This is a typical Hollywood movie made to contribute to the war effort during WWII, using all available means, in this case, cinema. It's a blend of war propaganda to raise awareness of the country's war effort and promote the sale of war bonds, while also serving as a call for new recruits.
For fans of WWII war films, especially those set in the world of aviation, it's undoubtedly an interesting movie. It showcases the training required to become a bombardier, with a focus on precision bombing training, a perspective rarely seen before and not replicated in later films. It can provide a complementary view for fans of the celebrated "12 O'Clock High" series, which omits this training aspect in its production.
The narrative is straightforward and linear, with the actors delivering decent performances without any particular standout.
As always, it's intriguing to watch a movie made during the same period as the events it portrays, as it usually features accurate uniforms and vehicles. However, in this case, it's worth noting that the final mission over Nagoya, depicted in the film, couldn't have been carried out by the B-17 bombers shown because it was beyond the reach of Allied bases in the Pacific. This aspect detracts from the film's credibility in portraying the events. In reality, these planes were later deployed in the Mediterranean theater, where they were used extensively.
One surprising aspect of the film is the clear portrayal of the effort to conceal the Norden bomb sight, a targeting system. In reality, the crews were instructed to destroy it in case of bailout. Yet, the film shows it, which might have been seen by enemies. However, the film doesn't reveal the exact workings of the system, so it might have served as a warning to demoralize the enemy. Lastly, when the pilot orders the crew to bail out due to a control failure, in reality, the manual procedure included attempting to restart the engines as a last resort, something not depicted in the film but done by a crew member who chose not to bail out.
Overall, it's a fairly decent movie with good shots for its time, although it doesn't particularly stand out in terms of cinematic quality.
