Flyboys – 2.5/5
This is “Inspired by the true story” of the Americans who volunteered to fly for the French during WW1. Which, translating into plain English, means its one tiny step closer to reality than a complete work of fiction. Its main problem is that it can’t seem to quite decide what sort of film it wants. And not in a good, genre-bending way, but in a confused and messy
kind of way.
It starts out as an ensemble piece – each character given their own brief backstory, but most of them are then pushed firmly to the side as the focus remains on James Franco (Spiderman’s New Goblin). Towards the end of the film they suddenly remember the other back stories and bring them all back. There’s the romance which is added, presumably to try and attract female viewers, which is left underdeveloped and unresolved and only really serves to allow Franco to be stupidly heroic at regular intervals. The units real lion mascot adds a comic tone that jars with much of the action.
Jean Reno, undoubtedly a versatile actor, seems to have got himself stuck permanently in comedy Frenchman in a uniform mode and as a result seems to completely fluff any serious lines he has. There’s the black pilot to add extra worthiness to the whole – “When I’m flying up there and they can’t see me, maybe they won’t care that I’m black”. In general the script is far too knowing to be credible – too many comments on the futility of the way, how no-one will win and ridiculous conversations about whether there will be any future in flying.
Franco is an actor whose previous performances have varied between promising star of the future and contender for the Hayden Christensen award for best impersonation of a plank of wood with a pout. Here (as in Spiderman 3) he is on charismatic and engaging form and does his best to lift the film. He is ably supported by Martin Henderson (Bride and Prejudice) as the veteran flyer commanding the unit.
Where the film really takes off is when it takes off. The dogfights are brilliantly choreographed and executed – CGI enabling moves that may not actually be doable in a real bi-plane, but that look great. It is here that the real power lies and they are exciting and powerful enough to hold you through the rest of the earth-bound dross. They are also strangely moving in a testosterone-driven, Boys Own heroism kind of a way. The attack on the zeppelin and Franco’s final duel with evil German The Black Falcon being standouts, even when the latter ends in a rather surprising manner which might bring to mind one of the most famous visual gags from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
So, a messy effort, but just about worth checking out for the fight scenes alone.
This is “Inspired by the true story” of the Americans who volunteered to fly for the French during WW1. Which, translating into plain English, means its one tiny step closer to reality than a complete work of fiction. Its main problem is that it can’t seem to quite decide what sort of film it wants. And not in a good, genre-bending way, but in a confused and messy
kind of way.It starts out as an ensemble piece – each character given their own brief backstory, but most of them are then pushed firmly to the side as the focus remains on James Franco (Spiderman’s New Goblin). Towards the end of the film they suddenly remember the other back stories and bring them all back. There’s the romance which is added, presumably to try and attract female viewers, which is left underdeveloped and unresolved and only really serves to allow Franco to be stupidly heroic at regular intervals. The units real lion mascot adds a comic tone that jars with much of the action.
Jean Reno, undoubtedly a versatile actor, seems to have got himself stuck permanently in comedy Frenchman in a uniform mode and as a result seems to completely fluff any serious lines he has. There’s the black pilot to add extra worthiness to the whole – “When I’m flying up there and they can’t see me, maybe they won’t care that I’m black”. In general the script is far too knowing to be credible – too many comments on the futility of the way, how no-one will win and ridiculous conversations about whether there will be any future in flying.
Franco is an actor whose previous performances have varied between promising star of the future and contender for the Hayden Christensen award for best impersonation of a plank of wood with a pout. Here (as in Spiderman 3) he is on charismatic and engaging form and does his best to lift the film. He is ably supported by Martin Henderson (Bride and Prejudice) as the veteran flyer commanding the unit.
Where the film really takes off is when it takes off. The dogfights are brilliantly choreographed and executed – CGI enabling moves that may not actually be doable in a real bi-plane, but that look great. It is here that the real power lies and they are exciting and powerful enough to hold you through the rest of the earth-bound dross. They are also strangely moving in a testosterone-driven, Boys Own heroism kind of a way. The attack on the zeppelin and Franco’s final duel with evil German The Black Falcon being standouts, even when the latter ends in a rather surprising manner which might bring to mind one of the most famous visual gags from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
So, a messy effort, but just about worth checking out for the fight scenes alone.
1 comment:
Nice review :o)
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