Flyboys

Flyboys (James Franco, Jean Reno) – World War II movies abound, but World War I is just ancient history to most of us.  Flyboys tells the stories of Americans with a desire to fly who volunteer to fight with the French against the Germans prior to the American entrance into the war.  Planes hadn’t even flown until after the turn of the century so the reliability of the aircraft was always a question, particularly as tools of war.  James Franco is our hero here, born in Nebraska and one step ahead of the law.  He’s a quite believable flyboy with no family and only a dream to pursue.  The collection of misfits who join the French include a rich kid, a husband out to prove to his wife and parents that he is as brave as his ancestors, an African American European boxing contender escaping the racism of early 20th century America, and a religious kid out to keep the world safe.  The story is compelling even if the script is laden with simplistic dialogue and predictable action.  To attract women to the audience, we must have a love story as Franco’s character befriends a French local and the three children in her charge due to her brothers’ and his wife’s death.  This is a tale of heroism bordering on stupidity with more than a touch of adventure.  The best performance might actually belong to Jean Reno, who seems to be the only Frenchman allowed to play in America movies.  He plays the captain of the flyboys with subtlety and humanity.  It’s difficult not to enjoy the movie, but it’s equally hard to consider it fine art.  It is certainly worth the price of admission, particularly if you wait to rent it later.

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