120 of 121 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
4-stars for the history buff, but only 2 stars for the general viewing audience, but I liked it!, October 26, 2008
In 1940 Germany's submarine forces are winning the war in the Atlantic, and massive tonnage of allied shipping, including shipments of military aircraft, make it only to the bottom of the sea. This Canadian made-for-TV mini-series uses this dire situation as a backdrop.
Since submarine warfare is slowly strangling Britain's ability to defend herself something has to be done to get materials across the Atlantic. A bold military officer and his capable female assistant take on the responsibility of setting up a risky yet vital plan to fly planes across the north Altantic from Newfoundland to Britain.
When the officer and his assistant arrive at a small Newfoundland airfield, they face the challenges of recruiting and retaining pilots, and training them to fly across the north Altantic (a risky venture at best), and dealing with the local townsfolk.
We soon learn that the assistant has a history with the local airfield operator, and their past catches up to them as men and machines face perilous odds as they prepare to fly.
I found this show to depict an interesting and generally overlooked aspect of early WWII. It therefore deserves recognition. At the same time I found the acting and overall quality of the production to be only good, not great.
History buffs should enjoy this show, but the average viewer would probably find it to be rather tedious, since it is generally lacking in high-cost digital candy that flavors most movies these days.
I'd rate this 4-stars for the history buff/romance crowd, and perhaps 2- stars for the general audience. I guess I'll split that difference and award this a solid 3-stars.
I hope this is helpful. Have fun and fly safely!
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85 of 85 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Fascinating- Must See!, June 5, 2007
This review is from: Above and Beyond (DVD)
What a wonderful delight. I am an avid history buff and was very surprised to find a huge story of WW2 that I knew nothing about. This movie details, with great charm, the perilous mission of flying new American made planes from Newfoundland to Ireland - a risky move that shortened the delivery time from 10 days to 10 hours. The venture was responsible for turning the tide of the war. The acting is first class and includes stellar performances by Kenneth Walsh, Richard E. Grant and the inimitable Joss Ackland as Churchill. Sluggish at times and with poor digital animation of the planes (they only found one Hudson plane so had to computer generate the rest). Aviation buffs may notice some errors, but it doesn't detract from the overall quality of the film. It will take two nights to watch, so be prepared with lots of popcorn. Truly one of the more interesting films I have ever watched and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Definitely a must for getting teens hooked on history - includes a love story for the girls and lots of macho danger and adventure for the boys.
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40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
I love learning little bits of history, September 5, 2008
If you buy this because you see Jason Priestley's name in the cast list, you may be both sadly disappointed (his part is very small) and pleasantly surprised. This two-part Canadian Miniseries tells how a place most residents of the USA (and Canada and England, for that matter) had never heard of in 1939 became the primary embarkation point for thousands of US and Canadian built fighters and bombers flown to England to help turn the tide of the Second World War. It's an interesting story, with a little human conflict, a little star-crossed love, and a lot of pride in what the human race can do when the chips are down.
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