Colonel A.J. Bullard: Terrence Howard Major Emanuelle Stance: Cuba Gooding, Jr. Marty "Easy" Julian: Nate Parker Joe "Lightning" Little: David Oyelowo Ray "Junior" Gannon: Tristan Wilds Samuel "Joker" George: Elijah Kelley Declan "Winky" Hall: Leslie Odom, Jr. Leon "Neon" Edwards: Kevin Phillips Sofia: Daniela Ruah German POW Camp Commander: Mark Doerr Colonel William Mortamus: Bryan Cranston
20th Century Fox: presents a film directed by Anthony Hemingway. Written by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder. Rated PG-13 for some sequences of war violence. Running Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes Release Date: January 20, 2012
George Lucas has indicated while promoting Red Tails that there was a long delay in production because no studio wanted to market a film with an "all-black" cast. If that's the case, how does Tyler Perry make a killing at the box office twice a year? While I don't intend to be racially insensitive, perhaps studios balked at this film for another reason. Maybe they watched it.
The story of the Tuskegee Airmen is an incredible one. A group of African-American pilots who served in World War II, their existence alone took nearly a quarter century of advocacy from civil rights activists. Once the group was formed, they were stuck with run down planes, little training, and a shortage of opportunity. Once they were given a chance, they racked up awards and decorations at a rapid pace along with an incredible record of protecting U.S. bombers.
In Red Tails, Col. Bullard (Howard) and Maj. Stance (Gooding) lead the way for a very one-dimensional group of young African-American pilots looking to make an impact on World War II. The only members of the crew who are given any sort of depth are Easy (Parker) - the leader of the squadron with a drinking problem - and Lightning (Oyelowo) - a young, brash pilot with a problem following orders. They do a good job making the most of the little they're given. The rest of the Airmen aren't given the time to look like anything more than cardboard cutouts.
Even with the performances of Nate Parker and David Oyelowo, they're stuck in some head-scratching story arcs. Easy spends the course of the movie dealing with alcoholism, but nothing about him or his circumstance is changed when he's been drinking and when he hasn't. I think the screenwriters just wanted him to have a flaw and alcoholism was the easiest problem to give him. Lightning finds himself involved in what is maybe the lamest romance in the history of war films. He sees a young Italian woman (Ruah) while flying and it's love at first sight. They do not speak the same language or make any mention of the problems an interracial couple would face in the 1940s. In fact, they barely share any screen time together except for a few very brief, randomly placed scenes.
As Red Tails trudges along, the scenes become more brief and feel more randomly placed. It is clear that Anthony Hemingway has based his career off directing television and this is his first foray into feature film. Having such a slapdash collection of scenes may be more forgivable for a single television episode, but it doesn't work on film. I must also point out that the opening credits make the film look like it was edited using Windows Live Movie Maker. An even bigger issue is the extremely abrupt shifts from scene to scene. One moment, an Airman is trying to escape from a Nazi prison - a storyline that is given as little attention and detail as possible - and literally in the middle of the escape, the shot dissolves to another Airman at base camp playing his guitar.
From the transitions to the big, expensive battle scenes, nothing in Red Tails really flows together. During the actual flight scenes, it never feels that anyone is actually flying together. We cut from plane to plane as each pilot reads their overly-rehearsed line either telling us exactly what is happening or offering an inspiring phrase like, "Damn!" or "C'mon Now!" There is also never a feeling of danger in any of the battle scenes. When the Airmen are flying into a convoy of dozens of Nazi aircraft, they quickly engage a couple and the rest just disappear. None of these scenes feels much different than the one before it, and they all feature the same sneering, generic, evil Nazi at the helm (Doerr). This no-named bad guy serves as a main villain, if there is one, but never has anything more to say than, "My God! Those are African pilots!" And it took George Lucas twenty years to find the screenwriter he wanted. The Airmen may as well have been fighting drones.
Note: Due to the film's advertising campaign, I've heard many people refer to Red Tails as "that World War II dubstep movie". There is no dubstep music in the film. In fact, all of the action scenes have no musical accompaniment. Given the demographic most likely to enjoy this movie (teenage males), they may as well have thrown some in underneath the explosions.
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The 411: Red Tails has a terrific subject matter and a fine enough cast, but director Anthony Hemingway shows absolutely no ability to put any of it together. The film dashes from scene to scene with a one-dimensional script and little formidable narrative until finally running out of gas. Even with the flat dialogue, the action scenes fall even flatter and it never feels like there's actually a war going on. All Red Tails has going for it are good intentions. And, as Ned Flanders told Homer Simpson, my family and I can't live in good intentions.
I have not seen the movie and based on the preview and this review I will probably not. The thing is with the supposed racial problems of distribution is that a fine version of this movie has been made. The blacks are the heroes and the whites the racists. See the original version..maybe late 80's and you will get the story and enjoy the movie.
Posted By: NorTheGreat (Guest) on January 21, 2012 at 12:12 PM
I knew this was a turd from the first time I saw it.
Posted By: DC (Guest) on January 21, 2012 at 01:54 PM
An early frontrunner for the Worst Film of 2012. Especially with George Lucas at the helm.
Posted By: Guest#5106 (Guest) on January 21, 2012 at 05:03 PM
From the trailer and clips, I would rather watch a movie about plants vs zombies. At least something fun happens and exciting because zombies have personality, as well as plants.
Posted By: Guest#0542 (Guest) on January 21, 2012 at 07:15 PM
This movie has looked bad in EVERY preview, can't say this review is shocking. I'd say Lucas should stick to Star Wars, but look at what he did with the second trilogy(which I still liked, but really, come on, Jar Jar and young Anakin....REALLY????).
Posted By: Guest#2808 (Guest) on January 21, 2012 at 07:26 PM
George Lucas isn't at the helm.
Posted By: Guest#3151 (Guest) on January 21, 2012 at 08:26 PM
"If that's the case, how does Tyler Perry make a killing at the box office twice a year?"
Tyler Perry just recycles most of his scripts, switch a few characters around, and calls it a different movie, movies that tend to fend into every stereotype possible.
To add on to that, Lucas tried to make a movie with an all black cast that still tries to appeal to a broad audience, and with everything that tries to be broad, appealing, and "accepting", it tends to get watered down. Just look at what happens to mainstream artists after they finally break through.
I haven't seen Red Tails, but I plan on it just so I can have a fair judgment of it. The original version that had Laurence Fishburne in it was fantastic though. Gritty, raw, and no sugarcoating.
I know that was a bit long, but I just had to say that.
Posted By: SS87 (Guest) on January 22, 2012 at 12:35 AM
That many years, and an early year dump. Nice
Posted By: early year dump (Guest) on January 22, 2012 at 02:14 PM
The pacing was a little off and the sound effects drowned out the dialog a little bit, but over all my wife and I enjoyed this movie. It wasn't a masterpiece by any means but it was not nearly as bad as this review makes it out to be.
Posted By: Guest#1177 (Guest) on January 22, 2012 at 09:04 PM
"The film dashes from scene to scene with a one-dimensional script and little formidable narrative until finally running out of gas. Even with the flat dialogue..."
That sounds EXACTLY like a film that's been written and produced by George Lucas. But unlike the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies, the film didn't have a brilliant director to save it.
Posted By: Had to be said (Guest) on January 23, 2012 at 12:08 AM
The reviewers didnt like it but the audience did. There were issues with dialouge and abrupt endings to scenes, but you do care about the characters and the action was great.
Posted By: Not Bad (Guest) on January 23, 2012 at 12:34 PM
yes. Tyler Perry's TWO films with a black cast as MAIN characters shows that all is equal in holly wood especially compared to the i don't know literally thousands movies and tv shows with either an all white cast or with whites as the main characters.
Posted By: FredHampton (Guest) on January 23, 2012 at 09:49 PM
"yes. Tyler Perry's TWO films with a black cast as MAIN characters shows that all is equal in holly wood - Posted By: FredHampton (Guest)
Uhh, Tyler Perry has 18 movies with all black casts. He had three in 2010 alone.
Posted By: Shawn S Lealos (Registered) on January 27, 2012 at 01:04 AM
I did not like this film. It was way to corny. Go see the Off-Broadway play Black Angels Over Tuskegee written by Layon Gray.You will see a true depiction of the Airmen lives in Tuskegee and before they got there. I saw it 4 times! You will not be disappointed.
Posted By: Ronna Davis (Guest) on February 01, 2012 at 02:57 PM
I thought the original with LFishburne had a better script and a better director. Red Tails just has better FX.
Posted By: TheR (Guest) on February 02, 2012 at 03:34 AM
Agree, the 1995 TV Movie Tuskeegee Airmen was much better, you actually cared about the characters...
Posted By: dweeby (Guest) on February 13, 2012 at 12:20 AM
"George Lucas has indicated while promoting Red Tails that there was a long delay in production because no studio wanted to market a film with an "all-black" cast. If that's the case, how does Tyler Perry make a killing at the box office twice a year?"
As Lucas himself explained in interviews, it's because Perry's all very cheaply made and therefore when his small devoted audience turns out to see them, the film easily makes its money back and then some. Look him up on Boxofficemojo.com, and check the budgets. He tends to spend around $20 million, and then makes $40-$60 million. That is, indeed, a "killing", but it's not enough to convince many in Hollywood to spend big money on other films with mostly-Black casts. Red Tails cost $58 million just to make. That was still a big risk.
Posted By: Chace Thibodeaux (Guest) on February 23, 2012 at 11:32 PM
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