As a rule I’m not a big fan of war movies. I find them much too depressing. My husband, on the other hand, loves them. He finds most of them uplifting. I guess it is true that opposites attract. Still, I have to admit that I found “Flyboys” absolutely fascinating. I can’t put my finger on any one thing that makes this film special, per se. In reality, it is just a good film with a relatively strong screenplay, good acting, beautiful aerial sequences, stunning photography, and nice direction. But maybe that is enough.
“Flyboys” follows a French regiment of American volunteers that formed a squad called the Lafayette Escadrille. This group of mis-matched, often disillusioned and disillusioning airmen joined in the allied cause of WWI before America officially got involved in the war. This dis-jointed group included a Texas bad boy, an African American boxer, a pampered New York ne’er do well, and a boy with a long list of family warriors to live up to. Separately they travel to France to learn to fly airplanes that had only recently been adapted for use in the war. They know, all the while, that they will eventually face German planes that are bigger, faster, and better equipped. However, each of these hapless young men has something to prove, not so much to others as to themselves.
The film begins with snippets of background information on each of the characters but quickly moves to the action in France. When the men arrive, their French instructor (played by Jean Reno) greets them. They also meet the mysterious and jaded Cassidy (played by Martin Henderson). He is a grizzled, cynical flying ace who often takes off on his own to bring down a few extra Germans in his relentless pursuit of the Black Falcon, the German pilot responsible for the death of so many of the squadron’s pilots. We watch as the men are prepared for their first flight and taught how to fly, shoot, and even unjam their weapons all at the same time. The training is rigorous, albeit primitive by today’s military standards. Still, one by the one each member of the squadron picks up the much-needed skills necessary for him to succeed in the air. Only one pilot, Beagle (played by David Ellison), seems unable, or unwilling, to hit any target. Eventually his instructor just gives up and assigns one of his fellow pilots to teach him. They take off together for target practice but manage instead to crash their plane by running out of gas. They are, of course, rescued but by an unusual lot of French prostitutes. It is here that the Rawlings (played by James Franco) meets Lucien (played by Jennifer Decker), a beautiful young French girl who has lost family because of the Germans and who is saddled with the children of those family members. The remainder of the movie deals primarily with various aerial battles as the men fight to help the French save their country. But one by one, many of the young pilots lose their lives to the heartless German red barons. With each life lost, Cassidy becomes more intent on achieving success and before long he inadvertently inspires Rawlings the same way. Together, these two never say die pilots make a force with which to be reckoned.
The film at its best, is a historical drama – – albeit a loosely told one – – done in a no-nonsense way that is reminiscent of some of the older war movies like “The Dawn Patrol.” The aerial flights and dogfights alone are certainly worth the price of admission. At worst the film tries too hard to build a solid romance between Rawlings and Lucien. This part of the film seems much too forced and simply doesn’t ring true. And while some of the characters are certainly intriguing and larger than life, one can’t help but which that a little more time had been spent in the development of their back-stories. I believe that this would have simply made the film much stronger.
The various characters of this historical squadron were basically good. James Franco as Rawlings is convincing as the former Texas rancher who is angry that his family lost their ranch to the government after being in family hands for more than 85 years. He initially comes to France to escape trouble with the law. With a sizable chip on his shoulder, in the beginning you wonder what this arrogant, cocky young man could possibly have to offer. However, slowly but surely Franco peals back the layers of his character to answer that question.
Abdul Salis as Eugene Skinner, the African American boxer, brings to his character a beautiful balance of anger, frustration, and hope. Although he has spent several years away from his U.S. home, boxing in France where he is treated with less disdain because of his color, he is clearly a patriot who simply wants the chance to do something good even for the country responsible for his ostracism.
Tyler Labine as Briggs Lowery plays the role of the pompous, upper crust aristocrat with a devil may care flare. He comes to France basically to shut up his father who keeps harping that he is doing nothing good with his life (not that his father IS, mind you). But his transformation, as he begins to care for each of his new warrior friends, is both touching and gentle.
Paul Winchester, as Jenson, who comes from a long line of military men that obviously expect him to follow in their footsteps, is mesmerizing in his attempts to overcome his abject fear.
Martin Henderson, as Cassidy, the flyer with a cause celeb is appropriately cynical and driven with a sufficient dose of humbleness and faith hidden deep inside.
Jean Reno as the French leader of the squadron is – – well, Jean Reno. The man is undefinable. He has such a magnetic screen presence that he can take the simplest role and breathe into a complexity and beauty that just can’t be easily described. You simply must see it to believe it.
While, as I said, the screenplay is solid. It could have been much, much more with a little more attention to character development. While it is true that many of the characters are killed off early in the movie, the lack of their background development makes it difficult for the audience to care about what happens to them. In particular, the role of Beagle – – the character who ultimately loses something precious only to find something even more valuable – – could have been so much better. Still, I give props to Blake T. Evans and David S. Ward for telling a basically good story to serve as the backdrop for the incredible real aerial footage combined with computer generated graphics.
Director Tony Bill definitely knows how to tell a war story. He has a real feel for what the audience wants to see in their heroes as is evidenced by his former work directing “Independence Day” and “The Patriot.
Still, one can’t help but think that he tried to cram too much into too short of an amount of time which meant that many of his characters did not receive their just due. And the love story that he attempted to build between Rawlings and Lucien just didn’t work. He would have been better served to keep the focus on his flyboys.
All in all, this is a pretty good film; not a great one, just a good one. It is well watching and if you happen to be a war movie buff, it may be worth you owning as well. I give it three out of five stars primarily for the stunning aerial flights and even more captivating cinema photography.
“Flyboys” comes from Electric Entertainment in conjunction with Skydance Productions and Ingenious Film Partners. It is rated PG-13 for violence.
