The Film
How do you like that, Mr. Hitler?
The Tuskegee Airmen have been the subject of films before -- with Cuba Gooding Jr., even. The most notable was probably 1995's The Tuskegee Airmen, an HBO film with the Oscar winner in a supporting role. Of course, it's hard to complain about the legendary crew getting another shot in Hollywood. They are deserving enough that another film wouldn't hurt -- unless that film was Red Tails.
Red Tails is loosely based on the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American pilots during World War II. It's exactly the type of movie you really want to route for. It has amazing subject matter, gorgeous imagery and an insanely talented cast, including Gooding and Terrence Howard. So what the heck went wrong? Sadly, almost everything.
The film packs in too many characters, but doesn't let you get close enough to any of them. That would be fine, too, if the movie wasn't so darn cheesy. The dialogue is bad, some of the acting is bad, and the love story is pointless drivel. Red Tails is best when it takes flight -- literally. The film, however, just never gets off the ground.
If you think this review is harsh, check out Joe Lozito's theatrical review of Red Tails.
The Picture
Gorgeous doesn't even begin to describe the 2.40:1 image on Red Tails. There are a ton of aerial shots in this movie, which alone is worth the purchase price on this Blu-ray. Images are clean, clear and practically pop off the screen. The scenery and clothing are detailed and textured, and the facial features are sharp. The colors are equally breathtaking, too, with blue skies, green fields and fiery crashes. It's all displayed wonderfully here for your eye-popping enjoyment.
The Sound
If the image wasn't enough to sell you on this film, the DTS-HD Master Audio track will. Theatrically, this film was the first to get Barco's Auro-3D 11.1 sound format. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track doesn't quite capture all of that awesomeness, but it certainly puts up one hell of a dogfight. Love or hate Lucas, the guy just doesn't create dull soundtracks. Red Tails is no different, and is an absolute delight. The directionality is unmatched, with planes flying throughout the soundfield, bullets whizzing by, and couch-shaking explosions. Oh yeah, the dialogue sounds very good, too. That said, this one is about the action, which only lets up to squeeze in some of Terence Blanchard's score.
The Extras
Fox delivers a decent amount of extras in this 2-disc set. George Lucas, director Anthony Hemingway, composer Terence Blanchard and the cast all get separate featurettes. There's also something on the visual effects, which is the real star of the film. However, the absolute gem of this set is "Double Victory: The Tuskegee Airmen at War." Narrated by Cuba Gooding Jr., this one-hour doc gives the Tuskegee Airmen their due, with an interesting, thought-provoking presentation that's actually a lot better than the feature film.
Final Thoughts
When Red Tails made its theatrical debut, George Lucas said this was a movie that Hollywood didn't think audiences wanted to see. However, it has nothing to do with race. It's just not a very good movie. The film does have a gorgeous image and an even better soundtrack, which will make it worth watching or even using as a demo from time to time. Otherwise, it just seems like a completely wasted opportunity.
Product Details
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