George Lucas has wanted to make this movie for quite some time. So, with most of his Star Wars projects behind him, I guess he finally found the opportunity. He also cared enough about this film to put all of his own money behind it. Now the simple fact that WWII combat footage was used to inspire the tactics and movements of most of the space battles in Star Wars should be enough for you to know that the aerial sequences are bound to be exciting, but what isn't as much of a sure thing is whether or not the stuff that happens outside of the cockpit would be equally enthralling. So is this a worthy tribute to the brave airmen who challenged both the Nazis and discrimination, or is Red Tails going to get added to the long list of missed opportunities for something great by one George Lucas? Sad to say, it may go down as more of that latter than the former.

Now to be fair, George Lucas didn't really direct this one, or write this one, but his finger prints are all over it... and not always in a good way. As long as the planes are in the air, things are okay. The flight sequences are exciting, if perhaps a little too slick looking. Then, there are a few moments that deal with the other battle the Tuskegee Airmen faced: discrimination. These moments are interesting as we see how these brave men overcame those obstacles, but unfortunately they're too short and far between. All the other attempts at bringing out character succumb to some pretty bad writing and stilted dialogue, with some truly cheesy and overly melodramatic music to "enhance" the mood. These moments make the things feel more like a made-for-TV movie with really good special effects.

The other major problem is the final climatic battle feels like it gets cut short. The film builds to this moment, but it never delivers on any resolution. Do the bombers make it to their target? Do they succeed with their mission? Does the rest of the Red Tails squadron perform their duty and make it back successfully? All of this is swept aside for a more character-focused moment that tries to resonate emotionally but ultimately feels fairly hollow.

And this isn't isolated just to this climatic moment. Several other stories feel shortchanged as well. One character introduced early on is quickly lost and forgotten. There's a whole escape from prison sequence that feels like it's part of another movie, and it's all so rushed and has so little bearing on the rest of the film that I was left wondering why it was even included in the first place. Plus, George Lucas just has to face the fact that he can't tell a romantic story. He had an epic fail with attempting to do that in Star Wars Episode II, and while things fare a bit better here, it's still awkward and not as romantic as the movie thinks it is. And so, these small problems continue to mount throughout the movie and at the end I couldn't help but feel disappointed.

There's a good story here, and some fascinating history and human drama to explore. Unfortunately, Red Tails far too often ends up chasing its own tail with pointless stories that don't really lead anywhere filled with characters that feel more like caricatures rather than representations of the actual men who heroically fought for their country and their fellow man.

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