MOVIE REVIEW - Red Tails

It opened to much bigger fanfare than most thought. Red Tails sails into theaters this week. And in many ways this is very refreshing.

Red Tails is based on true events of the famed Tuskegee Airmen from WWII. If you are not really sure who they are, during the war there was an "experiment" of trying to make African American men fighter pilots. The prevailing thought of the era was that they were not smart or brave enough to handle such a task during the war. The Airmen fought powerful enemies during he war, both foreign and domestic. There were plenty in this country against the whole idea.

Of course the Tuskegee Airmen became highly decorated during the war. Even though it took almost moving heaven and earth to get them forward missions, and not fly far behind the war itself. This is their story.

This stars a real nice ensemble cast, that includes Terrence Howard, and Cuba Gooding Jr. This movie for the most part very entertaining with a nice story to tell, and a decent script to back it all up. There are a few too many scenes in this movie with some rather silly dialogue. Plus, maybe a few too many characters. But that's not a deal breaker.

There are plenty of flying action scenes, done well, and it's fun to see some of these vintage aircraft such as B-17 Bombers, and P-40's and P-51 Mustangs. And it's great to see them fly. Some of these are done exceedingly well, and are very encompassing, with great sight and sound. They take you back to 1944 Italy during the war, and for the most part create a good sense of it.

But with that said, there lies within one of the weak links. Outside of the flying scenes, some of this looks like a movie set, and doesn't devour you, and totally transport you back in time. I see the set but I don't smell the gasoline, hear the roar, or totally feel the 1940's.

But one thing that may be the most refreshing is this. In this day and age of Transformers, computer generated aliens, monsters, cartoons, end of the world movies, and Hollywood for the most part portraying America as the worst nation on earth. It's great to see a movie that can fill you with pride. It's great to see these men. Against all odds, loved their country above all else. And even though it's a war that's been over for 67 years, and it is not a modern day story, it makes you feel good without being Top Gun silly. Plus this movie is good for virtually all ages to see, a PG-13 rating is very on target.

Red Tails. Well done. It's not perfect, but so what? A story worth telling, and makes you feel good about your night at the movies.