Dotsthavesp
I wanted to but couldn't!
PiraBit
if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Allison Davies
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Edgar Allan Pooh
. . . but their uncle met them halfway up, and told them not to bother. If you do not want to devote 102 minutes to the World War Two Docudrama FLYING LEATHERNECKS, that pretty much sums up its entire plot. "Grif," Jack and Jill's maternal uncle, is fighting this war with a chip on his shoulder. His rich brother-in-law "Texas" is one of his subordinate pilots. This presents a conflict of interest. Every time Grif's squad gets a new mission assignment, Grif must choose between blind obedience to a military order or protecting his post-War future, since Texas has promised him a plum position in the Private Sector. These missions are so dangerous that the unit chaplain already has been killed. Consequently, Grif's boss is getting writer's cramp, barely able to keep up with notes to the next-of-kin of all the guys his unit is losing. Grif grows increasingly mutinous, challenging his boss to fist fights. But, as luck would have it, they both get promoted, and sent to fight Japanese kamikaze pilots just off Okinawa. When Texas' plane's engine fails, Grif finally is able to resist the urge to send Jack and Jill's Daddy readily available help. Since his boss is wounded shortly after Texas buys the farm, Grif gets promoted to the squad's top job. This is called the American Way.
georgewilliamnoble
During WW2 In the Pacific war American marine pilots flying Hellcat fighters defeat the Japanese.It is always easy to view a film made six decades earlier and see it as poorly made or badly written or acted or all three as just dated. Well they make plenty of unrealistic films today but war films in particular seem to suffer from the limitations of their time and this is a case in point. While all the aviation scenes are reused combat footage and thus ultra realistic the dialogue and attitudes represented grind hard against modern views and cynicism. This is a John Wayne film first a world war two film second and is undiluted in its patriotism and heroism in the worst American way but typical of the pre-Vietnam fifties. It is worth comparing British films of the same era "The Dam Busters" for example how understated they are by contrast. However as a action war film with lots of fabulous and original combat footage it is worth a look, but the John Wayne performance and part is just pure Hollywood all death or glory and the superiority of American power and the American way.
utgard14
Hard-assed Marine major (John Wayne) drives his men hard. Robert Ryan is his second-in-command with a different method of leadership. It's the iron fist versus the velvet glove in this entertaining if not overly original war picture. Really nice technicolor. Lots of stock war footage. It doesn't fit seamlessly with the film footage. That's a minor issue to me but it might bother other viewers more. Wayne and Ryan are good, which should surprise no one. Great character actor Jay C. Flippen offers strong support. Pretty Janis Carter has a small part in the picture but she certainly improves the scenery. It's nothing exceptional but never dull.
MARIO GAUCI
I had previously watched this one on TV, but I recall being underwhelmed by it: I liked the film better a second time around, but it’s clearly no classic (despite director Ray and co-star Robert Ryan’s involvement); contrary to Ray’s best work, which is marked by his personal touch, he’s strictly a director-for-hire on this particular title.The film is one of several war-themed Wayne vehicles from this era, a good number of which I’ve yet to catch up with – FLYING TIGERS (1942), THE FIGHTING SEABEES (1944), BACK TO BATAAN (1945) and OPERATION PACIFIC (1951). It’s similar to Wayne’s FORT APACHE (1948), where he’s now portraying the martinet role played in that John Ford cavalry picture by Henry Fonda – though he’s well-matched with the long-suffering Ryan (cast against type as an overly sensitive executive officer dedicated to his squad). The latter element, then, links the film with such archetypal flying pictures as ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (1939) and TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH (1949) – where the group leader is constantly forced to make tough decisions in which the life of his men has to be put in jeopardy. For this reason, too, Wayne’s a generally glum presence here – apart from his interaction with Jay C. Flippen as an amiably roguish old-timer; from the remaining supporting cast, Don Taylor is equally notable as the wise-guy crew member who happens to be a relative of Ryan’s.The action sequences are exciting (domestic asides are unsurprisingly dull but thankfully brief).even if utilizing an astonishing amount of grainy WWII stock footage which, while giving it a sense of raw authenticity, also tends to stick out rather too obviously alongside the soft yet agreeable Technicolor adopted for the rest of the film! In the end, FLYING LEATHERNECKS may be corny but it’s reasonably enjoyable – and occasionally stirring – for all that.
