Review: Masters of the Air, Another Great War Series from Spielberg and Hanks

Air Date: Friday, January 26, 2024 on Apple+

Reviewer Rating: 4 Stars ★★★★★

“We lead our boys through it.” – Major Gale “Buck” Cleven

Masters of the Air is the inspiring story of Major Gale “Buck” Cleven (Austin Butler) and the heroic group of young pilots of the 100th bomber group duringWorld War II.

Created by John Shiban and John Orloff, the show is based on the 2007 novel Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany by Donald L. Miller. This series is the third entry from executive producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks; the other two include Band of Brothers and The Pacific.

The crew of Masters of the Air may have thought it odd Butler’s choice of accent when he first speaks as Buck. Coming fresh off his role as Elvis in Baz Luhrmann’s film of the same name, Butler seems unable to shake the musician’s recognizable voice. While Elvis starred in several films, having Butler channel his Elvis impression while playing Buck is extremely distracting and took me out of 80% of his otherwise outstanding performance. It reminds me of an interview that Matt Damon did when explaining how excited he was to work with John Malkovich in 1998’s Rounders because I’m sure not everyone was prepared for Malkovich’s peculiar accent he chose for his character. Although, Butler isn’t on the same level as Malkovich, and I can’t believe someone high up didn’t address this.

One risk any film involving air combat faces is humanizing the battles. It’s one thing to have a group of troops fighting in a foxhole, but there’s an emotional disconnect in watching planes buzzing through the sky. Masters of the Air masterfully finds a balance between mesmerizing aerial combat and putting the viewer inside the aircraft while being riddled with bullets. You realize the plane is essentially dying, all while the troops try to keep it in the air.

The biggest thing Masters of the Air has going against it is unlike Band of Brothers, which follows a unit from basic training through the end of the war. Nicknamed the “Bloody Hundredth,” the high casualty rate for bombers makes it almost impossible to track a similar group. Because of this, characters like Major John Egan (Callum Turner), Major Harry Crosby (Anthony Boyle), Lt. Curtis Biddick (Barry Keoghan), and many others give great yet short-lived performances. Except for Butler, who the series is marketed around, the other actors are forgettable because of the revolving door of characters.

One of the things the series does better than its two counterparts is tackle depression and what these young men go through during war. The scenes are well done making one pause and appreciate what these men went through, both physically and mentally.

Despite its overall popularity, Band of Brothers can be brutal to binge, with much of the story taking place behind enemy lines, explosions, and gunfire happening at any moment. Characters and audiences are constantly on edge, wondering when the next shot will ring out. In comparison, once the bombs were dropped in Masters of the Air, the survivors return to base in ally territory. Don’t get me wrong, the series has its fair share of blood and gore, but audiences are able to catch their breath before things heat up again.

My biggest gripe about Masters of the Air is it feels like the studio realized the series lacked diversity midway through production. Fearing a social media backlash, the writers quickly introduce the Red Tails, a group of African American pilots who flew in World War II. Their introduction as the series wraps up seems rushed, and you aren’t given a chance to know the characters. Perhaps this is precisely how they fit into the story, but their scenes come across as an afterthought that deserves better. I encourage anyone who enjoyed Masters of the Air to check out the 2012 Lucasfilm movie Red Tails, starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Terrence Howard.

Masters of the Air is a powerful military drama, making it a must-watch series for 2024. With a massive budget of $250 million, the series, filmed in the UK, is visually breathtaking on land and in the air. It makes a beautiful addition to the Band of Brothers and The Pacific family.

The Highly Anticipated New Series Masters of the Air Starring Austin Butler Will Premiere Friday, January 26 Only On Apple+

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.