I had limited expectations, BoB and the Pacific were great, but I felt that this was largely because they fit the eras in which they were released, respectively being a 90s and 00s perspectives on Western warfare. While I still love BoB (MEDIIIC!!!), the Pacific has held up a bit better, in part because it more consistently and varyingly depicts the futility and confusion of war. The trailers of Masters of the Air definitely were closer to BoB (unsurprising regarding the theatre of war it focuses on), and I was not that interested in some reductive version of BoB. While the first two episodes confirmed this to some extent, I was still entertained. The performances by the main actors are probably the biggest reason for this, possibly combined with the novelty of aerial warfare from a bomber's perspective. For now, I am in, though I hope for some more complexity regarding these bombing campaigns. I can also imagine that these bombing runs can get tedious. Being in the air does not allow for a change of terrain, and the nature of the mission (bomb something) is not likely to change much tactically.
Regarding the inability to distinguish characters, I initially had the same issues with BoB and the Pacific. One of my favourite series of the last few years - season 1 of The Terror - also had a lot of similar looking men in uniform and facial covers. However, because these series rewarded you for recognising (minor) characters, it did increase their re-watchability to some extent. If Masters of the Air pays the same attention to major and minor character arcs, for me the issue will solve itself in the end. Let's see.
Lead Band of Brothers Brit was a man who has a career of playing Americans in major cable series. I’m referring to the man most known as Nicholas Brody and Bobby Axelrod: Damian Lewis , here playing the commander of Easy Company, Major Dick Winters.
Having watched Austin Butler on Life Unexpected & The Carrie Diaries while they aired and enjoying him but not thinking he'd be a star it is so odd to me to see him referred to as a big movie star (even though he undeniably is one now)
I'm not sure how I feel about this show using stars like him & Koeghan considering one of the great things about Band of Brothers (whose many many many stars in the making it had) and The Pacific (Rami Malek!) was that they used such relative unknowns
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed both episodes. We also watched Greyhound yesterday, the Pacific recently, and Band of Brothers last year sometime. Well, I enjoy them at least. My wife enjoys me enjoying them I think.
I admit I did have a bit of a hard time following who people were.
Yes, it's incredibly hard not only to know who is who when they're flying, but (and this may just be me) also harder to hear them with the masks on. I found that particularly annoying in Episode 2.
So, yeah, Sawyer Spielberg is in the cast (Steven's son). I think we've already seen him, but again, this cast is huge. It's easy to miss who is who.
I am hoping the series gets better as by episode 2 I was already starting to worry about it's narrative power to sustain my interest.
Haven't watched it yet and I was wondering if I would. From this review, I think I will. And I appreciate you not jumping ahead since there's always a possibility of some later development coloring a review of an earlier episode.
I had limited expectations, BoB and the Pacific were great, but I felt that this was largely because they fit the eras in which they were released, respectively being a 90s and 00s perspectives on Western warfare. While I still love BoB (MEDIIIC!!!), the Pacific has held up a bit better, in part because it more consistently and varyingly depicts the futility and confusion of war. The trailers of Masters of the Air definitely were closer to BoB (unsurprising regarding the theatre of war it focuses on), and I was not that interested in some reductive version of BoB. While the first two episodes confirmed this to some extent, I was still entertained. The performances by the main actors are probably the biggest reason for this, possibly combined with the novelty of aerial warfare from a bomber's perspective. For now, I am in, though I hope for some more complexity regarding these bombing campaigns. I can also imagine that these bombing runs can get tedious. Being in the air does not allow for a change of terrain, and the nature of the mission (bomb something) is not likely to change much tactically.
Regarding the inability to distinguish characters, I initially had the same issues with BoB and the Pacific. One of my favourite series of the last few years - season 1 of The Terror - also had a lot of similar looking men in uniform and facial covers. However, because these series rewarded you for recognising (minor) characters, it did increase their re-watchability to some extent. If Masters of the Air pays the same attention to major and minor character arcs, for me the issue will solve itself in the end. Let's see.
Lead Band of Brothers Brit was a man who has a career of playing Americans in major cable series. I’m referring to the man most known as Nicholas Brody and Bobby Axelrod: Damian Lewis , here playing the commander of Easy Company, Major Dick Winters.
I binged Band of Brothers for the first time in years recently on a Australia-UK flight and goddamn does it hold up beautifully.
Damian Lewis is so, so good in it.
Having watched Austin Butler on Life Unexpected & The Carrie Diaries while they aired and enjoying him but not thinking he'd be a star it is so odd to me to see him referred to as a big movie star (even though he undeniably is one now)
I'm not sure how I feel about this show using stars like him & Koeghan considering one of the great things about Band of Brothers (whose many many many stars in the making it had) and The Pacific (Rami Malek!) was that they used such relative unknowns
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed both episodes. We also watched Greyhound yesterday, the Pacific recently, and Band of Brothers last year sometime. Well, I enjoy them at least. My wife enjoys me enjoying them I think.
I admit I did have a bit of a hard time following who people were.
Greyhound is really great. Super underrated.
Yes, it's incredibly hard not only to know who is who when they're flying, but (and this may just be me) also harder to hear them with the masks on. I found that particularly annoying in Episode 2.
So, yeah, Sawyer Spielberg is in the cast (Steven's son). I think we've already seen him, but again, this cast is huge. It's easy to miss who is who.
I am hoping the series gets better as by episode 2 I was already starting to worry about it's narrative power to sustain my interest.
Haven't watched it yet and I was wondering if I would. From this review, I think I will. And I appreciate you not jumping ahead since there's always a possibility of some later development coloring a review of an earlier episode.