I just returned from seeing the "Flyboys"

R.Murphy · 22 September 2006, 05:15 PM

I liked the movie, I found it entertaining. I would watch it again, but I do wish they would have mixed in other German planes. I love the Tri-Plane but way to many in this movie.

Over all I give it 7 out of 10.

Regards,
RM

David_Layton · 22 September 2006, 08:03 PM

Fun Flick. The Triplanes were out of time sequence. The Halberstadt D.II and the Albatros D.II/III would have been the proper fighters.

StephenLawson · 22 September 2006, 08:44 PM

I just returned from seeing it again. Thats right second time today. My 16 year old son went with me this time. We give it four thumbs way up.

buzz1941 · 22 September 2006, 09:25 PM

I notice that activity in general on TheAerodrome has slowed to a trickle today. I wonder where everybody is?

wilhelm · 22 September 2006, 10:17 PM

too much CGI not enough actual flying, but maybe the next wwI flick will out do this one. Overall good job 6 out of ten.

StrutterGunner · 22 September 2006, 10:26 PM

I just got back from seeing Flyboys as well. I found it to be very entertaining, and although the all-red triplanes, aircraft from wrong time periods and other such things made me wince, they could be overlooked. Great flying scenes, I was surprised at how much the Sopwith Strutter was used onscreen. I also was surprised though at the attendance at the theatre I went to. It might have been the time, (10:10 showing) but there was only 10 people in the theatre, and this was SilverCity Yorkdale. Hope this wasnt true for most theatres. Go see Flyboys, help build up that weekend gross so we can see some more WW1 flying movies.

P.S. Anyone else think of the lifeboat machine-gunning scene from U-571 when the Black Falcon gunned down buddy waving from the ground?

Bluedevil · 23 September 2006, 03:31 AM

Checked out the Belgian theatres to see when I could expect it to be scheduled...no sign what so ever of Flyboys

.

At the moment it looks like I'll have to wait for the DVD....grmbl

josef scott · 23 September 2006, 03:39 AM

I made it to the late show tonight. The historical licence with aircraft chronology has been discussed endlessly here, but you know, it didn't bother me a bit. The flight scenes were THRILLING, CG additions or not. Straight to the top of the genre. I didn't get any sense of it just being clunky old-fashioned airplanes. I think they really got the sense of danger right.

The story was, well, very "Hollywood". Standard buddy-movie stuff. Disparate characters come together, overcome personal hurdles/conflicts, coalesce into effective unit. Could've strayed from the formula a bit more, but again, nothing that prevented me from enjoying the movie. The romantic scenes worked just fine.

The only real carps I have are the over-bearing score (WAY over-the-top) and the very final scene which just didn't wrap it up for me. Too much saluting and flying off into the sunset. Oh, and French peasant refugees toddling off to England...huh?

That being said, I can't wait to take my son with me to see it again next week! And buy the DVD to watch those combat scenes again...and again...and...

Yankeedog · 23 September 2006, 04:30 AM

I haven't seen the movie yet, but we did get to meet two of the actors at the Kansas City Airshow last weekend at Wheeler Field. It was a great airshow with lots to see and do.

We were in Kansas City as special guests of the 13th Bomb Squadron Association at their reunion. As part of the reunion, we visited Whiteman AFB for a tour and attended a luncheon with the Devil's Own Grim Reapers of the 13th Bomb Squadron. The 13th has come a long way from it's French SPAD's in WWI to the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber. We got to meet Lt Col Bill Eldridge and his pilots, including Capt Jenn Jeffords (a Flygirl). There were Grim Reapers, old and new from WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and GWOT! We also got to spend some time with Lt Col Paul W. Tibbits IV a former Grim Reaper and now commander of the 393d Bomb Squadron, the same squadron his famous grandfather commanded during WWII.

Somebody should do a movie about the 13th, the most highly decorated Squadron in the history of the USAF! FEAR THE REAPERS!
-Don Henderson

FlyXwire · 23 September 2006, 05:34 AM

Saw Flyboys with my wife last night, and enjoyed the fact that she liked it too (and she usually never cares much for the "war movies" I drag her to).

To me Flyboys is a different movie than what I was expecting, it seems more like an adventure film reminiscent of the early aviation classics, rather than a grinding military shocker. Of course there are moments of high-drama and tragic loss, but the movie also manages to be upbeat (and dare I say fun).

I wasn't distracted at all by the all-red Fokkers, they're the film's ever-present adversaries......(the deadly enemy from above). If anything, the exciting dogfights help balance-out the relaxed atmosphere on the ground, as the budding volunteers try to train for the killing they're inevitably unprepared for.

I think Flyboys is like a golden-age adventure film rendered possible through today's technology.......and we're also planning on seeing it again this weekend (got a winner here that can be shared).