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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Red Tails - is the movie any good?

Discussion in 'Lucasfilm Ltd. In-Depth Discussion' started by JediMasterKeno, Feb 25, 2013.

  1. JediMasterKeno

    JediMasterKeno Jedi Grand Master star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 22, 2000
    I still haven't seen it for DVD yet but always been curious about it.

    Is the movie any good and fun to watch? To me its almost like an X-Wing Rogue Squadron movie set during World II lol
     
  2. Alexrd

    Alexrd Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 7, 2009
    So, you've seen it?
     
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  3. CloneTrooperFox

    CloneTrooperFox Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2013
    Just guessing he is saying that from the previews maybe?

    Alexrd. I really did enjoy the movie. Seems to be plenty of action and a great story. Love the battle scenes. I see the best in all movies though! :)
     
  4. BoromirsFan

    BoromirsFan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 16, 2010
    I thought it was quite awful. Perhaps if Lucas actually directed it, there would have been some interesting visuals or themes. Instead I found the characters to be stereotypes or caricatures.

    I just didn't find anything compelling.

    It also hurts that I saw it at the end of its theater run, so my theater put it in a crappy audio theater.

    Of course, the best way to judge a film is to see it yourself!
     
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  5. rumsmuggler

    rumsmuggler Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2000
    I thought it could have been better, but it was okay. I prefer the Tuskegee Airmen miniseries from HBO.
     
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  6. darthbarracuda

    darthbarracuda Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2012
    It was what you would call a "classic Hollywood film that is wild and exciting but historically inaccurate". Oh wait that's any Hollywood film XD.

    Sick graphics, cool stunts and pretty intense, but pretty inaccurate.

    Red Tails plays off the huge misconception of the 332nd having all these great legends: (http://ghostgrey.gaetanmarie.com/articles/2012/Nine Myths/Nine Myths about the Tuskegee Airmen.htm)

    And the whole scene with the P-51 backwards arching and shooting down the Me-262? The 262 was the first operational fighter jet. Went over 100 MPH faster than the fastest Mustangs. To be able to time that well with that kind of speed demon zeroing in on you...you'd need the Force for that. Most of the 262's weren't "shot down"; they were destroyed in their hangars or when they were refueling. If the Germans had brought it in 2 or 3 years prior...WWII might have come out differently. And the 262's that were shot down in the air I can almost guarantee to you that they weren't shot down via a crazy backwards stunt.

    I'd give it a 3/5. Or maybe a 3.5/5. Pretty intense IMO and sweet graphics but the historical inaccuracies (especially to an aviation buff) takes some of the spice away.
     
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  7. Frank T.

    Frank T. Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    I liked it.
     
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  8. Darth_Nub

    Darth_Nub Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 26, 2009
    It's old fashioned fluff, based around a somewhat deeper subject. I got the impression that it was intended to be an old-school WWII 'Boys Own' adventure for African-Americans, something that simply hadn't been done before. In that sense, it works beautifully, but in this day & age, there's been too much filthy water under the bridge to simply say to say to the current generation, "Sorry your parents weren't able to see their own people portrayed in corny old war movies as heroes, but here you go, hope you like it, and have some free popcorn if you can present a war medal from your grand-daddy".

    GL has made mention in very familiar terms of Red Tails being the middle part of a trilogy about the story of the Tuskegee Airmen - it's the commercial, appealing, heroic part, ho ho - but personally, I would have preferred to have seen the early story of the struggle to establish a squadron of black pilots in the first place, or, even more dramatic, the bitterly painful story of these decorated war heroes returning to everyday life in the US as second-class citizens.

    It's still a good movie, though, thoroughly enjoyed it.
     
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  9. obi-rob-kenobi4

    obi-rob-kenobi4 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2007
    It was a great film. Almost silent style much like in SW with the story primarily being told by the visuals and music.

    A lot of fun, awesome dynamic WW2 dogfights that are visually stunning and sound amazing in 5.1 surround sound. A real underdog spirit to the story that makes you root for the gang and care for them as you get to know them from battle to battle.

    Bryan Cranston is awesome as is Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr.
     
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  10. ShaneP

    ShaneP Ex-Mod Officio star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    If you combined the The Tuskegee Airmen HBO movie from the mid-'90's with the aerial combat of Red Tails(along with the sound), you would have a perfect Tuskegee movie.
     
  11. darthbarracuda

    darthbarracuda Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2012
    AGREED!
     
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  12. Roberto Calrissian

    Roberto Calrissian Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 2012
    The script was average. The conversations that happened during the film were not good, kinda like episode 1&2 conversations just average. Great actors like Terrence Howard seemed to do an average job just like Natalie Portman in Star Wars. The only thing those actors have in common is George Lucas, so maybe it is his fault....
     
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  13. Alexrd

    Alexrd Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 7, 2009
    You mean Episode IV, right? Because it's under the same guidelines. And how is it George Lucas fault when he didn't even wrote the dialogue? Oh wait, I forgot that it's cool to bash Lucas for anything and everything...
     
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  14. KilroyMcFadden

    KilroyMcFadden Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 31, 2012
    It's not AOTC or HTD bad. It's just sort of mediocre and forgettable.
     
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  15. darthbarracuda

    darthbarracuda Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2012
    HTD?
     
  16. Placeholder

    Placeholder Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 30, 2013
    Howard the Duck
     
  17. KudosDas

    KudosDas Jedi Padawan star 2

    Registered:
    Jan 14, 2005
    I would watch the film for the dogfights alone, which are spectacularly done.

    That said, I was really hoping for something more out of this movie. It is worth watching, but I have to echo other comments already made here that is just seems like the could have done MORE with the character-centric portions of the story. You can see many of the themes they wanted to explore or at least raise, but in the end it really does feel like they only touched on most of it to a very minimal degree. Maybe we'll get a director's cut with cut scenes that really shouldn't have been cut?
     
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  18. The-Eternal-Hero

    The-Eternal-Hero Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 3, 2012
    I love the film. It has weaknesses but the characters are likeable, the action is great, the fx are excellent and the movie leaves you feeling good!
     
  19. Narutakikun

    Narutakikun Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 8, 2012
  20. Kev Snowmane

    Kev Snowmane Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Jan 1, 2013
    I won't call it my favorite movie of all time, but it was good and I don't regret having seen it.
     
  21. obi-rob-kenobi4

    obi-rob-kenobi4 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2007
    Just watched it again at a get together with some friends and extended family. I almost forgot how dam good this film is. The opening gave me goosebumps it such a theatrical, epic beginning. The dogfights had the kids jumping up and down, rocking back and forth in the living room and the surround sound was out of this world. The death scene and ending montage had two people in the room crying.

    This flick is awesome. Like Cuba Gooding Jr. says in the movie: "watch the rest of the movie and learn something!"

    [face_flag]
     
  22. IG_2000

    IG_2000 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 5, 2008
    Eh
    I rented it and gave up about a half hour into it
     
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  23. IG_2000

    IG_2000 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 5, 2008
    Except he did direct it (he went uncredited) and thats probably why it was awful.
     
  24. Alexrd

    Alexrd Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 7, 2009
    He merely directed a couple of re-shoots, not the movie.
     
  25. BoromirsFan

    BoromirsFan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 16, 2010
    To me the dialogue wasn't even passable. I didn't have a problem with dialogue in the PT, but Red Tails I physically cringed at some of the crap. So I think GL didn't write the dialogue, even he is above something like this.
     
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