Flyboys (movie)

Anybody seen this one? I think it is a redo of the 1958 film "Lafayette Escadrille". It has been a long time since we had a WW-1 era aviation film, the last one I recall was "The Blue Max" in 1968. The clip I viewed looked like it had a lot of CGI combat sequences in it- sorta a WW-1 version of the last "Pearl Harbor" flic.

JAK

http://www.mgm.com/flyboys/

I've only seen the previews on TV. You can tell most of this is all CG animation and it's waaaay overdone - like the car crash scenes where they slow it down and you see it explode in a fireball at least 6 times.

I'm debating if I'll go see it or not.

I really did enjoy the Blue Max when it came out. My dad took me. Very nice scenics (I think I read it was filmed in Ireland). Except for a couple of Gypsy Moths in German livery it was pretty authentic - but look at all the WWII movies using T-6's as Zeros.

I was reading an article about this movie in Wall Street Journal. It said they flew actual "authentic" and replica Spads and Fokkers to recreate some of the scenes, and they fit those planes with sensors so that the CGI scenes had to stick to the actual physics that the airplanes are truly capable of. I guess some of the producers behind the movie were actual aviators, and they shopped the movie to the studios for years before it was picked up, and the producer said if it made no money but impressed real pilots, it would all be worth it. He said most pilots watch movies like Top Gun and the like and just roll their eyes. So to put his movie to the test, the first public screening of the movie was in a hangar at Oshkosh, open only to pilots. At the end of the movie they gave it a standing ovation. He said that made it all worth it to him.

I'm going to see it tomorrow night...all the people that fly out of our airport who have seen it, say "it's one of the best aviation movies made." We'll see.

Norm

LAST EDITED ON Oct-04-06 AT 09:04 PM (CST)
 
>I've only seen the previews on TV. You can tell most of
>this is all CG animation and it's waaaay overdone - like the
>car crash scenes where they slow it down and you see it
>explode in a fireball at least 6 times.
>
>I'm debating if I'll go see it or not.
>
>I really did enjoy the Blue Max when it came out. My dad
>took me. Very nice scenics (I think I read it was filmed in
>Ireland). Except for a couple of Gypsy Moths in German
>livery it was pretty authentic - but look at all the WWII
>movies using T-6's as Zeros.

Interesting. My dad (USAF Major then) also took me to see "The Blue Max" when it came out. Small world.
They had Tiger Moths standing in on both sides and it was indeed filmed mostly in Ireland. If you watch "Lawrence of Arabia" (1963) you will see Tiger Moths rebuilt as Rumplers and Fokker D-7s in Turkish service...

Yes, I saw it and was very pleased. Obviously some full scale flying replicas had to be built of some period machines and I didn't think the flying scenes were overdone.
No real spectacular explosions other than what would be possible with
fire finding it's way to the fuel or what might be expected if an ammo dump goes up.
Arcraft appeared authentic with the possible exception of the fact that all German fighters were triplanes.
We had a pretty authentic looking German Gotha, some what I believe were Handly Pages, the Nieuports with what appeared to be one Vickers and a Lewis gun on top wing, the Fokkers with twin Spandaus, the handguns passed out to take the final option if you are going down in flames appeared to be a Webley. Bases looked legit.
The Froggie commandant, trainers etc. looked pretty competent which was surprising.
The love story portion was no big deal and did not detract much from the movie.
Said to be based on a true story and the trailer reflects what supposedly happened to these guys after the war.
I give it 3.5 stars and would definitly see it again.
Jim

My wife and I saw the movie and was entertained. It was pleasant to see a movie without the gratuitous foul language assaulting your intelligence and other not need immoral junk. A good movie to see and walk away with a feel good experience. I will see it again on my home theater. Should be great.

Bob Smiley

One of the producers is (Oracle Software founder) Larry Ellison's 23-year-old son, a highly skilled acrobatic pilot with a hanger full of Sukhois and the like at Santa Monica airport. Not the typical billionaire's son (self-supporting and on a budget earned as an actor), Ellison is an airplane fanatic and did some of the movie flying himself...until the insurers found out and stopped it. The other producers are also plane nuts. The object was to produce the most authentic film possible and avoid computer animation as much as possible, kind of the same ethos as the "Tombstone" western a few years back. Ellison and his dad learned to fly RC models together when son was 12 years old, in a field in Redwood City CA where the Oracle complex now sits.

I saw the movie. Almost all the germans were flying red Fokker Dr1 triplanes and mostly Nieuports 17 for the american side. I don`t remember seeing any Spads,Fokker D7 or Albatross biplanes. I think the Blue Max was better.
Juan

We saw it. A good flick. The story line was believable, no huge amounts of made up history. I also read about the sponsors and their desire to get it right. Other than a bit of overdone CGI on the Fokker Triplanes they did well. The other technical issue was the flames and explosions. They seemed to be a bit overdone, but not having seen a WW I fighter go down in flames what can I say. The zeppelin burning also seemed overdone. They didn't go to the aluminum/iron oxide paint(which caused the Hindenburg to explode) on the skin until after the war.

I rather see AT-6's as phoney Zeros,
Tiger Moth's as Great War fighters,
Spitfires with SuperTigre .74's,

than,,,,,,

Computer-generated cartoons.

Howard Hughes did it right the first time - real airplanes with real pilots (and real Jean Harlow).

BLACK HAWK

I took one of my partners to see the movie, she has limited knowledge about aircraft and enjoys the planes we kit; Fokker DR I, Nieuport 17 and a SE 5a. She loved seeing our planes in flight and was at the edge of her seat during fight scenes. She loved the movie and the planes. I, as an old fart, did as most of you did; look for errors I am sorry to say. As a movie I was entertained and that is what a movie should do. I enjoyed it and I wish I did not know as much about the planes in the movie as I do, I would have enjoyed it more.

"We have met the enemy and he is us!"

Larry

I think Flyboys is a wonderful movie. Extremely well done, highly entertaining, and the best flying sequences I've seen in ages. My granddaughter was equally impressed, and she is not an avid airplane enthusiast.

My wife is recently back from a three week trip, so I get to watch it again with her.

When it comes out on DVD, it will be the first movie DVD in our collection - that she didn't pick!

Loved those airplanes!!!

Bill Adair

Haven't seen this one yet (not out this side of the pond) but I do remember watching the formations of aircraft during the filming of the Blue Max, from my front garden (in my stroller....)

Mostly they were dots accompanied by a helicopter, but it is one of the most vivid memories of my childhood (apart from falling into a thorn bush).

In later life - teens - when I started flying CL two of my mentors actually worked on the aircraft for the film. One was an aircraft mechanic by trade and the other was his "assistant". I remember them telling me that the Allied/British aircraft were genuine replicas seriously overpowered by what were even then dated DeHaviland powerplants. Unfortunately both gentlemen are long since passed away.

Must say I haven't seen the Blue Max in a while, must try to concentrate on the movie and not my childhood recollections next time it's showing.

I've seen "Fly Boys" twice and enjoy'd it both times. Don't know how it measures up to the "The Blue Max" as it's been a long time since I seen that one, but do remember enjoying it very much also. There is one other that comes to mind that may be worth a look,.."Von Richthofen and Brown".

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I'd seen this one as a kid and even in this video era have yet to see it on t.v., the video rental shelf to either buy or rent. I do remember that I thought it perhaps at least up there on parr with the "Max". There are copies for sale out there in cyber space,..but there not exactly giving them away. Funny how that goes with some of these older movies. Here's a net review off one of the Hollyweird film sites.

This film of the wartime exploits of Baron Von Richthoven, who was also known as the "Red Baron," was a relatively lavish Corman-brothers production, and is directed by Roger Corman. The film's airborne dogfight sequences are among its most notable features. Vintage World War I airplanes were used, and accidents during filming resulted in one death and several injuries. The evolution of airborne warfare from being a sporting game between gentlemen to its use as an instrument of total war is integral to the story. Von Richthoven (John Phillip Law), who becomes an air ace and an important German hero, was an early aeronautical rival of Hermann Goering (Barry Primus). So important was he to German morale that he was asked to retire from fighting, so that he could assume a position in the post-war German government. He refused, and was killed by a young Canadian (Don Stroud) in an airborne battle. Spookily enough, even though he died in the air, his plane is reputed to have landed intact. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Great movie, go to be entertained, not to pick it apart! The Nieports had radial, not rotary engines, but my wife didn't even notice! The machine guns sounded better than I've heard.

Lafayette Escadrille? You have to be kidding. There were 3 planes in that movie, a Bleriot, a Nieport 28, and a Travelaire made up to look like a D-7. They made a couple of passes and Tab Hunter fell in love the rest of the movie - For 14 year olds who had just read Quentin Reynolds "They Fought For the Sky", Lafayette Escadrille was a monumental letdown.

Maybe this answers the original question aboout Flyboys being a remake?

LAST EDITED ON Oct-06-06 AT 06:59 PM (CST)
 
>I've seen "Fly Boys" twice and enjoy'd it both times. Don't
>know how it measures up to the "The Blue Max" as it's been a
>long time since I seen that one, but do remember enjoying it
>very much also. There is one other that comes to mind that
>may be worth a look,.."Von Richthofen and Brown".
>
>[photo not recovered: v33399xkhii.jpg]
>
>
>
>I'd seen this one as a kid and even in this video era have
>yet to see it on t.v., the video rental shelf to either buy
>or rent. I do remember that I thought it perhaps at least
>up there on parr with the "Max". There are copies for sale
>out there in cyber space,..but there not exactly giving them
>away. Funny how that goes with some of these older movies.
>Here's a net review off one of the Hollyweird film sites.
>
>
>This film of the wartime exploits of Baron Von Richthoven,
>who was also known as the "Red Baron," was a relatively
>lavish Corman-brothers production, and is directed by Roger
>Corman. The film's airborne dogfight sequences are among its
>most notable features. Vintage World War I airplanes were
>used, and accidents during filming resulted in one death and
>several injuries. The evolution of airborne warfare from
>being a sporting game between gentlemen to its use as an
>instrument of total war is integral to the story. Von
>Richthoven (John Phillip Law), who becomes an air ace and an
>important German hero, was an early aeronautical rival of
>Hermann Goering (Barry Primus). So important was he to
>German morale that he was asked to retire from fighting, so
>that he could assume a position in the post-war German
>government. He refused, and was killed by a young Canadian
>(Don Stroud) in an airborne battle. Spookily enough, even
>though he died in the air, his plane is reputed to have
>landed intact. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
>

The highest probablity is that Richthofen was killed by a British AA machine gunner wielding a Vickers gun. He was pursuing what would have been his 81st victory low over "No Man's Land" and made the fatal mistake of straying to close to the British trench line. The angle of the shot that killed him was from below and to the side, hitting him in the spine. His Fokker crashed close to the British side and British army surgeons autopsied the body. Brown never claimed to have shot him down, his report only stated he had fired a short burst at a red triplane at rather long range which was shortly after seen to fall away and crash. Cause of the Baron's death was simple: combat fatigue.

After seeing Flyboys I would like to see my favorite movie, Dawn Patrol with Errol Flynn on a large screen and in color.
Willis

Willis

And I thought I was the only one who "Dawn Patrol" was his favorite movie.
True story...home on leave, 1968...sitting up late with my dad, who just got off the swing shift from Eastern, having a few cold ones watching TV. The announcer comes on and says "stay tuned for the late...late movie." I look at pop and said "sure would be neat if they showed Dawn Patrol." Guess what? He was convinced that I had read the TV Guide...I can assure you I had not...ESP???
Norm