FLYING LEATHERNECKS is an example of the typical WW2 movie starring John Wayne. This one's unusual in that it was made in vivid Technicolour, and that it has a second lead in the form of Robert Ryan, himself a leading man familiar from many film noir movies made during the era. Much of the entertainment value comes from seeing the two stars butting heads while the main story involves the battle of Guadalcanal.
I find that WW2 movies concentrating on pilots are more limited than those dealing with ground infantry; the action is invariably based around either special effects footage or, as in the case here, genuine stock footage of WW2 action. When the action's on the ground, you get up close and personal to it in a way that airborne movies lack. Still, this is acceptable enough genre fare for undemanding viewers, even if the pro-war message is wearyingly wholesome.
I find that WW2 movies concentrating on pilots are more limited than those dealing with ground infantry; the action is invariably based around either special effects footage or, as in the case here, genuine stock footage of WW2 action. When the action's on the ground, you get up close and personal to it in a way that airborne movies lack. Still, this is acceptable enough genre fare for undemanding viewers, even if the pro-war message is wearyingly wholesome.