Red Tails movie

[Gerald Schamp]

How many have seen the new Red Tails movie? What is your opinion? Overall I thought it was okay, a little overdone in places, especially the fighters flying through all the B-17's. Really didn't like the tractor tires on the Mustangs, I mean after all. But all in all, it was okay. Gerald Schamp

[Gene O'Keefe]

I'm going to see it this weekend....unfortunately I heard it wasn't all that great either.

[Steve Helmick]

I was watching a trailer of "Red Tails" on TeeVee and saw a Mustang do an incredibly tight loop...more than 5' radius...and not quite "smooth, precise, and shall be of a tight radius." But jeez, not only would it have folded the wings, the pilot would have blacked out (no pun intended, really). Not very realistic...computer generated dogfights should still be held to some sort of standard of accuracy.

Besides, wasn't there already a movie (5 years ago?) about the Tuskegee Airmen? Why would they make another? Ok, I'm not much of a movie buff, and really see no point to remakes. If I was going to be painting a P-51 stunter or scale model, I would be proud to finish it with the red tail color scheme, but I do wonder if this isn't a Hollywood ploy of some sort. I already think it is very hypocritical of Hollywood actors/actresses to make any movies involving guns and glorifying violence. Maybe it's ok, as long as they make the big money they do?   Steve

[Paul Taylor]

Yea I went and saw it. When we got out I asked my family who the star of the movie was... I got a few different actor's names.
I then told them all the planes were the stars.

It had a good story line. Not too much cussing. I would not say the acting was not all that good. But I went because I knew it was about history and WWII airplanes.

And yes the tight inside loop was not very realistic, but then I am sure you had computer graphic guys trying to make it look cool.

It may not be worth a the price of a movie ticket but for sure a DVD rental.

[David Hoover]

Tuskegee Airmen was an HBO TV movie made at least 5 years ago.  To my knowledge (which isn't much) Red Tails is the first major movie release about them.

I've seen the TV trailer and was unimpressed as well.  I may rent it when it's out on BluRay.  I'f I'm really lucky, my local library branch will have it and then I'll be able to borrow it for free.

[Randy Powell]

The special effects reminded me of the movie Pearl Harbor except that that was a bit more realistic as far as performance of the planes. I will wait for it to come out on disk.

[peabody]

Funny...it seemed like 5 years ago....it was actually shown on HBO in 1995!
Time flies!
No wonder you guys look so old!

[Andrew Borgogna]

I have got to see this movie.  I had the honor to serve in 13th Air Force, in 1967-68 under the command of Lt. Gen. Benjamin O Davis.  At that time none of  us even knew about the Tuskegee airman.  We knew he was the first African American three star General, but nothing about his WWII service.

At a local air show our club participates in, I got to meet and talk with a member of the Tuskegee airman.  I sure wish I had written down his name.  When I mentioned I had served under General Davis, he just said "Oh yes, I knew Benny Davis well". It just blew me away. 

A few years back General Davis was briefly brought out of retirement and finally awarded his much deserved fourth star to full General.  Recognition long over due.
Andy

[Douglas Ames]

Yeah, the "Russian Cobra Maneuver" was a little much. The CGI graphics are getting better but geez, the Messerschmitt's flying down in "formation" from the clouds...they were all over the place, overdone. No pilot flies that bad. Overall a good movie, could have been longer and a little more in depth. With WWII props getting more scarce, look for more CGI images.

[PJ Rowland]

Nothing annoys me more than movies that aren't realistic in their special effects or physics.

I like the realistic movie classics like : The Philadelphia Experiment.


Red Tails hasn't been released here yet.

[Brian Massey]

Nothing annoys me more than movies that aren't realistic in their special effects or physics.

I like the realistic movie classics like : The Philadelphia Experiment.

If you want "realistic", watch Ed Wood's "Plan 9 From Outer Space"!!   

My wife and I will go see Red Tails. As for the other movie, Tuskegee Airmen, I heard this story is supposed to be more about how they got into combat, and the issues (prejudices) that had to be overcome getting there. Won't know for sure until I see it.

To bad the "special effects" are overblown. If so, I will find that disappointing.

Brian

[Clint Ormosen]

I saw it this afternoon. CGI effects are ok except for a few totally unrealistic scenes. The acting for the most part is horrible, however there are a few shining moments. Overall a total letdown. I had been really looking forward to this film for over a year since I found out it was being made. Wait for the DVD.

But the preview for "Battleship" looked interesting.

[Joe Mig]

I took my 11 year old son too go see it and he liked it even more then I did and I thought it was okay.  With all the crap that comes out of Holly Weird I was glad he convinced me to take him too go see it. 

[Norm Faith Jr.]

I have got to see this movie.  I had the honor to serve in 13th Air Force, in 1967-68 under the command of Lt. Gen. Benjamin O Davis.  At that time none of  us even knew about the Tuskegee airman.  We knew he was the first African American three star General, but nothing about his WWII service.

At a local air show our club participates in, I got to meet and talk with a member of the Tuskegee airman.  I sure wish I had written down his name.  When I mentioned I had served under General Davis, he just said "Oh yes, I knew Benny Davis well". It just blew me away.  

A few years back General Davis was briefly brought out of retirement and finally awarded his much deserved fourth star to full General.  Recognition long over due.
Andy

I guess "I was in the right place at the right time," or should I say "I had the right dad." I learned about the Tuskegee Airman at around 10 years of age, (1957) only they were the 99th and the 332nd when I was told of their participation in the war. My dad was with the 8th AAF in Italy and North Africa as a P-38 crew chief. The "Red Tails" landed at the field he was at on a regular basis. He told me about Negro pilots flying P-47s and later on flying P-51s. He told me that some thought they were not good pilots and tried to avoid dog fights, but he was quick to add "that it wasn't true; he knew otherwise." He didn't elaborate on his information and I never asked. Likewise I served with General Davis and General "Chappie" James also. In 1989 I went to Oshkosh for the "big event" and visited the EAA Museum that had just opened. Oshkosh, being a "sea of white humanity," you can imagine my surprise to see a black gentleman and his young sons at the museum. They were standing in front of a pictorial display of all of the different aircraft, theaters of action, and participating squadrons, along with statistics of downed enemy aircraft and such. No where was there a mention of or a photo of the 99th or the 332nd. Imagine the impression that could of been on those two boys. I've never had the opportunity to go back to Oshkosh; I wonder if they ever made the addition?  
The Movie? I'll give it three stars...My grandson liked it...The "Split S" that Lighting did? "No-Way-Ho-Zay"
Norm

[wwwarbird]

 Like many watching the ads for it on TV, I was pretty unimpressed and not overly excited about it. I very rarely go to movie theaters, but I had planned all along to go and see this one for two reasons. First being the fact that they made it at all, and second for my "two-cents" of support of that fact. Being a complete Warbird fanatic I'm especially not into all of the computer generated stuff, but I also realize making large scale WWII movies without it is a thing of the past. I don't like it, but that's just how things have evolved.

 For the "Red Tails" theater debut on January 20th I got a lucky invitation from Doug Rozendal to go on a private coach bus trip with him and about 45 other friends to go see the movie. Doug is one of the primary pilots of the Commemorative Air Force "Red Tail" P-51C Mustang, which is based in St. Paul, MN.
 When we arrived the St. Paul wing of the CAF had an nice display in the theater lobby promoting their own Red Tail program and the new movie. Lot's of CAF crew and vets all around. It all felt just a little like being at an actual Hollywood premiere, kind of "red carpet" like. There were two theaters in the complex to be showing the movie at the same time, and both were filled to capacity. Before the movie began Doug stood front center and gave a short Red Tail speech and thanked everyone for coming and for their support. He also invited anyone interested to meet our bus trip group for dinner afterwards.

 Still a bit apprehensive, I settled in with my thirteen dollar popcorn and Coke as the movie began. It took me just a short time to get over the computer animation. I just took a breath, sat back and relaxed, and enjoyed the movie for it's story and the airplanes. Now when it comes to watching details in a movie like this, I feel like I'm about as picky as anyone out there. However, if you just relax and let yourself forget about it being animated, it was actually pretty darn good. If one wants to simply pick it apart you certainly could in areas, but I have to say that overall it was done much better than I expected. Not perfect, there are inaccuracies here and there, but it did come from Hollywood after all. Walking out of the theater afterward, I definitely felt much more satisfied than I had expected to going in. I can honestly say that overall, I really enjoyed the movie. If it comes to my hometown theater I will go again.

 After the movie we took the bus over to Axel's Bonfire for dinner and were again greeted with "Red Tail" movie signage in the entrance and bar area. Very quickly the place was packed with Red Tail followers and CAF members. Everyone had a great dinner and some drinks, a very enjoyable evening all around.

[Brett Buck]

I saw it this afternoon. CGI effects are ok except for a few totally unrealistic scenes. The acting for the most part is horrible, however there are a few shining moments. Overall a total letdown.

   What amazes me is that they could screw up this movie. It's a great story and all that need be done is tell the story straight. It doesn't need any embellishment.

    Brett

[Dan McEntee]

    As I understand it this was  George Lucas project that he had wanted to produce for quite a while. I guess he had finally run out of ways to re-do and repackage the Star Wars movies that he didn't have anything else to do. I don't buy the fact that the days of using real iron for most of the sequences is over due to lack of equipment. There are probably twice the number of Mustangs in the air and on the ground today than there was 30 years ago. There were only 8 airworthy Corsairs in  the world (or something like that) when the tv show "Ba Ba Blacksheep" was made and they did a fairly decent job with what they had for a budget. Lucas has plenty of money and could afford the hardware for better and more realistic flight sequences. I think Brett is right, just tell the story straight. To me a good story line and good acting is way better than relying on phony computer graphics to sell the movie.
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

[Chuck Feldman]

Have not seen it. My impression of the TV ads for it is that it will not be very good. Remember the old aviation movies where they had models on strings and the like? Are we going back to that? LOL

The story of the Tuskegee Airmen is a good one. It is another chapter of the WWII story. To bad it is done poorly.

Just the other day I watched a movie about dog fights. I have to question as to how the expression on a real fighter pilots face would look as he fired his rounds. I doubt that they got the expressions we see in the movies on there faces. Anyone have any idea about this?

[Richard Fleming]

I hope to see it soon. I really liked the HBO version and have it on tape. Well done, they used real Mustangs etc. and seemed to be accurate. I just hope they do not have a bunch of fluff in the new movie and get away from the true facts.   Richard

[wwwarbird]

  I don't buy the fact that the days of using real iron for most of the sequences is over due to lack of equipment. There are probably twice the number of Mustangs in the air and on the ground today than there was 30 years ago. There were only 8 airworthy Corsairs in  the world (or something like that) when the tv show "Ba Ba Blacksheep" was made and they did a fairly decent job with what they had for a budget.

 Viable points Dan, and I also wish they would take the time and make the investment to use real 'Birds. I really just don't see it happening anymore though. With lawyers ruling the world these days the risks are just way too high, and it would also take a lot of patience from todays producers just to deal with doing it that way. Us modelers know just how much patience is left out there these days, look at how our own hobby has evolved, ARF and puke-lectric everything. They, including Lucas, are just looking for the fast dollar turnaround with the least amount of investment or risk. Very sad, but it has become the "American way", with everything.

[Larry Cunningham]

I always like to see movies about airplanes and particularly historical WWI and WWII. But just looking at the trailers I got the distinct feeling that this one might be CGI'd to death. I guess that is simple economic reality, but I wish the CGI could have a slightly more realistic plot.

Still, I'll watch it when it appears on satellite. Not fair to pre-judge it.

L.

"Ah, yes, divorce.. from the Latin word meaning to rip out a man's genitals through his wallet." -Robin Williams

[Wayne Collier]

Often, CGI just looks like fancy cartoons to me.  Not saying that's necessarily bad.  They just often look that way to me.

I get annoyed at some non-CGI scenes in "Top Gun." 

I do enjoy a good story -- great special effects or not. (symptom of growing up reading?)


I'll probably wait for the rental to watch this movie.

[John Cralley]

I saw it this week and think it was good for what it was intended to convey.

The "Airmen" are a great piece of history and, if it fills in some of that history for folks that had no idea what was going on during WW II, the movie serves a purpose. For me, unless you have a wall sized TV, this film is best seen on the big screen. As you might expect being that it is a movie, it mixes some fact with some fiction. The acting to me was OK but no Academy Awards for sure.

I Googled Tuskegee Airmen and refreshed my memory before going to the show and I would recommend that approach unless you are up to speed on the history. I had forgotten that there was a Tuskegee bomber group that never saw any action (not in the movie) and that they were discriminated against even more so than the fighter pilots.

My 2 cents. 

[John Leidle]

 It'll be better than watching the Margerate Thatcher movie my wife wants to see.
  john

[frank williams]

Saw the movie ..... not too bad ... lots of filming and cgi from the Czech Rp.

Had the privilege of getting a guided "vip" tour of the 99th squad. hq. at Randolph AFB back in December.  Dee Rice's son Brad is retiring from the 99th. and had some down time and we got a couple of hours of sim time and a look at all the photos and memoribilia of the squadron.  The T1's they fly have "red tails".

[jjorgensen]

Here's my red tail for old time

[wwwarbird]

Here's my red tail for old time

 Jim,

 Is that a "glow hole" in the nose??? What design?

[jjorgensen]

That is a glow hole, for a McCoy .29 redhead. This is from the Sterling F51 plans.

[Joshua Harel]

I saw the movie today with my wife. Pure Crap in my humble opinion, but, what can you expect from a generation that think one's life is fulfilled if you have an iphone? The flight was totally garbage, the story - more garbage and they really dishonored the Tuskegee Airmen with nonesense creation. I guess that's what happens when airheads are charged to create a historic movie using garbage digital technology. Just my 2c.
Joshua

[FLOYD CARTER]

Tractor tires on a P-51.  Well, sometimes we have to make do with what's available.  On my restoration of my 1938 Focke-Wulf 44J biplane, I found motorcycle tires that were the proper size.  They had deep treads, while the original tires were smooth.  I was concerned about the strength.  The plane weighs 1600 lb. loaded, or 800 Lb per tire.  Well, the tires held up for at least 100 landings,.

Floyd