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"War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, Huh, say it again." There are many on each side of that song lyric that would argue passionately about the need or futility of war. Hollywood would more than likely answer that phrase with something like, "Well, it makes for darn good movies!" To which we all would reply, "Sometimes." 

Flyboys is a truly decent film. I never know what to expect from a two hour epic about war. I figure it will be loud with lots of shouting and cursing.
Anything past that is in the hands of the writers. You can't assume a film it will be great just because it is based on true events. (Please see Pearl Harbor for reference, wait, no, on second thought don't see it.) But this feature had a unique and well told story that made for a first-rate look at man rather than the war machine. It is the story of the legendary Lafayette Escadrille. The ordinary, young, American men who, in 1916, volunteered for the 1st World War as fighter pilots alongside the French.

If war is good for anything it could be in how it takes young men from varying backgrounds who probably would never cross paths in any other
situation and forces them to not only get along but bond as brothers in a way that no other event can. Flyboys displays that perfectly. Blaine
Rawlings (James Franco) has lost home and family, Briggs Lowry (Tyler Labine) joined only to try and please his disciplinarian father, while an
African-American boxer Eugene Skinner (Abdul Salis) is fighting for a country that didn't discriminate against his color.  They are being
instructed by French Captain Thenault (Jean Reno) and the leadership of an American Ace, veteran Reed Cassidy (Martin Henderson). You watch these guys grow and mature and evolve into something more than just a military unit. Race, culture, status, all falls away in the light of unity.

Flyboys is filled with aerial action and amazingly realistic dogfights. It not only displays the almost suicidal missions of these young men, but also the skill and talent they created in what was a fairly new invention. I was worried the scenes would be choppy and hard to follow but they are shot perfectly and must be seen on the big screen. Staying true to the story you never know who will make it back alive from each battle. This tension pulls you through the movie with a rush. You find yourself liking these young men and wanting them to succeed. 

There has not been a WWI aviation movie in 40 years. Flyboys does justice to a rare genre. I liked this film for many reasons. Its history, humanity, and humbleness. It doesn't try to pull one over on us with over the top acting and events. It simply tells a great story and looks good doing it. That is a pretty decent formula for a movie like this. 

Flyboys is rated PG-13 for war action violence and some sexual content. This is a movie to see with the family and can spark lots of dialogue about history and war itself. I give it 4 out of 5 wings. With a look at Flyboys, I'm Matt Mungle.

The Mungle (9/19/06)

Matt is a member of the North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) and hosts the weekly syndicated Indie Rock Radio Show Spin 180. Plus with his wife Cindy they do a weekly radio feature, The Mungles on Movies. For additional reviews and interview clips visit the website www.mungleshow.com