Flyboys main backdrop
Flyboys main poster

6.5/10 • 814

2006-09-222h 18m

ActionAdventureDramaHistoryRomanceWar

When the world first went to war, they were the first to fly.

The adventures of the Lafayette Escadrille, young Americans who volunteered for the French military before the U.S. entered World War I, and became the country's first fighter pilots.

Directors
Tony Bill
Editors
Ron Rosen

Top Billed Cast

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  1. James Franco

    James Franco

    Blaine Rawlings

  2. David Ellison

    David Ellison

    Eddie Beagle

  3. Jean Reno

    Jean Reno

    Capt. Thenault

  4. Philip Winchester

    Philip Winchester

    William Jensen

  5. Todd Boyce

    Todd Boyce

    Mr. Jensen

  6. Mac McDonald

    Mac McDonald

    Sheriff Detweiller

  7. Abdul Salis

    Abdul Salis

    Eugene Skinner

  8. Karen Ford

    Karen Ford

    Mrs. Jensen

  9. Scott Hazell

    Scott Hazell

    Cinema Usher

Reviews1

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Wuchak Avatar

Wuchak

Nov 29, 2019

7/10

Americans volunteers become fighter pilots in France during WW1 Before the USA enters WW1, a young Texas cowboy (James Franco) joins the Lafayette Escadrille in France, a squadron of American fighter pilots. The volunteers are trained and soon experience the glory, anxieties and horrors that go with air combat. “Flyboys" (2006) was inspired by real events and comes in the tradition of similar WW1 aviation flicks “The Blue Max” (1966) and “Aces High" (1976). Whilst not great like the exceptional “Blue Max,” the blockbuster-ish “Flyboys” is more compelling than the mundane “Aces High,” albeit a little marred by comic book storytelling (think “Legends of the Fall”). It’s also significantly superior to the curiously unabsorbing “The Red Baron” (2008). The movie’s ambitious and nigh epic, but there are some contrived, unconvincing moments. For instance, the “German spy” part could’ve been cut with no harm done, not to mention make for a more streamlined viewing experience. Yet I’m glad that the film’s not as one-dimensional as the realistic “Aces High” (which, don’t get me wrong, is a quality WW1 fighter pilot flick). For instance, “Flyboys” throws in a good trench sequence involving ‘No Man’s Land’ that LOOKS convincing; too bad it’s not believable at all (the way so-and-so easily saves so-and-so). Eugene Skinner, the black pilot, was based on the real-life Eugene Jacques Bullard (the filmmakers just changed the surname). In real life Eugene hoped to join the Lafayette Escadrille, but they stopped receiving applicants by the summer of 1916 after accepting 38 American pilots. So, a few months later, Eugene joined the Lafayette Flying Corps on November 15, 1916. As far as strafing downed aviators goes, it was considered dishonorable, but the movie suggests that a minority of ignoble pilots did so, which is reasonable. In the film an ignoble German pilot strafes & kills an American, which is what later spurs an honorable German pilot to make amends in a pretty powerful scene. The film runs 2 hours, 20 minutes, and was shot in England (Buckinghamshire, Essex, Bedfordshire & Somerset House, Strand, London, with studio work done in Hertfordshire). PS: The lion, Whisky, was a real mascot for the squad, along with another named Soda. GRADE: B/B+

Media

  • Flyboys poster
  • Flyboys poster
  • Flyboys poster
  • Flyboys poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$60,000,000.00
Revenue
$17,834,865.00
Keywords
world war ifighter pilotbased on true storybiplane