The new era of flying films, that use no aeroplanes. The worst yet ?

Interestingly, a film that was almost completely created with CGI, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, features some pretty good flying sequences, despite the very fantastical nature of the film.

Well, I have tried watching Air Strike/The Bombing/whatever the hell it’s called this week, and both times I have fallen asleep. I’m putting this down to my night shift job, however, not the film itself.

That being said, the CGI is awful. I mean BLOODY awful.

Then there is a very convoluted plot to do with a secret coding machine being smuggled across the lines by one of the characters, and Bruce Willis chewing the scenery as a vague Clair Chennault-esque figure. I imagine the only bit that is historically accurate is the bombing of China by the Japanese – in WHITE A6M Zeros, no less.

Say what you will about Hurricane (which seems to get a lot of flak for things that are hardly the fault of the film), it is vastly better overall in terms of, well, everything, in comparison to this.

I will try, at some point, to watch the whole thing through without falling asleep, but I can’t promise anything!

The trailer for Air Strike was … interesting … not the least for its playing very fast and loose with history (but that’s what Hollywood does best).

I’m conflicted about the growing use of bad/improbably/ridiculous CGI regarding WWII airplanes, and have taken to telling myself, firmly, that when I sit down to watch one of these, I’m going to enjoy it for the visual spectacle it is, not with any real hope that it will be or look even remotely accurate. It’s hard to do, but it makes things a little more enjoyable.

Well, I bit the bullet and bought the DVD a wee while ago, and it arrived today. Not had a chance to watch it yet, but I will do tomorrow.

I often find that some of these foreign war films, such as The Eternal Zero and The Admiral, tend not to be released in UK cinemas, so I would have probably ended up getting this on DVD anyway!

Has some good moments..Not sure how a P40 can outclimb a 109 though..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGBJWSJ56kE

I do wonder if we are also now so used to seeing aircraft displayed in a way that is sedate at air displays [quite rightfully] that actually we have no real idea what maneuvers could and would have been pulled in a life and death situation where there were no worries about airframe life ,engine hours .The CGI does look great and awful at times but how much is our perception.

So, no love for Dunkirk’s Spitfire sequences then?

Yes Spielberg is hard to beat…but pure CGI still…. =crap.

I think its worse than Red Tails.

Chinese movie is in par with the Red Tails. The last real aviation movie was Memphis Belle.

Thanks for the link. I’m very impressed by this documentary on Squadron 303. Realistic looking CGI, actual squadron personnel portrayed, and a good mix of the ground and air story. It expands nicely on the Polish element of The Battle of Britain film that some wanted to see more of.

Dywizjon 303 does look good – will need to get it on DVD, whenever that will be.

Hurricane is out on DVD on Monday, so will give that a look next week.

Just found this on the net. It may be CGI,but those BF109Es, Hurricanes and DO17s actually don’t look that bad. Looks better than “Hurricane” anyway, IMHO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTc39C0IyD0

In The Dambusters, Lincolns were used simply because not all of the Lancaster’s were in one place at one time. Production stills show Lincolns quite clearly. Wellington MF628 is in post war colours, I think a Tiger Moth is too. Canberras are in the background, and the a/c take off minus their Upkeep, and fly over the Cathedral, having suddenly found them again!

Love that movie. Try listening to it on earphones, its really creepy.

Yet another trailer for this China air war epic. Still ,despite the dubious CGI, at least the Zeroes in this are the right colour. Not like those in “Pearl Harbor”. It always makes me laugh to see old interviews with Michael Bay. Harping on about how much care and attention to detail was made. Sure he did that, acquiring real A6Ms…… Then painting them Green!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJkz1pEBqf8

I thought it was the aircraft we were discussing, not the acting, screenplay or whatever. The Lincolns were parked in the background in some of the ground scenes. As I said, who notices?

We must have watched different movies because, while the Mosquitos in 633 are good, the rest of the film is appalling, and the “Lincolns” in The Dambusters are Lancaster VIIs.

Adrian

I think the further away from the real events, the more inaccuracy crept in. 633 sqn got it bang on of course, awful model in “Battle of the river plate” BUT IT WAS A PRESENTABLE SEAFOX, Lincolns in “The dambusters” but who notices? They had to get it right because so many of the audience were there. Then we got to later times and Buchons for Me 109s and pointy tails chasing griffons down the field in BoB scrambles. I think the best model sequence I saw was the crash scene in “Memphis bell”, that may have been the pinnacle of accuracy in real aircraft and model mix. Now, anything you want. You want Jesus astride a Saturn V? No problem. I think part of the problem is that the artists depict the aircraft as models. We have all seen models with forced shading, panel lines and weathering that gives a brilliant scale effect but if applied to the full scale aircraft would look ridiculous. So the cgi aircraft look like models!

Dunkirk used real aircraft and somehow managed to make them look like CGI!

Hi All,
No! One other moan is the Mk’s of Spitfire and 109 are not correct, again this being programme is linked to the RAF100 you would have thought authenticity at least to the type of aircraft ?

Again the RC flyers do a fine job with what they have at hand…..:eagerness:

Geoff.