I Think I Missed Something: Reviewing Red Tails

Last night, I was happily invited along to join my friend Steph and her husband Ryan to watch a screening of Red Tails at the Fox Studios Lot.

 Geek out moment: The lot is AWESOME! My inner tourist wanted to run around every where snapping pictures of Moe's Cafe, the fake New York(?) street, the giant murals painted everywhere. SO.COOL. But I knew I had to keep my shit together, so I just walked around in awe grinning from ear to ear while trying to not look too eager. I'm gonna have to find a way to go visit friends who work there.

 Going into the movie, I was very excited. Coming out of the movie, I was bummed at how disappointed I was.

 To set the record straight, yup, I'm a white chick. Yup, I'm ignorant about a lot of history. But somehow, I was raised to know injustice when I see it, to believe that we are all equal, and that there is an infinite amount of power in the art of storytelling so that it connects us all. Storytelling is such a powerful tool, and when you use it to pay tribute to someone, to educate people who know nothing about another person's struggle, you're using it to help connect to something bigger than the individual. Personally, whether fictional or not, I want to see how we come out alive, how we survive, how we become better people. So when I walk into Red Tails, I want to know that George Lucas has spared no expense in the effects, or in the writing, the editing, or the casting. I want to know he hired a fantastic crew and cast to tell the story of the Tuskegee Airmen.

 I felt like George Lucas produced a fairy tale. Here's the Bad Guy. Here are the Good Guys. Here's their struggle. Here's every shot clean and beautiful and glossy. Here's the Happy Ending. It felt like watching the Special Edition of Star Wars - every thing was so sharp and crisp and clean, it no longer felt real. Yes, I know Star Wars is fantastical, but man did you feel like every single atom in the movie was textured, layered, and palpable. It's part of what drew me into the universe and the struggle of the characters.

 I loved the cast, even if they were given some badly written lines. I especially loved David Oyelowo, as Joe "Lightning" Little. But did every word out of Terrence Howard's mouth have to sound like an epic moment with the music swelling, each and every time? The action sequences were really great to watch, especially the train blowing up. But did every set up of a fight have to feel so campy?

 I didn't feel like war was hell unless we were in battle in the movie. But I thought every moment was hell. I thought soldiers fought every day, every moment to feel human in the indignities of battle. I feel like Lucas poured a hell of a lot of money into giving us a glossed over, pretty version of the experience of The Tuskegee Airmen and the men they fought to protect.

 I don't know - I feel conflicted. I wanted to love this movie. I wanted to feel proud of the homage paid to our WW2 vets. I wanted to know that I saw historical facts in play, and that I could learn and relate through the experiences of our protagonists. But maybe I'm over thinking it all. Maybe, if I really wanted to learn something, I should just get off my ass and do some research my damn self and just enjoy the entertainment in front me. Maybe if I'm looking to be moved by the subject matter at hand, I should just watch The Tuskegee Airmen with Laurence Fishburne from 1995. (Which Cuba Gooding Jr. was also in). I just feel that Lucas produced a bad film, and it's such a shame when the stories, the people, the situations are so rich in every element. The Tuskegee Airmen did so much for our country, I feel that they are owed at the very least, from my world of Storytellers, the best job that can be done of sharing an amazing story.

 Did I miss the boat? Was I supposed to know that I was watching a fairy tale from the very beginning? If that's the case, I still think something was amiss in the execution of said fairy tale.

Go see it and tell me what you think.

My Dad Was on TV! He's so famous.

Back in September,  my dad made an appearance on a public access show called, "Living Longer, Living Better." They were taping a Veteran's Day episode and were fortunate it enough to have two Tuskegee Airmen join them, as well as my dad, (served on the USS Bon Homme Richard and another man who served aboard the USS Hornet.

Dad, aka Stephen T. Robinson, to all you folk, served his country from 1968 to 1971. He's very proud of his contribution. He was a boiler tender - he endured quite a lot of heat, to say the least. I'm very proud of him as well. I love hearing his stories about his experiences on board. Sometimes it's hard for me to process it all, so I take it in smaller chunks. (Kinda like if my mom wanted to tell me more about working in insurance. Or if Rocky wanted to tell me what it's like working in a TV studio as an Engineer, (he knows and does SO much!) I like hearing the experiences, but the technicalities sometimes just float on by). *kind pat of understanding*

Aww, isn't he handsome? 

 Dad's Caption: "I'm the one with his elbow hanging over, just above the K in deck. We're watching the Miss USA ladies wave at other ships."

As far as the show goes, I feel like the host didn't know what she was getting into, when she interviewed the Tuskegee Airmen. Boy, did I want to hear all that they had to say. I want at least a whole hour with them. From what Dad said, LeRoy is a firecracker. Dad was able to get their autographs and talked with them a bit. He was tickled, to say the least. Dad's in the second half of the interview, and he and his mustache do a fine job on screen. Ha! I'm also proud of him, in that he was himself. Truly, that's the hardest thing for me to be on camera! He wasn't frozen, he was calm, and came across really nicely. He's a natural at being natural. 

To note, Rocky did the voiceover for the show, and I'm pretty sure he did the editing. He probably even did some camera work. I don't know, he's all over the place with his talents and technical abilities. Let me tell you this, if you want someone to help out in any production for TV or film - you best want Rocky Robinson on your team. Okay, back to Dad and the show....

Enjoy!

Living Longer - Living Better Show 01 from Peninsula TV on Vimeo.