Nonureva Really Surprised!

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

thinker1691 Here is a movie straight out of the annals of World War Two. The Japanese Empire was sweeping through Asia and destroying large parts of mainland China. Few of their adversaries were able to stop them, but one unit made history, by encountering them over the skies of China. In 1940-41 General Claire Chennault formed a mercenary group of American Flighter pilots to combat the invading Japanese. The movie based on their exploits is called " Flying Tigers " and star's John Wayne as Capt. Jim Gordon. Although an America propaganda film, it was designed to stimulate America's involvement in the war. Later, it came to symbolize America's contribution to the multi-national effort to fight the Japanese. The movie is in Black and White, crude, coarse and blatantly patriotic. Still it gave a boost to morale at a time when things were not going well for the U.S. or China. As a result with the additional cast of John Carroll, Paul Kelly, Gordon Jones and Edmund MacDonald as 'Blackie Bales' the movie succeeds in creating a rousing yarn of heroic young men and the niche they created over the Asian skies. ****

pepperbud Unfortunately the makers of this movie had a great chance to make a really factual and very exciting movie about the American Volunteer Group(AVG) aka the Flying Tigers, but they blew it. Too bad... I think most of the planes are not what was used at the time (1941-1942). And John Wayne was not even close to Claire Chennault was all about. The real story of the Flying Tigers was much more exciting and filled with some real juicy slices of life. If you don't believe me, just ask some of the people that were in the Flying Tigers and lived those exciting days. Dick Rossi, Tex Hill and Jane Hanks are a few of those people. Jane especially does not like this movie. I agree with Jane.

bkoganbing The Flying Tigers and God Is My Co-Pilot are the two films out of World War II which are dedicated to the American volunteers who flew for the nascent Chinese Air Force both before and after America officially got into World War II. Though this film is based on fictional people it holds up a lot better than God Is My Co-Pilot because it avoids the racial stereotyping of the Japanese. The Japanese are seen, but only in aerial combat shots with no dialog. And it's true they did have a nasty habit of machine gunning fliers while they were parachuting down, no avoiding that.The main plot of the film is John Wayne as the disciplined leader of this particular squadron of Flying Tigers based somewhere in western China and an old and rather undisciplined friend John Carroll in a rivalry over nurse Anna Lee. Carroll's irresponsibility causes the death of one man and maybe another.Still he's not a bad sort, just an overgrown kid. Carroll actually has the best moment in the film consoling Mae Clarke the widow of one of the Flying Tigers.Some nice aerial combat shots are in this film and it really should be seen today to explain some of the Chinese attitudes towards the Japanese today. We got into World War II on December 7, 1941 which in fact the men in Wayne's squadron hear about in the film. The Chinese were essentially at war with Japan starting in 1931 with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. It was a longer struggle for them than for any other country.Other performances of note are Paul Kelly as Wayne's second in command and Gordon Jones are Carroll's sidekick. Check it out if it is shone on TCM.

jerrymack I just saw Flying Tigers for the tenth or so time on AMC, and I really enjoyed it. I took me back to when I was a kid. I had a model of this airplane complete with the shark mouth (even though it was supposed to be a "tiger." I noticed that one of the other commenters was able to recognize the two different types of P-40 airplanes used in making the movie. He certainly seems to know his old fighter planes. Anyway, I am curious as to what kind of an airplane John Wayne and the other guy were flying trying to drop the nitro on the Japanese. It is a small twin-engine enger plane but it has an unusual tail design having triple rudders and dual horizontal stabilizers. I have been Googling for hours, and I cannot find that airplane anywhere. I would appreciate any information. Thanks. --jer