Customer Reviews

Flat Top

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As fiction, this is third rate. Sterling Hayden made his usual fairly flat performance, which suited the part of a Navy fighter squadron commander. His permanent scowl--or perhaps sneer--suited the role of the tough, battle-hardened flying ace trying to whip a new, untested squadron into an effective fighting force with tough love and good tactics. Richard Carlson, as his executive officer, was effective as the second-in-command who was too buddy buddy with the pilots, and thus often lost sight of the real mission: to kill Japs and win the war.

The plot is as old as fiction, and the movie is obviously low budget.

A great deal of the splendid photography came from the excellent World War II documentary film, "The Fighting Lady" (not to be confused with the Van Johnson fiction movie, "Men of the Fighting Lady"), which was filmed during actual combat on the Aircraft Carrier Enterprise--the original "Big E"--whose combat record was very impressive. The shots of carrier deck action, landings, wing camera shots of enemies being shot down and ground installations being bombarded and strafed were beautiful and dramatic, and recorded actual combat with real people being killed.

The movie would certainly rate five stars, were it simply based on the photography of the action. But...

But, the problems that made it a source of derision, for me at least, were the ludicrous consequences of trying to patch together a film composed of file footage from other sources. For example, a squadron is landing F4U Corsairs aboard the flattop, (reputedly the U.S.S. Princeton, although much of the footage was actually of the U.S.S. Enterprise, which I recognized) when one member of the very same squadron made a rough landing in an AD; an Korean War era aircraft which was not even in service during the 1944 period to which the movie reputedly referred.

Or, the squadron commander was flying along in his F4U, while clearly visible though the mock-up cockpit was his squadron--flying stock footage of F6F Grumman "Hellcats." Or when the squadron, which is referred to as the "Rosebuds" (the Navy used designations like VF-13, rather than names), is attacking a ground target in Corsairs, an excellent fighter with inverted gull wings, when suddenly, for no discernible reason, one or more of them are transformed by editing and splicing in the excellent documentary footage into an SB2C Curtis "Helldiver" dive bomber. Or when they are supposedly taking off in the pre-dawn darkness, the unmistakable flaps of an SBD Douglas "Dauntless" dive bomber are shown belching exhaust on takeoff.

Other faults abound: Navy pilots bunking in tiers of bunks in a large room, rather than two or three man staterooms, or ready rooms always shown bathed in red light, even when night flying was not the next action (red light was used to protect night vision.)

The movie was ruined for me, so far as the story was concerned, by such faux pas. It is almost as bad as the stock Pearl Harbor attack photos which replay over and over, in which the supposed Japanese attackers are shown flying the revered SBD Dauntlesses. Whoever made the first sequence of that footage should be shot for that particular mis-characterization of a famous old airplane.

But the movie is worth the price for the photography alone. Forget the story, or laugh derisively along with me.

Joe Pierre, USN (Ret)

Sterling Hayden portrays a flight group commander on an aircraft carrier. having been in the U S military, I can truthfully state that much of the film's content was authentically done. Some content was for the average person to lighten the script, but most was factual. I would recommend this film to anyone interested in WW II.

I am so glad I rented this Marianas Turkey instead of buying it.

Sterling Hayden leads a squadron of amazing Navy fliers whose planes magically change from F4Us to F6Fs and back again in a single mission.

Apparently, this was our secret weapon to defeat Japanese Transformer squadrons which could change from Zeros into giant Kawanishi flying boats.

Sterling Hayden later led his amazing Transformers squadron to victory over Godzilla and then had a smoke with Raymond Burr.

The editor of this turkey should be taken out and keelhauled.

Famous quote: "The smoking lamp is lit" - Sterling Hayden

The movie plot was fairly predicatable and the acting so-so. However some of the footage of the aircraft on the carrier were excellent.

Save your money! This film was not worth the price.

You would be better off getting "Task Force" with Gary Cooper

This was a gift for my husband who really enjoys war movies. He's wanted this DVD for a long time and I'm glad I found it for him at Amazon.

I enjoyed this movie. I agree with a lot of what the other reviewers said. Some of it was pretty dated and the acting wasn't great but it was a good old school war movie. Also I noticed while watching that the planes seemed to change in the live action footage but it was ok cause the real life combat footage was so real and so intense that it could only add to the movie.

This may not be for everybody but for old school movie fans and war movie fans from the good old days, I think you will like it.

The story line is weak, and the acting is, well, weak. But the plus for this film is the excellant naval footage that is used. The DVD copy needs slight color correction, unless you enjoy green water, sky and navy uniforms. All in all, a good value for war buffs.

Great movie.... A bit smaltzy but considering when it was made that was the movie strategy at the time. Good footage of real action. Well worth the purchase.

Good quick delivery - good product - just what I wanted and delivery was as advertised.