Flyboys

In my younger days I worked for a local airshow, and have often been accused of having a soft-spot for Flyboys. After seeing the latest Tony Bill film, reenacting the adventures of the Lafayette Escadrille, a squadron of Americans helping the French hold off the Germans in World War I, I can comfortably say "guilty". Biplane and jet aerobatics come from the dogfight maneuvers developed in the early 1900's. Snap-rolls, hammer heads and rapid climb and descent were all a product of the very rudimentary elements of air combat. Though all the dogfight scenes in Flyboys are CGI, they are impressive to watch, and had me on the edge of my seat. When they went after the zepplin in one of the final battles, I thought, something's gonna blow, and I was right! Though a little long, this is a good war film that has a very real feel, develops the characters well and throws in a love story. I enjoyed this look at some of my favorite heroes.