Background: One Friday night, I was home alone and bored, so I decided to see what Hulu had to offer. When I came across Flyboys, I remembered my sister telling me how much she liked it, so I decided to give it a go. I really enjoyed it, and when I found it in the Walmart $5 bin about a year later, I picked it up.
Plot: Before the United States entered World War I, several young American men went to France to join the Lafayette Escadrille and learn to become fighter pilots. This fictionalized tale follows a group of new recruits as they learn to fly, shoot, and fight for freedom.
Reactions: I’m a sucker for war movies. And though the plot in this one isn’t particularly gripping, I still enjoyed it (though if I’m honest, I liked it more the first time around). James Franco and Martin Henderson may play the main characters, but I loved the supporting cast even more—Tyler Lebine as snobbish rich boy Briggs Lowry, Abdul Salis as African-American boxer Eugene Skinner, David Ellison as couldn’t-hit-the-broad-side-of-a-barn Eddie Beagle, and Michael Jibson as devout Christian Lyle Porter. This diverse group is the heart and soul of Flyboys, and it’s fun to note that they are based in part on real World War I heroes. (Though it does seem to be a loose adaptation of real people—see this article for more.)
Verdict: Keep
