Weak Script Almost Grounds ~{!0~}Flyboys~{!1~}
by Homer Yen
(c) 2006
I can always appreciate the level of ambition that it takes to bring a film like ~{!0~}Flyboys" to the big screen. It is about a group of World War I fighter pilots, some brave and some foolish, who were the pioneers of a new type of warfare. It has as its backdrop a pivotal point in history when the tides of war were swayed by the derring-do of a few individuals. And it heightens our appreciation for something that we generally take for granted today~{!-~}the airplane.
Mostly, however, my soft spot for this film lies not with the final product but with the entrepreneurial spirit needed to bring this to life. ~{!0~}Flyboys~{!1~} took over two years to bring to the theatres, it has an $85 million production that has the trappings of a summer blockbuster, and it is likely one of the most costly and elaborate independent films ever made. When giants like Wal-Mart come into town, I~{!/~}m the kind of guy that likes to support the boutique stores. So despite its many weaknesses, I hope that you~{!/~}ll support the little guys like these.
The story focuses on the legendary Lafayette Escadrille, the first American fighter-pilot squadron to see action in World War I in the skies over France. A band of motley characters come here for many reasons. The central character is Blaine Rawlings (James Franco), a guy in trouble with the law back in the US who comes over to try something new. There are also others including the underachieving heir to a great fortune, an African-American boxer who can never escape racial prejudice, and a brooding squadron leader who seems to have a death wish when he~{!/~}s not yearning for revenge against a few select enemies. ~{!0~}Did you know that the pilot's life expectancy is three to six weeks?" he asks. He~{!/~}s not exactly a morale officer.
Imagine some of the expert training that the pilots are getting. One edict is that if your front machine gun jams, use a hammer to nudge it back into proper operation. Another edict is that you should carry a pistol. It~{!/~}s not that you~{!/~}ll get much chance in the air to shoot someone, but if your bi-plane becomes engulfed in flame and the pain of burning up is too intense, the pistol could be an easy pain-killer. Also, if you are to crash-land, remove your goggles first. After all, you don~{!/~}t want pieces of glass shattering into your eyeball. Surgical methods on the battlefield seemed somewhat barbaric. Hmmmm...I~{!/~}m starting to like the idea of getting the pistol.
The storylines that evolve are only given minimal treatment. Even the ground warfare is largely unexplored and any brutalities have been injected with large doses of saccharine. But the aerial battles are fairly stirring. Watching these boys fly, you start to grow an immediate appreciation for their commitment and sacrifice. There are no seatbelts to hold you in when the plane rolls upside down; there are no oxygen tanks to prevent hypoxia as pilots routinely ascend to 15,000 feet; and the airplane engines would just spit out the oil so the pilot was covered in flammable liquids.
It~{!/~}s interesting at times. Yet, to be sure, the end result won~{!/~}t provide the proud sense of patriotism you~{!/~}ll get from film like ~{!0~}Flags of our Fathers~{!1~}. And, it~{!/~}s not even the cotton-candy soap opera that was ~{!0~}Pearl Harbor~{!1~}. Will it be able to find an audience and a happy ending? A better parallel question to ask is whether the hotshot fighter pilot will wind up with the cute French girl in this war-torn country. If you know the answer to this latter question, you~{!/~}ll have your answer to the first one.
Grade: C+
S: 1 out of 3 L: 0 out of 3 V: 2 out of 3
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