a5c7b9f00b A crew of African American pilots in the Tuskegee training program, having faced segregation while kept mostly on the ground during World War II, are called into duty under the guidance of Col. A.J. Bullard. Italy, 1944. As the war takes its toll on Allied forces in Europe, a squadron of black pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen are finally given the chance to prove themselves in the sky - even as they battle discrimination on the ground. It's a tribute to the unsung heroes who rose above extraordinary challenges and ultimately soared into history. Disappointing! From all of the hype, (especially with George Lucas as Executive Producer. I expected a much better movie.)<br/><br/>This movie barely dealt with the pilots but rather dealt with a love story that had nothing to do with the whole movie! WTF is going on! If you are interested in a better movie, there are not a lot dealing with the black pilots of WWII but I have a suggestion at the end.<br/><br/>I almost feel bad for Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard. This movie should have been a stepping stone to greater things. Unfortunately, the stone was actually a lily-pad. <br/><br/>For a better movie watch "The Tuskgee Airmen" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114745/combined Oh, George. Why do you insist on upsetting all of us? You ruined Star Wars with that dreaded prequel trilogy, starring the worst character since Howard the Duck, Jar Jar Binks. You even produced that terrible Star Wars: The Clone Wars film, although the TV show is a lot better. This was a film that looked as if nothing could go wrong. The trailers showed U.S. bombers being shot down, the Germans appearing victorious, then the African-American pilots of the Tuskegee Airmen/Red Tails go in and save the day in the face of adversity from the Germans and the Americans. It looked great, right? Well, everything that was shown in the trailers were the best parts of the film. Nothing else worked! Nothing!<br/><br/>Every actor in this film is a blatant stereotype! You've got the leader who drinks to try and feel better about himself, we've got the hotshot wannabe ace who loves to look at Italian women, you have a guy with a bulging lip who plays on a banjo, you've got the pilot who wishes to prove himself in a fight, and you've got the whiny mechanic who complains that his planes don't make it home in one piece. Every line of dialog is corny. "Let's go get 'im boys!" "Oh great, we're gonna die!" "Those pilots are black!" That's what you're in for with the dialog. Oh, and do you know that there's a love story in this film. I hate it when these love stories are forced into war films! Pearl Harbor and Flyboys are testament to that! The trailers for this film fooled me into thinking there was no love story, but there was. That alone killed the movie for me.<br/><br/>Also, the special effects are pretty weak, considering the fact that Lucas' Industrial Lights and Magic was behind the special effects for the film. The planes on the ground look cool, but the bomber formations look like the same three planes copied over and over; the German aircraft all get shot down the same way: the engine catches fire, the wing breaks off, and the plane spins out of control into the ground. The last fight scene alone with the Me262 jet fighters was poorly done. I couldn't believe that such a great premise could be destroyed by bad acting, a terrible story, and sub-par special effects. <br/><br/>The only good thing I can say about this mess of a film is that Cuba Gooding Jr. finally made his return to the big screen after a five year absence. Terrence Howard was wasted here, but his presence made the corny scenes he was in slightly more tolerable. Overall, this is a terrible, terrible film that fooled me into believing that it was going to be the next World War II masterpiece. Nope, Lucas fooled us again; I'd rather watch Flyboys again. I'd rather watch Pearl Harbor again, and I hated that film! This film bombed at the box office, so sequels probably won't be made (THANK YOU!) George Lucas, you can make good films, but try harder next time. Another Star Wars trilogy would be nice; maybe the Old Republic? Shame on you for this travesty that you thought was a film!<br/><br/>Final Verdict: 2/10 Perhaps the movie's most surprising feat? Somehow, the darned thing mostly works, probably because its heart is in the right place. The movie is inspired by the real-life adventures of the first African-American combat unit to serve in World War II.