Flyboys (2006)

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

This film tells the story of the first fighter pilots in the history of the USA, when they volunteer to help with the first world war in Europe.If a film is over two hours long, it should at least be good. However, "Flyboys" is rather slow paced, and don't have much story at all. It doesn't excite or engage me. Frankly, I feel bored by it. It shows people flying planes for prolonged periods, and has little character development. I don't care about the characters at all. It can use much tighter editing, put a few more pivotal plot points in, and actually properly introduce the characters. I can't figure out who is who because when the pilots fly, their faces are all covered! I am disappointed by this film. I can't believe that a war film can be boring.

Despite the low rating this movie got, I rented a DVD because I love aerial combat films. I went into this movie not expecting much but was pleasantly surprised throughout the entire film. Yes, it is a bit cliché at certain points but it did not take away much from the overall experience. The characters were decently done for their roles although I did not connect with most of them with the exception of the main character, his love interest, and the African American pilot. The acting was well done although not amazing by any standard. Although I rolled my eyes when the film introduced the romantic interest of the main character, it turned out pretty well. The romantic connection between the two characters was cute due to their language differences. Overall, I would recommend this movie to anyone as it was very entertaining.

I must have seen a different movie than the one lambasted so harshly on this site. I think FLYBOYS is excellent throughout, with nary a false step along the way. Okay, I'll grant that some of the aerial CGI is unconvincing, but the great majority of it adds exciting action - - and who really cares if a physicist might find fault? Staging is brilliant, treating us to plenty of period detail, and the story is taut, with lots of intriguing characters about whom I truly care. I do not find FLYBOYS excessively clichéd. Indeed, the screenwriters (Phil Sears, Blake T. Evans, and David S. Ward) quite often back off from easy stereotypes. If anything, the fine cast UNDERacts, which is a refreshing change from other films in this genre. Particular praise goes to James Franco as Blaine Rawlings, Jean Reno as a believable Captain Georges Thenault, and Jennifer Decker as a sweet French girl named Lucienne. The love bypath within this film demonstrates how sensitive the writers are to avoiding the typical Hollywood gimmick of throwing in a boy-girl relationship that eventually overpowers the essential plot line (PEARL HARBOR, TITANIC). Here, the characters of Blaine and Lucienne are treated honestly, with the respect they deserve, and not flung into the sack after knowing each other for five minutes. I'm sorry that this film was not successful at the box office, for director Tony Bill and his massive crew do a fabulous job of storytelling, and I am proud and unashamed to add it among my favorite war movies of all time. Please ignore the pseudo-intellectual posturing of the professional and amateur critics, and give FLYBOYS a chance. It is wonderful from beginning to end.

Interesting that there's so many negative comments about this film involving accuracy on all levels . The historical adviser is one Jack Livesey , a battle hardened veteran of the British Army who did several tours of Northern Ireland and won the coveted Military Medal during the 1982 Falklands conflict where he served with the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment . You name it Livesey has seen it , done it and written the book about it so it's only fitting the likes of Hollywood should employ a real warrior like Livesey if they're making a nihilistic film about the slaughter of millions and FLYBOYS is the result . The fact that it's a plane crash of a movie is mainly down to Livesey who made headlines of his own five years later when he found himself up in courtAs it transpired Livesey who claimed he was the military adviser on SAVING PRIVATE RYAN , BAND OF BROTHERS and a host of other Hollywood blockbusters was fraudulently claiming incapacity benefit in 2004 . He bigged himself that he was a traumatised war veteran who had seen so much death and destruction on countless battlefields in his military career of over 20 years the judge treated him kindly . The problem was it later came to light his military career was confined to the Catering Corps from the end of 1971 to the start of 1974 when he was discharged under services no longer required . The lies he told in court led to him being charged for perverting the course of justice and in 2011 Livesey was sentenced to three years in jail Watching FLYBOYS the only film that employed Livesey as a historical adviser - and no before you ask SPR and BOB had Dale Dyer as historical adviser not Livesey - you wonder how stupid the producers were to employ him . I'm pretty sure the average schoolboy is better informed about the first world war than anyone who worked on this big budget flop such as the Germans not having spiked helmets or significant amounts of tanks in 1917 It's the laws of physics being continually broken that rankle more than anything . The planes seen here resemble the spaceships seen in STAR WARS rather than the ones seen in WW1 They can fly in a straight dive then suddenly manage to pull out of the dive five feet from the ground . A shell exploding mere inches from the aircraft causes no damage whatsoever and ditto being shot by several hundred bullets Even from a narrative point of view supposedly inspired by true events FLYBOYS gives way to cloying cliché similar to that in PEARL HARBOR . When neutral Americans cross the Atlantic to join democratic Europe in the fight against aggression and shout " Get me in to a goddamn plane . I think world war one has just started " you know what's coming next . Nice to know that FLYBOYS cost $60 million and recouped $13 million at the US box office . Maybe the should have used the accountant as historical adviser and put Jack Livesey in charge of production costs . It would have made for a more realistic and better film