Customer Reviews

Flying Tigers [VHS]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I think the aspect that I enjoyed most about this movie is that even though it is a John Wayne movie, we see a lot of character development from the other actors as well. In 1942, John Wayne was not yet a top 10 movie actor, so the director did not have to have the whole movie spin around him (not that there's anything wrong with that!). But this movie gives us insight into a number of men the Duke have under his command, and the movie is a much richer experience for it. As for the transfer to DVD, it varies from good to excellent. Certainly not as good as Republic's 50th anniversary version, released on Laserdisc. But the DVD has behind the scenes information on the cast members, after the movie finishes. All in all, a great John Wayne movie that no fan should be without!

Early World War Two film that celebrates, sort of, Claire Chennault's volunteer air group in China prior to the United States' entry into the war, FLYING TIGERS opens with a testimonial dedication by Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and spends its remaining 100 minutes test flying a P-40's worth of war-flick clichés.

John Wayne plays squadron commander Jim Gordon, a man who doesn't let the burden of command interfere too much with his romance of pretty Red Cross nurse Brooke Elliott (Anna Lee.) Capt. Gordon recruits Clark Gable-lookalike Woody Jason (John Carroll,) who proves his stuff to the audience - Gordon probably already knew he was a good pilot - by landing a commercial plane in a raging storm on, as the air controller breathlessly tells us above the roar of the tropical storm, a wing and a prayer. The other wing is on fire. Convincingly, too. The special effects in FLYING TIGERS are impressive. Howard Lydecker was nominated for an Academy Award in 1943 for his work here, losing out to the team responsible for the effects in Cecil B. DeMille's `Reap the Wild Wind.' Lydecker's work is almost seamlessly integrated into shots of actual dogfights to very good effect.

What doesn't fit so smoothly is the hackneyed love story. Women were squeezed away from the front line as the war progressed, but in 1942 there were an awful lot of Pacific based military stories that had an awful lot of corny love sub-plots. FLYING TIGERS is bloated with some naïve patriotism, too. There weren't a whole lot of `based-on-fact' stories to tell in 1942, fewer yet that didn't feature doomed military outposts. Chennault was flying missions in China prior to U.S. involvement in the war, and FLYING TIGERS does the best it can to finesse the fact that his flyers were mercenaries - $500 per Japanese plane shot down is the going rate in the movie. Woody Jason, causing what plot roughage was allowed in 1942, is shunned by his comrades because he's eager to make money by shooting down as many Japanese planes as he can. The others, the good pilots, send most of their money to the widows of the fallen. Of course, there's always that last, redemptive Dangerous Mission to be flown that usually closes the curtain in movies like this.

It's almost ludicrous to fault a sixty-year-old movie for being predictable, or debit it for its use of clichés. FLYING TIGERS was a morale booster for the home front in 1942, and on that basis it works well enough. Wayne is appropriately commanding, and Carroll makes a good foil as the immature goof-off. The star of this movie, though, is the special effects, which still look pretty good today.

An excellent John Wayne movie that takesm place during the second World War. John Wayne is the leader of a group of pilots in the AVG or Flying Tigers. He recruits an old friend to join. John Carroll plays the hot shot pilot who is only out for glory and pay. After a tragic incident, will he grow up? Lots of action, humor and even some romance provided by Anna Lee.

That film, along with Wake Island, gave the American people a sense of pride, determination and the strong feeling of winning in the face of our defeats during those early war years........The film was great!

Of the John Wayne movies made, this would have to be among his very best. No one could make a movie like the Duke. The dogfight scenes truly capture the essence of the film and the life and times of WWII. I found that the Hollywood genere of this film was great for its display of the US and Japanese aircraft. Whenever I watch this movie, I wonder were and when Hollywood lost its "magic" to make a film that can capture the feeling that David Miller did. Get this one - it is a winner!!

This is an excellent movie about the WWII group, The Flying Tigers. This movie may have its flaws, but it is very good for a movie made in the fourties. It also includes a great cast with great talents such as John Wayne. Any movie with him in it is good. :) This also has a great theme of love, courage and strength for the U.S. WWII fighter pilots defending China.

Made in 1942, this movie provides a fictional depiction of the American Volunteer Group who are better known as the Flying Tigers. While the quality of the movie is not all that great, the story inspired a nation during WWII. It also launched John Wayne into a new genre of films.

Most will enjoy the film since it moves along at a pretty good pace considering it was made in the 1940s. The aerial action sequences are actually pretty decent, although it seems like every pilot who dies is shot in the face. The film is obviously aimed at a mostly male audience since the story focuses so much on the relationships of the men as they face enormous challenges and odds.

I did not care much for the love sub-plot, but it seems like a necessary component for most films of this genre. It distracts from the overall story of bravery, courage, honor, and respect. Of course, I did not care much for this part of Pearl Harbor either, so take my comments with a grain of salt.

If you enjoy WWII aerial combat films, you will most likely enjoy this one as well. If you are a fan of the Duke, it is a must see. If you are looking for a historically accurate film about the Flying Tigers this is probably not a great choice, but it is good entertainment.

A stirring performance by The Duke in this fictionalized account of the American Volunteer Group, better known as The Flying Tigers. It's typical of the period, a story of American gallantry in the face of the enemy and a side character whose bad deeds are redeemed in a heroic act that ends in death, but for fans of the War Movie genre, John Wayne or just airplanes in general, I have to recommend it as an entertaining flick. The AVG was important to America in the dark times after Pearl Harbor and the methods learned in the skies over China proved crucial for the thousands of airman who were to fly in the war in the South Pacific. Some truly fascinating, behind-the-scenes insights into the making of this movie can be found in a book called "Celluloid Wings," by James Farmer, which is also a must-read for aviation-film fans.

I love the Duke. This is one of his best war pictures, along with Sands of Iwo Jima. Some may say some of his work is corny, but who cares. He's great. An American icon. God bless the USA.

the first thing to remember is that this was made during the thick of world war II and as such don't expect political correctness to be part of the movie. now once you get all that p.c. junk(and that what this whole p.c. trend is just junk, you can't rewrite history accept that and move on with your life)you will find a very good war movie and a young looking(even if he was in his early 40's by then)john wayne in top form as a leader of a squad of pilots who fight for pay to protect the chinese from the japneese during the days before pearl harbor and just after.
the new man in the unit is a hot head who thinks he's the person with all the answers and gives wayne trouble and even tries to take waynes girl away from him. if you know anything about wayne you know this isn't going to last long.
the movie is full of great republic f/x and the pace is quick and the whole movie is great fun to watch. when they say they don't make 'em like that anymore this is what they mean.
one of waynes best,a must have for fans!!!