You can watch the replica fly on this Channel 4 programme here:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/escape-from-colditz/4od#2922634

Good stuff – but the last one was a belter! Right combination of visuals and music in my opinion, especially that airfield bombing sequence and the dogfight over the sea.

That’s a great example that it’s all down to the Director or Producer. CG lets you do anything but it’s only convincing if there’s some restraint and good choices made.

Go back to Pearl Harbor. Some shots are utterly convincing and others aren’t. The ones that aren’t are very likely because the camera or planes are doing stupid things. That’s ****** all to do with the software or CG artist.

As an example, Flyboys is often held up as an example of awful CGI work. What isn’t really known is that the CGI company (MPC if I remember correctly) had attached telemetry and motion captured real WWI planes to get the flight characteristics down.
Problem was, that wasn’t very exciting for the Producers so they had to throw that all out and animate it like a cartoon….

I think there’s room for a retelling. People of a certain age might like the ’69 film and they watch that and think they know what the Battle of Britain was all about.
But then everyone thought they knew what war films were all about until Saving Private Ryan showed up. It single handedly relit everyone’s interest and also brought it to a new generation in an arguably more authentic way than ever before.

Sadly I don’t think Red Tails is going to do that, it looks like it’s missing that “edge”… maybe a Battle of Britain film is needed?

CGI is just a tool. It’s as realistic or as cartoony as you want it. Most realistic CGI goes unnoticed and unappreciated.

It gets noticed and hated when you’ve got a director or producer more interested in the ticket sales above all else.

If you’ve got the cash and the integrity CGI can look utterly real.