Reviews

Would I be happy if I paid to see this in a theater? Probably not but it's not a "theater" movie. It's a Saturday night on the couch movie, a better option than network or reality TV. Is it formulaic? Yes. Predictable? Yes. Implausible? Yes! But it's engaging enough that I never got up to make snacks or check my IPad for something more entertaining and has good moments. Suspend expectations of realism or physics and just go along for the ride. I don't believe anyone thought this would be award winning art when it was in production, it's just a family friendly, fun diversion to go with popcorn on a Saturday night.

Felt like a very long episode from the cheesy series with an extra 80's layer of velveeta. Lots of plot holes, some questionable acting but enough fun moments to fill an evening in lockdown. The production value feels 80's but maybe that was the goal? This more like a little kid's superhero movie with a few adult references for the parent's benefit who had to chaperone. Just set your expectations low and pour an extra glass of wine.

Calling this a documentary is misleading at best. It was emailed to me as a link by two conspiracy theory fanatics. If you're a person that likes to sit at home and think about conspiracy theories and how they've ruined the world this is your movie! For the rest of us, it's one way to kill an hour and 15 minutes during Quarantine. This is the filmmakers attempt to string together a collection of weak conspiracy theories (largely debunked) to try to create one great conspiracy theory. It's compiled with a weak narrative and supposed Hollywood insiders to give you a sense of legitimacy. Any actual facts have been presented out of context and conclusions or extrapolated to the extreme. The production value is horrible. The manner in which it jumps around from topic to topic made me think the internet connection was faulty and I was skipping scenes. It's reminiscent of foreign sponsored political ads designed to sow seeds of division. Given the timing of its release, I would be curious to know who actually paid to have this made.

I really enjoyed this movie. I say disregard the haters and their expectations of what should have happened; and Star Wars movies were never known for their acting. Bottom line, this movie is fun! From start to finish I was entertained, it's family friendly and left me wanting to see the next one. I enjoyed the cameos. I didn't even have to adjust in my seat I was so entertained! I did not get all my questions answered and have more. I will be back for episode 9!

I do not understand complaints about a lack of further research into the Force. Think about what you are really complaining about...a lack of further research into a made up concept? GET OVER IT! The tempo and vibe changes between TFA and this movie are no different than those between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Have you forgotten how different those movies felt? There were definitely some unneeded sub-plots and some inconsistencies with past jedi abilities and limitations, but so what. Someone just figured out how to take the force further than we thought possible.

Movies are about entertainment and this is a good one.

I knew the history already and wanted to like this movie. I had some trouble. During the screening I kept feeling like I was watching an "after school special" with a low budget that stole every Hollywood cliché. The special effects were good, the acting not so much. In an era the produces war pieces like Band of Brothers or Saving Private Ryan, we have come to develop certain expectations on war period pieces. We expect them to be very real. We know what's fake and what is not. We know that soldiers didn't walk around in clean, neatly pressed uniforms. We know that a 20mm cannon obliterates a person rather than producing wounds that bleed out. We know that people don't die slowly when hit with machine gun fire, but instantly without pause to say goodbye. This is what I was hoping to see but this is not "that movie". On that scale, I'd give it 2.5 stars (maybe less). What this is, is more like is a war movie made in the 1950's. It glorifies the hero and it's not realistic at all. The point I'm making is it's not supposed to be and my expectations were actually getting in the way. Red Tails is the romanticized "1950's Hollywood" version of history. The dialog is overstated as are the performances. Nobody is dirty, the women have makeup in wartime and even the mechanics are in clean clothes. It is every Hollywood cliché ever filmed and is predictable in every respect. Even the soundtrack backs up the surrealism by sounding like a 1950's stock footage. It's as if Lucas said, "I'll make the movie they would have screened in 1955." Let's be honest, most of the acting from that era wouldn't hold up now so perhaps the over/bad acting in this was intentionally directed. Even in that respect though, I found the clichés too overwhelming to tolerate. However, if you can force yourself to "buy in" at every cheesy line or if you can mimic the mind- set and expectations of a ten year old, you'll might enjoy it.

The premise is good and had potential. Initially, the film is quite engaging, but it quickly becomes monotonous. The writers really failed to deliver any sort of creativity. I'm quite sure the tactics used by such a powerful company would be far more sophisticated than portrayed and their downfall was quite implausible. As for the characters, what purpose did Watt's character even serve in this movie? For such a talented actress, her performance failed to create any empathy. Ultimately, this just had the feel of a big studio trying to capitalize on some star momentum with a mediocre script and the requisite end of movie twist. A decent Tuesday night rental, but not worth a visit to the big screen.

Terrible, terrible film. This movie was poorly written, badly acted and completely unoriginal. I think they even stole music from the Raiders trilogy. Lowest point: Maria Bello was a train-wreck and couldn't even maintain a consistent accent. For that matter, the rest of the family couldn't either. Are we English or Australian? I spent the first third waiting for it to get going, the second third contemplating walking out, and the final third regretting not walking out and falling asleep. The only reason I've written this much is to comply with the minimum content requirement. This film is so bad in every capacity that wasting more time with additional details is salt in an open wound. I didn't think a movie could be worse than Alexander. I stand corrected.

This movie is nothing more than the material for a one-hour series show stretched into a 2-1/2 hour movie. It seemed more like and excuse for excessive product placement than a movie. The characters were either boring and one dimensional or stereotyped to neurosis. So much of the film added nothing to the story or any incremental value to the character or plot devlopment. The laughs and creative dialog for which the series was known, were sadly absent. It truly would have been better if were edited down to be only 90 minutes long. Wait for the video and break out the cocktails, perhaps you can drink it interesting.

I found it ironic that I saw this film at a sponsored preview hosted by a group of wealthy stockbrokers. They rambled about the "message" and the ultimate gift and how their business core values were reflected in the film. Afterwards they all pulled away in their Mercedes and Lexus and went back to million dollar homes. There isn't a medical center or even a notable charity sponsored by the firm, but they sure liked to believe that they were nice people. That aside, the film was terrible! Bad acting, bad directing and a shallow screenplay were the dominating presence. I felt like I was sitting through some after school special made by a film student. Here's the thing about the message of the film; If you found this to be profound or moving, you are probably a really selfish bastard! The message could be put simply as "be a good person." It's not rocket science. People who say this film changed their lives must have been candidates for an Ebeneezer Scrooge award party prior to its' viewing. But this is a movie site, not a political site so the bottom line is that this movie was BAD! Don't waste your time.