Flyboys

World War I was a time of great discoveries and inventions, and not all of the stories have yet been told, but here is a story that should have been told long ago. Until I saw this film all I knew about the American volunteers in WWI was that they fought for the French, after that, I'm sorry to say is all I knew. Where this is based on a true story, it has sparked my interest in finding out more about the flyers that went to France in the early part of the war. The use of the airplane as a weapon during war was a completely new idea in the early part of the century, and from that point forward it changed modern warfare forever.The Lafayette Escadrille was a contingent of Americans who volunteered to fight along side the French as flyers in the early days of World War I, the young men joined for a variety of reasons but this group will learn that they must fight together if they are to survive or die trying. The CGI effects that are used here are as close to perfect as you can get, there are very few places throughout the film where you can really tell the effects from live action. The action sequences are great, even though I'm sure the filmmakers took some liberties with how the planes would actually maneuver, but that is of no detriment to the story. Most people will recognize James Franco from the Spider-Man series of films but here he stands out as the young cowboy who is trying to find his way in the world.
There are not a lot of films out there that deal with WWI and even less that tell about the American volunteers in France, but here we have a wonderfully done film that will peak any military enthusiasts interest. I would have liked to have seen this film on the big screen; the dogfights between the pilots are impressive and would have looked even more spectacular on a larger screen. I will be happy to add this movie to my list of must have war films, its fun, fast paced, and the action sequences keep you captivated to the point of holding your breath away.