ÿþ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=EmulateIE7" /> <meta name="keywords" content="movie review, movie reviews, dvd reviews, blu-ray reviews, recent movie grades" /> <title>True View Reviews</title> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="../../tvr.ico" type="image/x-icon" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../cssnew/index.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../cssnew/review_list.css" /> </head> <body> <!-- The wrapper division encloses the whole page --> <div class="wrapper"> <a name="top" /> <!-- The header division encloses the page header --> <div class="header"> <a href="../../index.htm"> <img alt="TVRBanner" src="../../graphics/TVRBanner.png" class="trueviewlogo" /> </a> </div> <!-- The content division includes the posters new items, annoucements, copy right & certification areas of the page --> <div class="content"> <div class="moviedata"> <div id="rightpane"> <div class="moviename"> RED TAILS </div> <div class="releasedata"> <a class="releasedata1">Release Date: </a><a class="moviedataitalic">Friday, January 20, 2012</a> <a class="releasedata2">Runtime: </a><a class="moviedataitalic">2 Hour(s), 0 Minutes</a> </div> <div class="genre"> <a class="releasedata1">Genre: </a><a class="moviedataitalic">Action, Adventure, Drama</a> </div> <div class="rating"> <a class="releasedata1">MPAA Rating: </a><a class="moviedataitalic">PG-13</a><a class="moviedataitalic2"> </a> </div> <div class="director"> <a class="moviedirector">DIRECTOR(S): </a><a class="moviedataname"> Anthony Hemingway</a> </div> <div class="actor"> <a class="moviecast">CAST: </a><a class="moviedataname">Cuba Gooding Jr., Gerald McRaney, David Oyelowo, Terrence Howard</a> </div> </div> <div id="leftpane"> <img src="../../posters/2012/redtails01-20-12.jpg" alt="RED TAILS" class="posterimage" /> </div> </div> <div class="what"> <div class="reviewers"> <div class="reviewer1"> <div class="review_link"> <a href="#A"> <img alt="Laurie" src="../../graphics/TVRIconSm.png" class="review_graphic" /></a> <a class="grade1">D+/C-</a> </div> </div> <div class="reviewer2"> <div class="review_link"> <a href="#B"> <img alt="Renee'" src="../../graphics/RRRIconSm.png" class="review_graphic" /></a> <!--<a class="grade1">5</a><br /> <a id="A1">Out of Five Reels</a>--> </div> </div> <div class="reviewer3"> <div class="review_link"> <a href="#C"> <img alt="Liz" src="../../graphics/LizSmIcon.png" class="review_graphic" /></a> <a class="grade2">B-</a> </div> </div> <div class="reviewer4"> <div class="review_link"> <a href="#D"> <img alt="Mark" src="../../graphics/directorchairsm.png" class="review_graphic" /></a> <a class="grade1">2</a><br /> <a id="A3">Out of Four Stars</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="click"> Click on Icon to read individual reviews </div> </div> <div class="reviewpane"> <a name="A" /> <p class="h1"> LAURIE COKER'S REVIEW<br /> RATING: D+/C-</p> <p>  George Lucas has lost his mojo, a friend of my said to me the night before the screening of Lucas newest film  Red Tails, and I pretty much laughed it off thinking about early Lucas with Stars Wars, Indiana Jones and such, but my mind slipped back to his annoying character Jar Jar Binks of  Star Wars and the last Indian Jones film, and I wondered if I should agree. Still, I went to the screening of  Red Tails with an open mind and sadly, I believe, based on his last few and especially  Red Tails, my friend might just be correct about ol George.<br /><br /> Based on the World War II all Black battalion of ace pilots, the experimental Tuskegee Airmen,  Red Tails follows the plight of these men against racism and bias, far before King  had a dream. Mainly these men, all excellent pilots, patrol the skies a hundred miles or more away from any real action, taking out a stray German truck or enemy train, a menial job in terms of war. Considered less pilots and men of lesser intelligence, who are given outdated and aged planes and equipment, they sit on the edge of being closed down and shipped home, but then, they are given the ultimate chance to show their courage and talent.<br /><br /> From this point on and actually, from the onset, Lucas film is as transparent and hokey as any I have seen in sometime. Riddled with clichés and stereotypes, the film flounders on terribly written dialogue and cartoonish characters. Lead, at the base, by Major Emanuelle Stance (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and championed back at the Pentagon, by Colonel A.J. Bullard (Terrance Howard), the men face the challenges afforded them head on. Problem is, their challenges, as fleshed out by Lucas and crew, seem weak and superficial and the characters appear trite and silly.<br /><br /> I contend that Lucas had opportunity for a film with the same flair and flash as  Top Gun, but the problem is  Red Tail is far too much like  Top Gun but without the any of the creativity, passion, panache and power. It is almost as if he stole every cliché from every airmen film ever, but none of the intensity or excitement. It is all just too trite and superficial. Subplots, most centering around Joe 'Lightning' Little (David Oyelowo) and Marty 'Easy' Julian (Nate Parker) play out predictably and not to be repetitive, in extremely corny ways. Boy meets girl (in this case a pretty Italian one named Sofia (Daniela Ruah), boy falls in love, boy hangs picture of girl in cockpit and well, I won t spoil it. We have one hotshot pilot going toe-to-toe with his best friend (the squadron leader) who drinks a little too much. And of course, we get the mandatory racial confrontations, but with about as much impact and strength as a piece of white bread in water.<br /><br /> The Tuskegee Airmen deserve a great movie, and Lucas doesn t deliver one. If his intent is to draw a wider audience, including kids, then he fails to entertain the parents who must attend with them. My grandson saw the trailers and voiced his desire to see  Red Tails, but he doesn t attend screenings on school nights. I told him that if I thought the film was good, I would take him to see it. But his parents are going to have to step up on this one. He may very well like the film far more than I, but I cannot sit though it twice. The screening began just after seven and went on mercilessly until after nine. Even had the film been better, two plus hours is just too long.<br /><br /> It is all just so watered down and disinteresting. Visually, however, the film is stunning. Lucas still does that well  vivid colors, exciting dog fights and gorgeous panoramics, but even with that said, the print I saw had the center sound reel missing and the picture stayed slightly blurred throughout. As first I thought it was just me, but I took off my glasses, cleaned them, rubbed my eyes and still, blurry. Later I heard several people complaining about the clarity and sound as we departed the theatre and I felt relief - no problems here with my eyes or ears.<br /><br /> And I know my taste isn t off either. I found Lucas film laughable and not in any good way. It runs far too long and is completely and utterly H-O-K-E-Y in the truest sense of the word. I am placing a D+/C-, and not lower because I think his cast and subjects deserve better.<br /><br /> </p> <br /> <p class="byline">Laurie Coker, True View Reviews</p> <a href="#top" class="backtotop">(Top)</a> </div> <!--<div class="reviewpane"> <a name="B" /> <p class="h1"> RENEE' COLLINS' REVIEW<br /> RATING: 5 (Out of 5 Reels)</p> <p> <br /><br /> </p> <br /> <p class="byline"> Renee' Collins, Renee's Reel Reviews</p> <a href="#top" class="backtotop">(Top)</a> </div>--> <div class="reviewpane"> <a name="C" /> <p class="h1"> ELIZABETH LOPEZ' REVIEW<br /> RATING: B-</p> <p> The World War II history of the Tuskegee Airmen began with 13 African American cadets selected for a combat pilot experiment at the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, AL. To say the least, it was fraught with fierce discrimination, claiming the men were lacking in intelligence and aptitude.<br /><br />  Red Tails is an action adventure film Executive Produced by George Lucas, who inspired by the first all-African American aerial combat unit to serve in World War II, developed a story for 23 years. The Tuskegee Airmen earned 96 Distinguished Unit Citations and as individual pilots earned several Silver Stars, Purple Hearts and hundreds of other awards and medals. The P-51 Mustang planes were painted with distinct red tails and came to be feared by the enemies and respected by allies. Lucas vision to tell the story of skilled and brave young men in an action-packed film is achieved with direct input from the surviving Tuskegee Airmen and detailed production values, visual effects and sound.<br /><br /> Anthony Hemingway directs the script written by Aaron McGruder (Boondocks) and John Ridley (U-Turn, Three Kings, Undercover Brother), who is nephew to a Tuskegee Airman and his father served in the Air Force during WWII. After a review of the many available scripts on the subject over the years, George Lucas team selected to tell the story of the 332nd Fighter Group based out of Ramitelli Airfield in Italy in 1944, as well as some scenes of the Pentagon drama.<br /><br /> McGruder stated,  I wanted to combine the historic story with the fun, action-adventure vibe that you expect from a George Lucas-produced film. It has a comic book-feel that only he could bring to a film. Before this, we didn t have our John Wayne, but we now have that kind of larger-than-life treatment, and the Tuskegee Airmen deserve it. <br /><br /> The film does provide a great slice of history of the many stories that can be told of the Tuskegee Airmen and does so with many action-packed scenes as if the viewer is in the cockpit with the pilots. There are many dramatic scenes due to the nature of the airmen s experience, but McGruder is correct though, some scenes do have the  comic book-feel, especially scenes by the  Pretty Boy German pilot (Lars van Riesen) when he screams his lines in flight. This brings some levity to the film that is not weighed down in the obvious negativity surrounding the World War II  experiment. <br /><br /> The talented ensemble cast includes Oscar® winner Cuba Gooding Jr. as Major Emmanuel Stance, Oscar nominated Terrence Howard as Colonel A.J. Bullard, David Oyelowo as Joe  Lightning Little and Nate Parker as squadron leader, Marty  Easy Julian. Additional cast members include Andre Royo as Coffee, the squadron s crew chief; Elijah Kelley, played Samuel  Joker George, Ne-Yo is Smokey; Michael B. Jordan is Maurice Wilson, Clifford Smith (Method Man) is Sticks (as Cliff Smith) and Tristan Wilds is Ray 'Junior' Gannon, among the Tuskegee Airmen. Terrence Howard is my favorite and delivers his lines very well as a leader. The cast works well together as a unit with only an occasional performance that looked a little bit over acted during tense scenes in flight.<br /><br /> Not to be overlooked is beautiful Daniela Ruah, a U. S. born actress descendant of Portuguese family, who performs as Sofia, the Italian love interest of  Lightening Little; Bryan Cranston as Colonel William Mortamus; Gerald McRaney as Major General Luntz and others who brought authenticity to their roles as characters during WWII.<br /><br /> The film has a good balance of drama and humor to keep the viewer engaged in the action. Lucas should be commended for his perseverance to tell this real life story in an engaging way that will appeal to young viewers. We all need reminders of people who have excelled in history from time to time, but most especially, this information is vital to all the young people in the world who may not have a history book available to them with accurate reference to some of the heroes in the world. Lucas gets it.<br /><br /> </p> <br /> <p class="byline"> Elizabeth Lopez, Cine y Mas</p> <a href="#top" class="backtotop">(Top)</a> </div> <div class="reviewpane"> <a name="D" /> <p class="h1"> MARK SALDANA'S REVIEW<br /> RATING: 2 (Out of 4 Stars)</p> <p> For over twenty years George Lucas and his company Lucasfilm have been developing a feature film about the Tuskegee airmen, a unit of African-American pilots who served in World War II. Lucas, who has always been a fan of the old movie serials and comic books, drew from these usual inspirations to give RED TAILS his signature style. After all, these are the same inspirations which produced the STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES sagas. For RED TAILS, aside from wanting to honor the work of the Tuskegee service men, Lucas wanted to produce a film which felt like an ACES HIGH comic book brought to life. Unfortunately, though, this style choice makes a poor match and overshadows any honorable intent Lucas had for the Tuskegee airmen.<br /><br /> Written by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder, and directed by Anthony Hemingway (TV s THE WIRE, CSI: NY), RED TAILS obviously is a fictionalized tale meant to celebrate the Tuskegee airmen and the obstacles imposed by racism which they had to overcome so that they could honorably defend their country. Colonel A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard), after much debate and arm twisting at headquarters, scores a couple of important missions for his unit. Dubbed the Red Tails, the airmen all are capable pilots, some even better than the white ones who get the most serious missions. One particular pilot, Joe  Lightning Little (David Oyelowo), has amazing piloting skills, but lives and flies by his own rules. Often angry and acting like he has a death wish, Lightning, despite his skills, may pose a liability rather than an asset to his already ignored and disrespected flight team.<br /><br /> What irritated me most about this movie has to do with the often ludicrous over-the-top portrayals of the characters and the silly writing for them. The main weakness is the script. If Ridley and McGruder had taken more care with these characters, instead of creating cartoonish caricatures, this could have been an awesome film. Unfortunately they chose to make some of these characters buffoonish; playing up racial stereotypes, and really didn t make them feel like real people. It would not surprise me if some of the surviving Tuskegees felt a bit insulted by their portrayal. On the other hand, the film looks good visually. I liked the cinematography and the visual effects, done by Industrial Light and Magic, of course. The dogfight scenes are skillfully created and provide thrills and excitement. This is pretty much the best aspect of the film. However, it isn t enough to salvage the damage done by the poor writing.<br /><br /> It doesn t really help, either that the acting goes over the top a bit too often as well. The best actor in the film is Terrence Howard as Col Bullard. His character seems to be the only one not written as a racial stereotype or cliché. Cuba Gooding, Jr. also appears as Major Emmanuelle Stance, but has very little to do in the movie, except pose with his pipe. I will give some kudos to Nate Parker who portrays Marty  Easy Julian, the squadron leader. In exercising some restraint as this character, he proves that less is more. Other than these actors, though, most of the other cast members play up these clichés and stereotypes and this definitely affects the film s integrity. However, I did enjoy the hilariously over-acting of Lars van Riesen who portrays the German ace pilot, dubbed  Pretty Boy . His scenes had me cracking up.<br /><br /> As a fan of comic books and old movie serials, I can understand where Lucas comes from, but the better comic and serial inspired films take that inspiration and elevate it to new levels. To accomplish this, solid writing is necessary. Sadly, this is what RED TAILS lacks. I would not recommend watching this at the cinema. I think most audiences are much better off if they wait to rent on video. I still have yet to see it, but I really do want to watch the HBO made film titled THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN. I have heard lots of good things about this made-for-television film. I have a feeling that this more serious take honors these brave servicemen in a way they deserve.<br /><br /> </p> <br /> <p class="byline"> Mark Saldana, The Movie Doc</p> <a href="#top" class="backtotop">(Top)</a> </div> <div class="reviewpane"> <div class="footer"> <!-- The certification section displays the W3C certification for the page. --> <div class="cert"> <a href="http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=referer"> <img src="../../graphics/valid-xhtml10.gif" alt="Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional" class="w3c" /></a> <br /> <a href="http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/images/vcss-blue"> <img src="../../graphics/vcss-blue.gif" alt="Valid CSS!" class="w3c" /></a> </div> <!-- The copyright sections include the copyright disclimers at the bottom of the page --> <div class="copyright"> <img alt="copyright1" src="../../graphics/copyright1.png" /> </div> <div class="copyright2"> <img alt="copyright2" src="../../graphics/copyright2.png" /> </div> <div class="copyright3"> <img alt="copyright3" src="../../graphics/copyright3.png" /> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </body> </html>