It’s no secret that Hollywood is obsessed with war movies. They always have been, and they consistently win awards. Movies like 1917, All Quiet on the Western Front, Saving Private Ryan, and most recently, Oppenheimer have dominated at award ceremonies like the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Still, unlike the increasing amount of movies, there seems to be a lack of TV shows focusing on the topic.
Created by John Orloff, Masters of the Air follows the challenges the 100th Bomb Group, also known as the Bloody Hundredth, faced while fighting in the sky against the Germans. Masters of the Air is the third WWII series spearheaded by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, who previously developed the 2001 critically acclaimed Band of Brothers and the companion piece The Pacific, which premiered in 2010. Both were largely successful, with Band of Brothers being the most notable and paved the way for other World War drama series.
With a star-studded cast, it’s no surprise that Masters of the Air is filled with spectacular performances. After his striking performance as Elvis, Austin Butler retook the screen as the brave Major Gale “Buck” Cleven. Featuring complementary stars like Callum Turner and Barry Keoghan, the show wonderfully captures emotional and captivating performances that will keep you on the edge of your seat; however, none of the characters are given enough screen time and depth for viewers to be invested in each individual character’s story fully. It’s a shame because all these characters have just as interesting stories as anyone else in the company and their stories should be given more time.
Not only does the show center around a pivotal point in history, but it also has an interesting history itself. Masters of the Air, initially, began production back in 2012, and it was confirmed in 2013 that HBO would be making a third World War II mini-series in the same vein as Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Then, after being in the making for more than a decade, Masters of the Air was brought back into the public eye when Apple TV bought the exclusive streaming rights from HBO, and 11 years after the show was originally announced, Masters of the Air finally hit TV screens.
While the show has spectacular cinematography, accurate details and astonishing aviation scenes, the flaws plaguing the series drag the series down from the sky.
Since Masters of the Air is a companion show, it’s expected that the general public would compare it to its award-winning predecessor. Band of Brothers was considered to be one of the best war mini-series due to its realism and accuracy. The filmmakers took the episodes on location in order to get the gorgeous scenery and imagery. Band of Brothers wasn’t just special because of its accuracy; it took a light-hearted and hopeful approach to WWII that audiences enjoyed more than the darker tones in The Pacific. While Masters of the Air does have potential, it reaches for darker more gruesome tones, which makes sense because of the history of the group but als0 make it a harder watch for audiences.
Masters of the Air is based on Donald L. Miller’s 2006 book of the same name, and while the show does center on the same events, the book covers the entirety of the 100th Bomb Group’s experiences through descriptive and impactful profiles of the various airmen. This broader scope allows more time to get to know the airmen and to understand the grueling circumstances and experiences that they went through. Like Band of Brothers and The Pacific, Masters of the Air takes its non-fiction counterpart to build its story; however, most of the basis for the narrative was done through original research by the writing department.
While the show has spectacular cinematography, accurate details and astonishing aviation scenes, the flaws plaguing the series drag the series down from the sky. Pacing is one of the most important aspects of any show or movie and can make or break a production for the audience. Masters of the Air‘s pacing is all over the place, which makes it really hard to get into the show, and while it does get better throughout the show, having really slow pacing in the beginning can turn audiences away who can’t get involved in the first episode.
Masters of the Air seeks to tell the gut-wrenching story of the 100th Bomb Group as they risked their lives to fight the Germans in the sky for the first time, and managed to bring their story to a brand new audience. While it doesn’t reach the level of emotional impact and audience reception as Band of Brothers, Masters of the Air delivers a compelling aviation story about a fierce group of men who face the worst of the worst during their time fighting in WWII.
Michael Darter • Apr 7, 2024 at 11:59 am
Very interesting writing. I would greatly like to tell you of my search for my MIA brother who also flew in Mighty Eighth. See Vanished In Valor on Amazon. questions for you. Thanks.