Customer Reviews

IMAX: Fighter Pilot - Operation Red Flag

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I know this world well--flew from Nellis for 3 years against all of these aircraft, targets, and all through this airspace. Overall, I think this documentary does what they set out to do, and I think it tells a good, but overly spectacular story of Red Flag.

There is no doubt that this film is filled with CGI aircraft effects, rigged explosions, questionable flying tactics, and conversation/terminology that you just don't hear in a real training battle. I thought I would offer up the "why." Much like Top Gun, movie producers quickly learned that the "real thing" doesn't make for very engaging movie material. The real thing includes spread out formations, intense radar work, and shooting long range missiles from 30,000 feet, often without ever seeing the bandit with your own eyeballs. None of this shows too well on the big screen, so they have to "juice it up" by bringing all of the aircraft together into the same video frame, move the fight down to treetop level to convey the speed, and throw in a bunch of aileron rolls because they look cool (even though they don't make the guy behind you spit out in front of you). The CGI fills in the gaps where the AF wouldn't fly the requested maneuvers due to safety reasons.

As for the rigged explosions, there are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that the directors/producers wanted a "from the target" view of the bombs and bullets hitting, which I must say came out really cool. To film that actual aircraft's ordnance hitting the target would have meant losing their camera and the film in the course of the explosion. The other thing is that the rigged explosings can be crafted to be especially "fiery" whereas real world bombs look like gray, soot-filled explosions and don't cut the mustard for the Hollywood types.

The last thing that really varies from the real battle is the communications between pilots. To put it simply, it they were to use real terminology, only other military pilots that knew the lingo would be able to follow the action. The target audience would be totally lost. So they toss in some of the lingo, and then typically have the pilot "explain it" in english, all in the same radio call.

Does any of the above wreck the movie? Only if you're really familiar with the way it really happens. My biggest complaint is that the CGI additions to the dogfight look fake. On the other hand, they look a lot better than they did in Air Force One, which I'm sure had a lot bigger special effects budget. For whatever reason, the CG folks just haven't figured out tactical aviation yet, so I'd rather them just show me the real thing, even if it isn't quite as spectacular.

Saw this with my husband who's a pilot, but I still learned a lot! 6 layers of forces for an all-out operation: AWACs, bombers, fighters, helicopters... forgot the other layers. Really impressed by the simulation of a search for a pilot shot down in enemy territory -- they showed both sides searching for him, including the other side using a tracking dog. Secure VPNs were used to coordinate communications as well as other kinds of info tech. Some of the human interest stuff were good segues and lubricants. Testosterone-saturated though this show is, it is not at all jingoistic nor does it promote the military. It clarified how some of the military budget is spent, and is informative for people who want to know about a career as a fighter pilot.

A lot of the reviews state poor acting, poor CGI graphics, etc. For anyone that has not seen this before, this is not a hollywood movie. This is an actual account of Operation Red Flag. No actors, no special computer animations, other than those used by the wonderful men and women of the Air Force for flight review, as demonstrated in the video. This is a true tribute to the men and women who put everything on the line so that we can whine about "poor CGI graphics" or "bad acting". This movie was designed as an insight into the main function of Nellis AFB and into the lives of USAF aviators and ground crew members for people like me who can't serve there country, but desparately want to. Enjoy the show for what it is.

The film is an overdramaticized, horribly acted (by real military, so I'll cut em a little slack) film that loses credibility due to visual-effects and sequential editing that are HORRENDOUS.

I never knew that when the pilot breaks left with the stick the jet spins to the right! Or that sometimes he can fly with all the instruments turned off (horrible cockpit cut scene).

Why on earth would you want to ad visual-effects (fake airplanes, fake explosions) onto an IMAX film that is supposed to bring the audience into the life and experience of a fighter pilot? It totally illegitimizes the experience.

The only part of the film I enjoyed was our hero's inital takeoff towards Nellis. Absolutely stunning view and perspective with ZERO special effects. That is what I thought IMAX films were supposed to be all about.

If you want legitimate experiences of flying, I suggest "Speed and Angels" and "Magic of Flight". Those show military aviation how they should be shown, with ZERO visual-effects that will blow you away.

The IMAX film Fighter Pilot Operation Red Flag is a fun and educational film that takes you into the exilarating and dangerous world of today's fighter pilots through the eyes of one of the best and brightest pilots anywhere in the world. The film first introduces you to a young pilot who is going through a very personal journey to compete with some of the best fighter pilots from all around the world and take part in what has been called one of the most dangerous exercises next to going into combat at a Nevada air base where pilots show their stuff in Operation Red Flag. The film's cinematography puts the viewer right into the cockpit with the pilots to experience their world up close and personal and first hand where not everyone gets a chance to see. The documentary shows midair dogfights, a rescue to find a down pilot and bring him back from behind enemy lines and of course, the unsung heroes on the ground who without their support none of the pilots would ever get off the ground. There's everything from firefighters, to ordinance specialists, and air traffic controllers monitoring the pilot's every move while in the air. What I like most about Fighter Pilot is not just the human story behind it about a young pilot becoming part of a team and proving something to himself but also the action packed images of the firefighters and the PJ's or Pararescue jumpers whose job it is to rescue pilots in distress and bring them home alive. The fighter pilot's job is to destroy the enemy and the rescuers job is to save lives so other may live. If your a fan of Top Gun or the new film Stealth or you're just curious about considering a career in the air force as a fighter pilot then Fighter Pilot Operation Red flag is a must see and a must own for any airplane or pilot fanatic.

I saw this movie in an Imax theater. I loved it and couldn't wait for it to come out on DVD. I've rarely seen a a movie with such great, up-close shots of the action. This movie makes you want to go out and sign up to be a fighter pilot! (Well, I already wanted to do that, but this movie will make you REALLY want to do that). I'm a girl and I loved it. I can only imagine that guys will love this movie just as much.

I am an F-15A fighter pilot with 18 years flying fighters, including the A-10 and F/A-18. I thought this might be a fun movie to show my ten year old daughter what her daddy does every day, so I took her to see it in an IMAX theater. From a real fighter pilot's perspective, it was nothing short of awful.
Standard mamby-pamby story about a young fighter pilot with a legacy to a relative with fighter experience in World War II who realizes his dream to fly fighters (OK, heart warming and my story is even somewhat similar, but talk about laying it on thick!). The flying scenes are overly scripted and inaccurate, not to mention repetitive, and there are self protection flares popping out of every fighter endlessly even when they wouldn't be expended in real life (the film maker obviously thought the visual aspect of this was stunning and included it constantly)-what's more, there is a loud "POOF" sound every time one pops out that is incredibly annoying. I've expended thousands of flares in 18 years - I've never heard a "Poof" (of course I'm in the jet - maybe they do!). The main characters, who are all real Air Force people (oh man, they must have taken a massive ribbing from their squadron mates) are incredibly hokey and what's more, most of the "comm" between aircraft is nothing like actual fighter pilot military lingo, and some major on an AWACS does not direct every aspect of the air battle in a RED FLAG. Once the air battle begins in the movie, it is presented in a a Video game/Arcade type format that is incredibly simplistic. Why they just didn't use real RFMDS (Red Flag Measuring and Debriefing System) tapes adapted for film use showing the God's eye view of an actual Red Flag battle is beyond me - that's what we actually view after we all land and go back to that massive debrief auditorium they kept showing all the stone faced pilots in (professional, aren't they?). A real Red Flag debrief is fascinating stuff and far more interesting than the bogus animated "video game" footage used in the movie. Again it appears the film maker and the Air Force probably thought it all a stylized "MTV" like way to get whatever message they were trying to send to the public without confusing them. OK, so if you're a real military pilot, don't bother with this one - it makes "Iron Eagle" look like an Academy Award winner. However, as noted in other reviews, if you're a civilian that likes to see military jets up close making loud noises and dig a lot of fake, fiery explosions and the like - you just may love it. Just realize that the "story" is just that - wildly simplified and over stylized and not very accurate. When I walked out of the theater with my daughter, she asked, "So is that what you do every day, Daddy?" I just shrugged and said, "Not really - but I do fly one of those jets that goes "Poof" all the time." Oh well, as usual, the Air Force missed the mark in the P.R. department - a lot of potential completely squandered.

I am very surprised IMAX made this since I thought they were good at showing the real thing, but I must have been wrong. Some of the scenes, like the A-10s "bombing" the tanks, are fake. I guess it was for safety, but come on, this should be a real movie, not some crazy Hollywood action. I would much rather have seen real strafing and bombing runs from a distance then fake explosions from close. Other things, such as the AWACS scene, look fake too. I have been in the E-3 sentry and know the screens they showed are completely fake. The real plane doesn't look like that at all. There are also some scenes were cockpits somehow instantly change variants. Like in a few scenes, the views kept changing from an F-15C to an F-15E. There are several more issues I found that makes the video look very fake. These might not matter to someone who wants to see an action movie, but for an IMAX movie, they are unacceptable.

I purchased this, like my blueray player on a whim. It sat unwatched for a couple of weeks until today. OMG - if you like military aviation - there is nothing better out there. The photography is incredible. Be warned - there are some inflight combat shots that I had to rewind to make sure they were real - they are. It is just that you have never seen it from the perspective that It was shot - amazing stuff. Tip: crank up your surround sound and sub woofer. Some of the take off scenes in particular sound and feel like you are standing right there on the flightlne when they take off - simply awesome .

On the topic of the NTSC disc possibly not playing in "multizone" players outside of zone 1, I am happy to say that my JVC home theatre system (in Zone 2, PAL television country South Africa) had no problem in playing it in it's full glory. Despite it being obvious that quite a bit of the move was "staged", it doesn't detract enough from sheer moments of power, where surround sound comes to its right like never before, to warrant it not being given 5 out of 5. The Windows High Definition product also creates visuals on my computer monitor that has not been matched closely by anything else ever.
Despite the high cost of having it sent all the way to South Africa, it has already a "money well spent" item to me. No regrets (on the contrary, constant pats on the back!) on having taken the chance to purchase this product!
Hanno Liebenberg
Cape Town, South Africa