Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- heroic
- tense
- earnest
- aviation movie night
- historical war film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as a poorly scripted and historically revisionist war spectacle weakened by mediocre acting and unconvincing CGI combat.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Lafayette Escadrille's biplane missions and German ambushes provide the film's defining visual and action framework.
American youths join the French military before U.S. entry into World War I and gradually develop a shared military identity.
The fictionalized squadron's exploits and heroism are explicitly presented as becoming the stuff of legend.
The unit brings together a Texas rancher, a Nebraska youth, a Black boxer in France, and a New York swell.
Films like Flyboys, and why
The Blue Max
shares first world war aviation combat, volunteer fighter pilots, aerial heroics, and a heightened military drama tone
Aces High
shares first world war fighter-pilot action, squadron camaraderie, and fatalistic aerial combat
Pearl Harbor
shares historical war drama, pilot protagonists, large-scale combat sequences, and romantic subplotting
Movie Details
- Director
- Tony Bill
- Release Date
- 2006-09-22
- Runtime
- 138 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (875)
Cast
- James Franco
- David Ellison
- Jean Reno
- Philip Winchester
- Todd Boyce
- Mac McDonald
- Abdul Salis
- Karen Ford
- Scott Hazell
- Ruth Bradley
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Philo
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Flyboys about?
- American volunteers find courage, loyalty, and romance in the perilous skies of World War I France.
- What is Flyboys like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Flyboys as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Flyboys violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Flyboys as moderate.
- What did critics think of Flyboys?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as a poorly scripted and historically revisionist war spectacle weakened by mediocre acting and unconvincing CGI combat.
- Which films are like Flyboys?
- Films with a similar feel include The Blue Max, Aces High, and Pearl Harbor.
- How long is Flyboys?
- Flyboys runs 138 minutes.
- Where can I watch Flyboys?
- In United States, Flyboys streams on fuboTV, Philo.
