Red Tails (2012)

The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of predominantly Black American fighters during World War II. This ostensibly tells their story. Filled with an incredible cast, there’s nothing by way of character development, no sense of a life for any of them beyond fighting in the war. Hotshot pilot David Oyelowo is given a romance with an Italian woman, but it feels really out of place since none of the other men even mention romantic partners and there is a lot of time spent on this sole storyline. There’s some racial strife, but it’s quickly brushed over. The entire film is gorgeous, shown through an over-saturated color filter. The fighting scenes really look like cut-scenes to a video game with even the dialogue during those scenes sounding like it comes from a fighting simulator. I unfortunately don’t remember much of my viewing of The Tuskegee Airmen but this makes me want to watch it again hoping it offers something more.