Plot
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.
Release Year: 2012
Rating: 5.8/10 (5,080 voted)
Critic's Score: 46/100
Director:
Anthony Hemingway
Stars: Cuba Gooding Jr., Gerald McRaney, David Oyelowo
Storyline 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.
Writers: John Ridley, John Ridley
Cast: Terrence Howard
-
Colonel A.J. Bullard
Nate Parker
-
Marty 'Easy' Julian
Tristan Wilds
-
Ray 'Junior' Gannon
Elijah Kelley
-
Samuel 'Joker' George
Leslie Odom Jr.
-
Declan 'Winky' Hall
Kevin Phillips
-
Leon 'Neon' Edwards
Method Man
-
Sticks
(as Cliff Smith)
Lee Tergesen
-
Colonel Jack Tomilson
Daniela Ruah
-
Sofia
Matthew Marsh
-
Brigadier General Hauser
Barnaby Kay
-
Commanding General Westlake
Josh Dallas
-
Ryan
(as Joshua Dallas)
Michael Lindley
-
Kellison
Okezie Morro
-
Jammer
Aml Ameen
-
Bag 'O Bones
Taglines:
High-Octane Action and Daring Dogfights!
Release Date: 20 January 2012
Filming Locations: Hamilton Air Force Base, Novato, California, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $58,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $18,782,154
(USA)
(22 January 2012)
(2512 Screens)
Gross: $47,885,854
(USA)
(19 February 2012)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
USA:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Cuba Gooding Jr. is not new to the subject of the film. He has previously been in
The Tuskegee Airmen.
Goofs:
Continuity:
In the closing scene when Sofia is walking with her groceries, the wings she is wearing change from the left to the right side.
User Review
This Movie SUCKS!!!!!!
Rating: 1/10
The Tuskegee Airmen deserved better than this tripe! Their story is a
marvelous one but Lucas has ham fisted it into a caricature. I am
extremely disappointed by this film. I hope someday Hollywood will
finally realize that truth is often...... more entertaining than
fiction, particularly when it comes to aviation and history.
These men were HIGHLY educated, technically astute, and physically fit.
The USAAC/USAAF was doing everything in its power to disqualify black
applicants for flying assignments by setting standards for them that
were ridiculously high. The plan backfired, resulting in a Fighter
Group composed of truly exceptional men. Yet NONE of this is conveyed
in "Red Tails". We have an insubordinate hot shot, an alcoholic, a guy
who likes to eat his pipe, and a mush mouth who just tells jokes.
It would have been nice to see a Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, or Clint
Eastwood treatment on the topic. Maybe an interview with fighter ace
Lee Archer and a few other Red Tails, then a flashback to the TRUE
story, not this one dimensional nonsense.
A waste of some talented actors (and, my God, Terrence Howard was
horrendous in this film) and special effects work (although some of the
aerial choreography completely defied the laws of physics). The
dialogue, particularly during the combat scenes is some of the worst
I've ever heard. Also, the German "villain" is nothing like the
Luftwaffe fighter pilots of World War II. These men were, as a whole,
chivalrous and honorable, not to mention highly skilled and served for
love of country, not for the fanatics who ran their government. The
enemy in this film seems more like the Nazi/Hydra bad guy from "Captain
America: The First Avenger" or something. Gag.
The acting is wooden, the writing atrocious, and the scenes disjointed.
There is simply no cogent, coherent narrative here. It is basically a
film about dogfights with shallow "drama" piecing them together. This
film could have been so much better, but alas, George Lucas can't see
the forest for the trees and squanders an opportunity to make a truly
moving, memorable film that honors these men the way they should be
honored.
Final analysis: This movie needs a lot more "Twelve O'Clock High" (a
classic starring Gregory Peck, written by men who actually flew B-17s
over Germany in combat) and a *lot* *less* "Pearl Harbor".
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