luftwaffe in World War I. To him and his companions, air combats are events of sporty nature, technical challenge and honorable acting, ignoring the terrible extent of war. But after falling in love with the nurse Käte, Manfred realizes he is only used for propaganda means. Caught between his disgust for the war, and the responsibility for his fighter wing, von Richthofen sets out to fly again.

Director Nikolai Müllerschön has said:

"A meticulous reconstruction of the Baron's life and the historical setting was not uppermost in mind, that didn't interest me so much. It is more important to see what is relevant for people today. I saw no sense in making the film like a well-researched documentary. However, during my preparation on the film and looking into the story of his life, the man seems to be more like how I thought he should be."

[Guest Trenchwire]

So are you saying the bit in the film where he runs on top of the zepplin in mid air aint true then

[fitzee]

Wow!, what a comeback! It's only a film mate so ignore all the crap.

[Guest Trenchwire]

Wow!, what a comeback! It's only a film mate so ignore all the crap.

I think you need to get a sense of humour my friend, oh sorry just checked where your from,well that would explain it then

[ian turner]

treated like a popcorn-guzzling robot.

Isn't that the audience that Hollywood films are aimed at?

[PoW1988]

OOOOhhh getting fiesty! Cheers for the heads up guys! My supposed "better half" went to see the film in question and he even said it sucked! I think we should film our own WWI movie! Hee hee!

Lynsey

[Steven Broomfield]

Isn't that the audience that Hollywood films are aimed at?

Sadly.....

[Guest tafski]

I think we should film our own WWI movie! Hee hee!

Lynsey

and i suppose if we did we would be perfect in every aspect of its making??? it was a film fer christ sake not a serious documentary

tafski

[PoW1988]

I didn't say it was a documentary. That's exactly the point I was making...it's just a film. I'm just having a laugh, it's the others that are taking it seriously! Get a sense of humour my friend!

Lynsey

[LowNslow]

The tragedy is that the orginal scripts and screenplay for this movie were very good and not too historically inaccurate (well not for a movie anyway).

Likewise The commitment of everybody on set at Halton last year had to be seen to be believed. They were totally dedicated to accuracy and their transformation of "their" side of the airfield was awesome.

The aerial sequences featured some wonderful replica aircraft, the sight of six Nieuports was a show stopper! Plus there were some wonderful examples of the 'real thing' such as the Shuttleworth Trust's Bristol Fighter.

Then you look at the pilots involved in the flying. The late, great Ray Hanna, Nigel Lamb, Andrew King and Ken Kellet are just a few. And Director Tony Bill is an aeroplane buff!

It should have been a winner. After all, wooden actors haven't killed war movies in the past? Anyone seen Aces High?

So what went wrong?

It seems to me that it all went pear-shaped when they let the CGI guys loose in the final edit. Some of it was excellent. The Handley Page 0/400 looked stunning, but clearly no-one had told the California Kiddies that Star Wars-whooshes and blurry lines didn't enhance the shots at all. And someone could have pointed out that WW1 flighters can't accelerate while going up vertically. And was it beyond the wit of man for them to appreciate the direction ailerons go to initiate a roll?

I had wished the best for Flyboys. Now I hope it will pancake sufficiently hard for someone to buy the footage cheap and then re-edit using the excellent live footage.

"Flyboys Unplugged" anyone?

[59165]

The tragedy is that the orginal scripts and screenplay for this movie were very good and not too historically inaccurate (well not for a movie anyway).

Then you look at the pilots involved in the flying. The late, great Ray Hanna, Nigel Lamb, Andrew King and Ken Kellet are just a few. And Director Tony Bill is an aeroplane buff!

It should have been a winner.

So what went wrong?

It seems to me that it all went pear-shaped when they let the CGI guys loose in the final edit.

I had wished the best for Flyboys. Now I hope it will pancake sufficiently hard for someone to buy the footage cheap and then re-edit using the excellent live footage.

Your right there mate.

On 3 occasions,driving to Chantals in France,I had the pleasure to watch some of the aerobatics while stuck in the traffic on the M25.Saw a red tri & a bi that I didnt recognise & several others too.

The work put into the French & German trenches was just unreal & all for a 5 min stretch!

My mate Al,he visited the trench area most days.Whats amazing is the stuff they didnt include in the film like a captured mkIV tank.Details spot on.History not though(Verdun?)

A good film,not an historians film(though I did like the lion,what happened to Soda?)

Dave.

[Guest tafski]

I didn't say it was a documentary. That's exactly the point I was making...it's just a film. I'm just having a laugh, it's the others that are taking it seriously! Get a sense of humour my friend!

Lynsey

I have a sense of humour and i dont recall being yer friend

tafski

[ian turner]

I have a sense of humour and i dont recall being yer friend

tafski

You're doing a good job at hiding it!

[Guest tafski]

You're doing a good job at hiding it!

well at least i am doing something good then

tafski

[ian turner]

well at least i am doing something good then

tafski

[montbrehain]

Well Last night me and the Mrs had a night in and watched FLYBOYS. Must admit I really enjoyed it. I have not read all of the previous posts . But for my tuppence worth it was a great piece of Hollywood story telling. It seems some people try to read too much in to it. But perhaps real life doesnt sell Verdict . Take it with a pinch of salt. Well worth watching "MO"

[Paddy 60th]

Well Last night me and the Mrs had a night in and watched FLYBOYS. Must admit I really enjoyed it. I have not read all of the previous posts . But for my tuppence worth it was a great piece of Hollywood story telling. It seems some people try to read too much in to it. But perhaps real life doesnt sell Verdict . Take it with a pinch of salt. Well worth watching "MO"

I agree Mo - I watched it tonight and as you say 'taken with a pinch of salt' it was great entertainment.

[Cnock]

Hi,

I agree with Steven and Fitzee.

Regards,

Cnock

[peter__m]

Can I suggest that if total reality is what you're after then perhaps maybe the best thing to do is join the army! (That's a joke - don't go psycho on me!)

Thanks for the honest reviews guys.

I haven't seen this yet - have been thinking about it and now I'll just have to...