Movie Review and Trailer

DVD Review by Kam Williams

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American aviators ever trained by the U.S. Air Force. Formed in 1940, the historic squadron was stationed on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute in Macon County, Alabama, since the Armed Forces were still racially segregated at the time of its creation.

Even after America entered World War II, the government initially remained reluctant to deploy these pioneering pilots overseas, out of a concern that the presence of black officers in the midst of white soldiers might have a negative effect on military morale. Consequently, the Tuskegee Airmen languished stateside for several years, seeing no action until they were finally cleared for combat in the European theater of operations.

Upon arriving in Italy, their 2^nd rate aircraft were upgraded from junky jalopies to state-of-the-art, P-51 Mustang fighter planes, thereby enabling them to escort B-17 bombers on dangerous raids behind enemy lines deep into Germany territory. The untested pilots proceeded to perform admirably on over 1,500 successful missions, demonstrating an unexpected combination of competence and valor in the process.

Red Tails is a special-f/x driven adventure which recreates their daring exploits in the skies while simultaneously chronicling their quest for dignity in the face of the humiliation mandated by Jim Crow. The movie marks the feature film debut of Anthony Hemingway and was produced by the legendary George Lucas. The film features an ensemble cast topped by Academy Award-winner Cuba “Show me the money!” Gooding (for Jerry Maguire) and Oscar-nominee Terrence Howard (for Hustle & Flow). 

Aside from raising the question of the arbitrary color line, the plot reads like your typical, cliché-ridden war flick revolving around a tight-knit, motley crew of colorful characters. Each is based on a simplistically-drawn archetype, like the ill-fated pilot you know isn’t long for this world the moment he’s shown sitting in his cockpit gazing fondly at a picture of his fiancée right before takeoff.

Another familiar figure is the cigar-chomping Major (Gooding), a paternalistic pontificator given to delivering inspirational speeches about God, mom and apple pie. He cares about each of the men under his command, including alcoholic “Easy” Julian (Parker); daredevil “Lightning” Little (David Oyelowo); class clown “Joker” George (Elijah Kelley); and “Junior” Gannon (Tristan Wilds), a youngster who yearns to be taken seriously by his teasing colleagues.

Meanwhile, back at the Pentagon, we find exasperated Colonel A.J. Bullard (Howard) tirelessly lobbying the military brass to put an end to racial discrimination in the ranks. Ultimately, the film proves more memorable for its eye-popping, action sequences than for its corny dialogue which ranges from  preachy (“We’re on the side of God Almighty!”) to trite poster-speak (Let’s give those newspapers something to write about!).

Nonetheless, Red Tails amounts to a worthy, overdue tribute to a group of intrepid, World War II heroes who never let their second-class status diminish their patriotism even one iota.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated PG-13 for violence and profanity.

Running time: 125 minutes

Distributor: 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Blu-ray/DVD combo pack extras: A profile of producer George Lucas; interview with director Anthony Hemingway; documentary about film score composer Terrence Blanchard; a behind-the-scenes peek at Red Tails’ special f/x; an introduction to the real Tuskegee Airmen; and more.

To see a trailer for the picture’s companion documentary, Double Victory, visit:

To order a copy of the Red Tails Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, visit:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005LAIGNC/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

This should be funny.

Now if this doesn't take the "feel good movie" cliche to an entire new level, I don't know what will.

Tyler Perry's GOOD DEEDS is very happy to announce Good Deeds:Great Needs, an initiative to support Covenant House, a non-profit organization that provides for homeless youth.

Through GiftCardGiver.com, Good Deeds:Great Needs will be collecting unused gift cards and donating all collected to Covenant House.

In addition, Lionsgate will be making a financial donation to Covenant House for every share of the GOOD DEEDS trailer! So make sure to watch and share the video!

This is an effective combination of both giving back and social media marketing wrapped in one. Nice. A donation for every share of the trailer? Good move Mr. Perry.

To learn more and share Good Deeds:Great Needs, visit www.gooddeedsgreatneeds.com

TYLER PERRY'S GOOD DEEDS opens in theaters everywhere on February 24, 2012. The film stars Tyler Perry, Thandie Newton, Brian White, Rebecca Romijn, Jamie Kennedy, Eddie Cibrian, Jordenn Thompson, and Beverly Johnson with Phylicia Rashad and Gabrielle Union.

To learn more, visit:
Covenant House: www.covenanthouse.org
Gift Card Giver: www.giftcardgiver.com

FILM SYNOPSIS:
A successful, wealthy businessman, Wesley Deeds (Tyler Perry) has always done what's expected of him, whether it's assuming the helm of his father's company, tolerating his brother's misbehavior at the office or planning to marry his beautiful but restless fiancée, Natalie (Gabrielle Union). But Wesley is jolted out of his predictable routine when he meets Lindsey (Thandie Newton), a down-on-her-luck single mother who works on the cleaning crew in his office building.

When he offers to help her get back on her feet, the chance encounter with someone so far outside his usual circle ignites something in Wesley. This one good deed may finally spark his courage to exchange the life that's expected of him for the life he's always really wanted.

A moving, uplifting drama about coincidence, courage, and the defining choices we make on our paths to happiness, TYLER PERRY'S GOOD DEEDS is written, produced and directed by Tyler Perry, and stars Perry, Thandie Newton, Brian White, Rebecca Romijn, Jamie Kennedy, Eddie Cibrian, Jordenn Thompson, Beverly Johnson, with Phylicia Rashad, and Gabrielle Union.