2.5 Stars (out of four)
Red Tails tells the story about a squadron of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first black fighter pilots in World War II. We follow the exploits of one unit and the trials and tribulations they must face and overcome to become one of the most highly decorated units in WWII.
I want to preface this review with the fact there is nothing particularly wrong with this film. It is perfectly acceptable, white-bread entertainment. A spectacle for those who want their "message film" to not challenge them too much or actually make them think. I don't think anyone is to really blame (outside of the screenwriter), but I don't even suspect him. I hate to keep jumping on this bandwagon, but I blame George Lucas. And I really hate to do that because this is the man primarily responsible for many of my happy childhood memories. This was the man who made Star Wars, after all, and I will be forever grateful for that. But he is ALSO the man who singlehandedly tore apart all those happy memories for so many years with those awful, misbegotten prequels. "And THAT," to quote Marlon Brando in The Godfather, "I cannot forgive.". Red Letter Media, in its excellent 70-minute review (go to YouTube) of The Phantom Menace, made this salient point about the script Lucas penned. They said its as if he did it in one draft and no one had the guts to tell him it made no sense. At this point, who's going to argue with George? And I think Red Tails has his fingerprints all over it.
As the Executive Producer, he would have final say on all aspects of production, and he is famous for inserting himself at all levels. While Lucas is an excellent producer and at least a competent director, he is a horrible writer. He's a little like Spock, he has no discernible emotions and cannot communicate any emotion in his writing. When you look at the Star Wars Prequels and now Red Tails, everything seems to be geared to get us to the new, computer-generated action sequence. And while, at times, they can be thrilling, they are not emotional. You cannot connect with any of the characters to ground you into the story and give you an emotional stake into that you care what happens to them. This is crucial for effective storytelling. Again, Red Letter Media suggested this test for characters: Without describing the actor, what they do, what they look like or what they wear, describe any character as if explaining them to someone who has never seen the movie. The more adjectives and descriptions you can come up with, the better the character. Try it for a minute. Describe Han Solo and then Qwi Gon Jinn. Leia Organa or Padme Amidala. Go ahead, I'll wait.
See what I mean? Red Tails has the same problem. First, there is no protagonist, no main character to anchor our viewpoint. Second, while there are some lame attempts to develop character (one falls in love with an Italian, one drinks, one's the stereotypical newbie), the attempts feel hollow and ungenuine, if there is such a word. While watching the movie, I felt neither elation at their victories, sadness at their losses, anger at the racism and injustice they were subjected to, or satisfaction as they rightfully earn the respect of their fellow, white aviators. I feel I am watching events unfold in a cold, calculated and clinical way. It feels almost as if I was reading an encyclopedia. This is not the actors' fault. They do the best with what they have been given. There is not a bad one in the bunch, with Terrence Howard and Nate Parker being particular standouts. Third, the film is too "clean.". There is no dirt to be seen anywhere, from the muddy airbase, to the battle damaged airplanes, to the racist remarks by the white officers. There is no ugliness in anything. This is not cheery subject material. It is about war and conflict, both on a grand scale and a personal and interpersonal scale, yet oddly devoid of any drama. The real story of the Tuskegee Airmen is one of great sacrifice and indignity to ultimately win honor and respect. This has none of that. The film does not touch on their formation, training or any of the real life drama surrounding these brave men. It merely plunks us down in the middle of the action and ends abruptly. They are mannequins rehearsing canned dialogue to a predetermined end, making sure to hit every stale, moth-eaten cliche on the way down.
As I said, it is not bad, it just isn't that good, and the subjects deserved far better than that.
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