Two things we knew about George Lucas before Red Tails: First, nobody else does epic storylines and intense action sequences with spectacular visual effects like he does. Second, when it comes to the brass tacks of filmmaking, he is less skilled, tends to micromanage, and. . . “results may vary.” That’s exactly what this film is– which isn’t to say I didn’t have a great time. This is a better movie than we deserve to see released in January.
Let me start with what I loved. When these pilots are in the air, this has all the fun we expect from Lucas. Even a couple of nods and winks to Star Wars– or should I say a reflection of the nods and winks Lucas included in Star Wars to old combat footage and serials of World War II dogfights. When Lucas went back to 20th Century Fox to ask for more money to complete his only-partially completed Star Wars, he used archival WWII dogfight footage to fill in for unfinished effects shots, so Lucas’s passion for this material and understanding of what makes it fun to watch drips from the screen. Do yourself a favor– if you’re going to see this in a theater, see it in the best theater with the best sound system you possibly can.
And then bring something to entertain yourself when they’re not flying.
There are a couple of major problems with the script, and then some incredibly good things despite those. George Lucas himself said that this movie had enough material for 3 films crammed in here, and it shows. The movie can’t decide what it’s doing, which characters it’s following, and so each is given short shrift and the none of the films many elements is ever fully developed. In its attempt to be everything, it does nothing particularly well. And its 2 hour plus running time feels that way at some points. The plot “twists” are predictable and so it makes it hard for moments that ought to be emotionally riveting to have the impact they deserve. I blame Lucas and the committee rooms full of writers who obviously penned much of this for most of this ham-fistedness.
But there are parts of the script that are good. It’s credited to Aaron Macgruder of The Boondocks fame, and there are moments of fun and genuine laughs in here. One line in particular about using the term “colored” may be my favorite line of dialogue I’ve heard since Alexander Payne’s The Descendants. But The Boondocks is a 3- panel comic strip and a 22-minute cartoon: this script feels like someone pretending to be Aaron Macgruder with extreme ADD who only knows how to write in short form like had to re-write pieces of the script (” target=”_blank”>wackity-schmackity-dooooooooo!)
Another problem is I kept comparing this movie to what it aspired to be. It’s not Glory— hell, it’s not even Remember the Titans in terms of talking about race. In terms of other war movies, this isn’t Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, or even Memphis Belle. The biggest problem? It’s not even the 1995 made-for-tv movie called The Tuskegee Airmen. *sigh*
Let’s look at the cast– in that 1995 made for tv movie I can name and recognize the excellent work of a half dozen of those actors. In Red Tails, our two most recognizable actors, Cuba Gooding Jr (who was also in that made for tv movie. . .and Pearl Harbor, but I digress) and Terence Howard don’t even play the pilots. They play the commanders who are never really in any danger. The pilots are played by people who are largely unknown to mainstream audiences. For example, the brash, hotshot pilot who always saves the day? Daniel Oleyewo, who I only recognized from the BBC spy show “MI-5” and from smaller parts in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and The Help.
The cast just never connected with me– and not just because they were lesser known. Compared to the kids from Attack the Block, another film full of unknowns, most of them black– those kids connected. Same with the kids from Super 8.
But this cast tries their best. Terence Howard seems to realize this movie isn’t working so well, and acts like if he can just act. hard.enough. he can single-handedly save the movie. Valiant effort, Terrence. And then Bryan Cranston shows up for 2 minutes and almost effortlessly gives possibly the best performance of the entire film (although it did seem a bit like he was trying to do a Brian Cox impression– not that there’s anything wrong with that at all).
But then there’s equally bad performances to counterbalance all of that. While the main leads do a good job, some of the side characters (including Ne-Yo? WTF?!?) almost delve into a level of racial stereotype that made me and my white-liberal-guilt-ridden-heart uncomfortable. (more on this later) But in a world post Jar Jar Binks, post Transformers 2 and its Stepin Fetchit robots, post Tropic Thunder and its discussion of Hollywood portrayals of African-Americans, it seemed. . . .overly broad. I wouldn’t say it’s offensive, but it seems at least inartful.
And now I’m going to take it all back– everything negative I said about this movie, let’s put that on a shelf for a minute.
In some ways, this movie wasn’t made for me. And not in the way Twilight wasn’t made for me. And not in the way The Smurfs wasn’t made for me. Not even in the way Tyler Perry movies aren’t made for me. But I missed the emotional resonance that I saw this had with some of the members of the audience I saw this with. Now, about 65% of the theater was filled with African-Americans. About 15% of us were film critics and various Star Wars nerds (mostly white). About 10% boys aged 10-15. And then a smattering of everyone else. As I walked out of the theaters, I heard three very different reactions.
The critics were doing our usual Lucas roast, and pointing out all of the flaws– you see that reflected in both my review and the others around the net. The kids LOVED IT. They didn’t care about the boring stuff– they just love the action. And then as I talked to some of my black audience-members, one of them literally said, “This makes me proud to be black.”
It is quite literally impossible for this movie to connect with me on that level. As much liberal guilt as I have, no matter how much cultural tourism I engage in, and especially after I lived for two years in the hood in the Bronx, I know this: I will never truly know what it is to be black in America.
I wish I felt this strongly about this movie. I wish I said, “This movie makes me proud to be an American.” It should! I am proud to be an American, and I wish I could feel unabashed pride in the accomplishments of the Tuskegee Airmen and claim that heritage as “mine.” And I’m betting most of middle class suburban white America will (unfortunately) feel the same way.
I want to like Red Tails more than I do. But I just don’t. 12 year old me loves it– the same 12 year old me who loves the podracing in Episode I. I hope that it connects with an audience who really loves it. But unfortunately this film doesn’t live up to the amazing true story that inspired it.
2 stars. **