Red Tails - (January 20, 2012): PG-13
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Opening Weekend Box Office: #2 with $18,782,154
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $35,707,019
Gross Revenue: $35,707,019
Production Budget: $58 million
Director: Anthony Hemingway
Imagine my surprise as I sat in a theater a few months ago and saw the Lucasfilm heading onscreen and wasn’t greeted by a trailer for the 3D rerelease of the Star Wars films…the last thing I was expecting was a World War II epic. Now, normally I am a huge fan of war films, but I confess to being a little skeptical concerning Red Tails, primarily because there were few familiar faces to draw an audience. In telling the story of the African American group of pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen, Red Tails would understandably target a specific demographic, but without major actors outside recognizable names like Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Terrence Howard, hoping to recover a substantial production budget was one hell of a gamble. Rumor has it that a number of studios were hesitant to put up the financing for the film, so George Lucas covered most of the costs himself, even going as far as putting up $35 million for distribution so that the project could move forward. Based on the trailers alone, it looked like there was a definitive amount of patriotism and plenty of impressive aerial action present, so I decided to give Red Tails the benefit of the doubt and see if I could end up pleasantly surprised.
Set in 1944, Red Tails tells the story of the 332nd Fighter Group of young African American fighter pilots, who are struggling with enduring racism in the military in order to prove the validity of the Tuskegee training program, whom many military bureaucrats, including Col. William Mortamus (Bryan Cranston), believe to be a waste of time and resources. Relegated to ground attack missions, the Tuskegee Airmen are desperate for fighter-to-fighter action so that they may kill German pilots, prove their talent, and defend their country just like every other able-bodied American. As such, Col. A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard) petitions for his men to be accepted as equals, and with the help of Major Emanuel Stance (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), the group of pilots prepares for their first mission as escorts for military bombers, which have repeatedly been shot down due to inadequate protection from glory-seeking pilots. Thrilled at the opportunity, pilots Joe “Lightning” Little (David Oyelowo), Martin “Easy” Julian (Nate Parker), Ray “Ray Gun” Gannon (Tristan Wilds), Andrew “Smoky” Salem (Ne-Yo), and Samuel “Joker” George (Elijah Kelley) take pride in the new aircrafts they have been awarded for the mission, deciding to paint distinctive markings so that they can be distinguished from other squadrons. Quickly building a reputation for strong performance, the “Red Tails” continue to battle bigotry and personal demons as the war continues and they fight for both their country and equality.
Say what you will about the Star Wars prequels, no one can deny that George Lucas has always had a penchant for gripping aerial battles, and evidence of that talent is easily the best part of Red Tails, with the violent and exciting dogfights providing a welcome reprieve from the rest of the film. The film’s narrative is anything but award-winning and some of the dialogue is groan-inducing, but you’ll find yourself patiently waiting for the pilots to take to the air once again and start entertaining. Beyond the exciting flight choreography, the special effects and visuals behind the battles is crisp and impressive, begging the question as to why filmmakers didn’t decide to use 3D in a film where it might have actually worked. In terms of acting, none of the true “Red Tails” is particularly memorable, in spite of distinct personalities, but the one cast member who tries his best to engage the audience is Terrence Howard, who in all honesty gave the film more effort than it probably deserved. These limited positive accolades aside though; there still exists a laundry list of problems that weaken the quality of Red Tails.
Normally, in a war film, it is important to establish a connection between the characters and the audience, thereby heightening the emotion and impact of both death and victory, but in Red Tails, there is little to no empathy in the plight of these pilots. It is not to say that you feel nothing throughout the film, but whatever sentiments you may feel related to pride in victory, shame in defeat, or sorrow in death, can only be described as lukewarm. Now, I was pleased with Terrence Howard’s performance, but the same thing cannot be said to Cube Gooding, Jr., who shamelessly overacts and almost ruins nearly every scene in which he appears…the quality of the film would have skyrocketed had his hack-worthy work been reduced in favor of giving Bryan Cranston more than two minutes of screen time. Finally, one of the saddest gripes related to Red Tails is the pandering patriotism; don’t get me wrong, I usually get a big “AMERICA” jolt with war-period films, but this time around, some of the speeches and music just come across as hokey. So, like I said in the “Short and Sweet” review, I may have seen some worse films in my time, but there is still very little in Red Tails that can be described as special.
Make no mistake; Red Tails could have ended up a complete and utter disaster, so executives had to be pleased when the new release took second place behind franchise juggernaut Underworld: Awakening in its opening weekend. With no overtly bankable actors, an $18 million debut is surprisingly impressive, but with no international presence, turning a profit domestically is going to be a challenge. And the reality is that I don’t see critical reaction or word of mouth lighting a fire under moviegoers, especially since Awards Season is generating interest in the Best Picture contenders that are being granted wider-distribution in the near-future. It is highly unlikely that any of the pilots featured will become household names, but I can see how history buffs and war-feature fans can find entertainment in the overall theme of the film. Plain and simple (forgive the wordplay), Red Tails is nothing that you have to rush to the theater and see, your time is better spent elsewhere.
Overall Recommendation: Low
