User reviews

Masters of the Air is every bit as good as I hoped it would be. There are a ton of war movies and series to choose from so if you're going to take the time to watch one it would have to be pretty special and stick out from the rest. Well, Masters of the Air definitely does that. Watching this is worth every second. This is a star studded cast both in front and behind the camera. It's produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the same two who made the perfect Band of Brothers. The cast is also amazing. It stars a pair of Oscar nominees from last year in Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan, it also stars a handful of up and coming stars in Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, etc. The story takes place during World War II. It's about the airmen who risk their lives and the brotherhood of the 100th Bomb Group. This has the feel and look of a big blockbuster summer movie. You can tell Apple put in a lot of money into this and it's beautiful. Just make sure you put enough time aside before you start because you're going to want to binge it as fast as you can.

This show was beautiful and heartbreaking.

The costumes were prefect.

All the actors were so professional and believeable, it was easy to forget I was watching a show.

I got sucked in and didn't come back out until it was over and then I watched it two more times.

The depiction of what the men went through was astounding.

The action scenes were so intense I could feel it in my chest.

They were gut wrenching and horrific.

I could never have imagine how terrifying it must have been for the men who really went through this.

It was a beautiful honor and tribute to the Airforce Men, who fought and died, in World War II.

The movie is insightful, towards the history of war. The movie shows the what happen during world war 2, a war that just hit the world, but hit the every nation. Hitlers attempt in conquering the west and the east was a mindset of the previous conquerors which had to make or make in reality. Now that the allies are its feet to contest Hitlers plan, the allies knew what to do, to take him down and the while fleet.

Allies should unite in the battle to win again Hitler amd his comrads. In this way, allies can end up the war. It may take lives during the battle but thay have to. They need to fight Hitlers team just to save many.

Masters of the Air is a gripping and intense exploration of the air campaigns conducted by the Air Force during World War II. The series, a continuation of the tradition set by Band of Brothers and The Pacific, delves into the lives of the bomber crews who played a crucial role in the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. Across its episodes, the series captures the brutality of war, the camaraderie of men in battle, and the profound psychological effects of conflict. With its focus on air warfare, Masters of the Air offers a different perspective on World War II, illuminating the often-overlooked contributions and sacrifices of bomber pilots and crews.

One of the most compelling aspects of the series is its focus on the human experience of war. While the action sequences are breathtaking and provide a visceral representation of air combat, it is the intimate portrayal of the men aboard the bombers that elevates the series. The characters are given depth and complexity, with the series taking the time to explore their motivations, fears, and struggles. Whether it's the tension before a mission, the relief of survival, or the guilt of witnessing fellow airmen perish, the emotional weight of the show is palpable. The relationships between the men are at the heart of the story, and the series does an excellent job of portraying the bond formed by shared trauma.

From a thematic standpoint, Masters of the Air explores several important issues, including the dehumanizing effects of war, the fine line between heroism and survival, and the moral dilemmas faced by soldiers. One of the most striking themes is the psychological toll of the bombing campaigns. The men are tasked with delivering death and destruction from above, often targeting civilians. The series doesn't shy away from depicting the ethical ambiguity of their actions, and many of the characters struggle with the morality of their missions. This exploration of guilt and responsibility adds layers of complexity to the series, reminding viewers that even those who fight on the right side of history are not immune to the moral consequences of their actions.

The series excels in its technical execution, with the direction and cinematography capturing both the grandeur and horror of the air battles. The aerial combat sequences are breathtaking, filled with stunning visuals of bomber formations, enemy fighters, and the chaos of anti-aircraft fire. The use of CGI is impressive and realistic, enhancing the immersive experience of the air combat without distracting from the human drama. The production design and attention to historical detail are also remarkable, with the bombers, uniforms, and settings all meticulously recreated to provide an authentic period feel. The sound design is another standout element, with the roar of engines and the thunder of explosions providing a visceral sense of the danger these men faced.

Despite its many strengths, Masters of the Air is not without its flaws. One of the series' challenges is maintaining a consistent narrative momentum. The episodic structure, while allowing for character development, sometimes leads to pacing issues. Some episodes focus heavily on the action, while others slow down to explore the emotional aftermath of combat. This imbalance can make the series feel uneven at times, as the shifts in tone and focus occasionally disrupt the narrative flow. Additionally, while the show does an admirable job of fleshing out its main characters, some of the secondary characters feel underdeveloped, leaving certain relationships and subplots feeling incomplete.

The performances in the series are outstanding, with the cast delivering powerful portrayals of men under extreme pressure. The actors bring nuance to their roles, skillfully portraying the psychological toll of war. The lead performances stand out, particularly in moments of quiet reflection or emotional breakdown. The show's ability to balance large-scale action with intimate, character-driven moments is one of its greatest strengths, and much of that credit goes to the actors. Their portrayals of camaraderie, fear, and resilience feel authentic and deeply moving, grounding the series' epic scope in personal stories.

The editing and pacing of Masters of the Air are generally well-executed, although, as previously mentioned, some episodes struggle with pacing. The moments of tension during combat are perfectly timed, with the editing building suspense and intensity. However, the quieter, reflective scenes are occasionally drawn out, which can slow the overall rhythm of the show. That said, the slower moments are often necessary to give the characters room to breathe and for the audience to process the emotional gravity of the story. The series strikes a delicate balance between action and introspection, though not always perfectly.

One of the most impactful elements of Masters of the Air is its focus on the theme of survival. Unlike many war series that celebrate victory and heroism, this show emphasizes the arbitrary nature of survival in war. Men live or die based on luck as much as skill, and the randomness of death is a constant undercurrent throughout the series. This existential theme adds to the emotional weight of the show, as viewers are reminded that every successful mission comes at a high cost, and every surviving soldier carries the burden of those who did not make it back.

In terms of historical importance, Masters of the Air succeeds in shedding light on a crucial but often overlooked aspect of World War II. While ground combat is frequently depicted in films and series, the air war over Europe is less often explored. This series does an excellent job of illustrating the strategic significance of the air campaigns, as well as the personal cost borne by the men who flew the missions. The show also touches on the broader societal impact of the war, particularly the psychological scars left on the soldiers and their difficulty reintegrating into civilian life after the conflict.

In conclusion, Masters of the Air is a powerful and thought-provoking war drama that captures the bravery, trauma, and complexity of the air campaigns during World War II. The series excels in its performances, direction, and technical execution, offering a visually stunning and emotionally resonant portrayal of war. While it has some pacing issues and occasionally struggles to maintain narrative momentum, the series' strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. It stands as a fitting tribute to the men of the Eighth Air Force, highlighting their courage while also acknowledging the psychological toll of their service. In the broader landscape of war series, Masters of the Air holds a significant place, contributing to a deeper understanding of the human experience of war.

Masters of the Air is a brilliant and astonishing miniseries centering around the U. S. Air Force during World War 2.

Produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, the same creators of Band of Brothers & The Pacific. This epic miniseries chronicles the lives of the brave men who fought in the air against the German air force during World War 2 and up until the end. Flying B17 bombers also known as "Flying Fortresses".

Aside of the stunning visuals of the air combats, the real element that makes this show special and heartful is the brotherhood and companionship between the pilots, the bond they share on and off the air.

As a big fan of the previous shows mentioned, I knew I would enjoy Masters of the Air at the same scale. The show follows the same format of having a main character recall his tales and narrate the story, same way Ricard Winters (Damian Lewis) did in Band of Brothers. In that case we have Lt. Harry Crosby (Anthony Boyle) who narrates his exploits and experience in the war, the friends he lost and the missions he's been to.

The cast is impressive and very talented. All actors are emotionally intact with their characters, in particular Anthony Boyle and Nate Mann who both do a great job of evoking emotion and empathy.

The score of the series is beautiful and well made. Composed by Blake Neely who also composed the score for The Pacific.

In conclusion, I'm happy to watch another series centering around one of the most important wars and turning points in human history. After watching the two other shows mentioned earlier, I was happy to encounter another tale of brotherhood and courage and experience a brave story of good vs evil.

He didn't think too much of the Hollywood "Memphis Belle". The B-17 movies he regarded the best are:

Memphis Belle (1944) 12 O'Clock High The War Lover

It's pretty sad that living memories of B-17 crews are gone now.

Some comments I can make based on long conversations with my dad about his combat experience:

1. The strain on the crews was terrible. They knew the odds against living through their tour were heavily against them. The airmen dealt with their fear in different ways, and it broke some of them. My dad just expected to die. The actors in MotA looked like they were having fun.

2. The odds of surviving the first 5 missions were about the same as surviving the rest of the tour, i.e. The crews learned. The series presented it as simply randomness in a shooting gallery. I'd like to have seen some bits about how the crews handled it and learned.

3. The show didn't really show much of any airmanship. Nor any of the variety of techniques the Luftwaffe used to penetrate their defenses. Such as the Luftwaffe pilots would aim for the B-17 cockpit. Nor anything about the aircrews fighting to bring home their damaged airplane and wounded crew.

4. Nothing much was said about how the crew coped with 60 degrees below zero and the lack of oxygen.

Some things are just lost knowledge. My dad would bring along two flak jackets. He didn't wear them, he put them on the floor and squatted on them. This is because the flak was designed to explode below the aircraft and shred it from below. I expect other crews did that, too, they weren't stupid.

He summed it up saying he wouldn't trade that experience for anything, and would not do it again for anything.

But still, the detail of the aircraft and beautiful photography made this a worthwhile series. Well recommended.

First of all let me start by saying that from a cinematic perspective this serie was beautifully made. The color grading was very nicely done. The actors however stayed a bit on the surface. I felt a bit of a lack of depth in the characters. I think It might be due to the many storylines.

The thing that annoyed me most though was the inaccuracy of facts. It made it appear that the RAF only had posh airmen while most of them came from working class families. And the dates and timing during the cours of the war was a little "played" with.

As a born and raised European the history of World War Two is embedded in our (school)system by our parents and grandparents who lived through the war and got in some ways traumatized by it.

Therefore doing a series about an important part of our past should be mindful of the few still alive by being accurate.

I've been counting down the days to Masters of the Air ever since I saw the first trailer. Well, it's finally here and it definitely lives up to all the hype. This limited series will definitely be nominated for every major award there is. You can tell this was expensive to make. Like many have already pointed out it's brought to you by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. While it's not quite as good as their other World War II series, Band of Brothers, it's still pretty darn good. The way this series shows all the struggles and humanity of war is brilliant. I've used the word a few times now because that's what this series is...brilliant. I can't say enough about the cast either. They do a great job pulling you into their world and make you really care for these characters. Don't miss this series.

I generally always watch the intro credits for big budget TV series - they are enjoyable - but this was the exception. Think I managed a couple and then had to skip them each time. They kind of sum of the series really, visually impressive but horribly Americanised over-schmaltz to the point the series is almost ruined. It's trying waaay too hard.

What could have been a gritty realistic document turns into more of an advert : perfectly framed good looking film stars posing in a stylised way. It never felt realistic.

It got better as it went on, but was initially repetitive, the pacing is odd as they whip through history, the characters struggle to remain memorable, the depiction of the RAF unforgivable. It's confused, is it trying to be historically accurate or just trot out comic book tropes to keep the US audience happy ?

On the plus side, the story is good (obviously) the visuals are great (CGI grates a little sometimes) and the aerial combat sequences are great.

Worth a watch if you are interested in the subject matter, but the schmaltz and delusion of grandeur are ultimately big flaws to overcome.

After having anticipated this for years, I was rather hesitant to watch it initially because I had heard some mixed reviews and some of the early clips I saw looked very heavily CGI.

That being said, while definitely flawed, overall the series delivered fantastically and am glad that media like this is continuing to be made.

Some of the criticisms I've been reading in the reviews are the classic Brit/Euro inferiority complex non-sense you see on literally every U. S.-focused WW2 media. "We did stuff too. It's not all about the USA. Blah, blah, blah". Let's be honest. They saw the depiction of the RAF officer early in the series and instantly soured on the whole show. This is a mini series about the USAAF, NOT the RAF or some other Allied faction. You just can't tell that many stories and do them all justice. The scene in question represented a very real debate at the time and AGAIN, this is shown from the USAAF perspective. Any of these assertions that this was undermining the RAF's contributions or that the U. S.'s strategy was superior and morally better than the Brits' is just absolute non-sense and total projection.

Similarly, the whining about the "tokenistic" depictions of the the French and Dutch resistances, as well as the Tuskegee Airmen are unfair. This series already struggles by trying to tell so many stories in one overall piece; it would be impossible to fully delve into any of these topics in a 1 hour show, over 9 episodes. On top of that, if those groups weren't included at all, then that would have been criticized, as well. I applaud the writers for including them as best they could, although I will acknowledge that it was hard to follow every storyline and some seemed shallow or without real conclusions.

On the heavy use of CGI...I was worried that this would become a bit too distracting and make everything seem a bit fake, kind of like Midway, however, it just would not have been possible to depict the scope of the air war the way they did without it. Overall, I think it was pretty good, and you get some pretty amazing visuals that, to me, are worth it even if it's a bit much at times.

The RAF lost 55000 out of 125000 aircrew on bombing missions. In June 1942 it launched 1000 bomber raids on Nazi Germany and became the technology leader in air warfare with tech that far surpassed the Norton bombsight. It was not crewed by arisyo toffs. It was a young force (1918) crewed mainly by middle class and working class Brits plus thousands of Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders, Poles, South Africans and others.

Do, why does Masters of the Air go out of its way to disrespect Britain and the RAF? The story of the 100th Bomb Group and the 8th Air Force is s monumental story that does not need to denigrate it's allies to score some cheap shot. The bombing campaign was a team effort and all the young men involved should be treated with the respect they deserve.

Masters of the Air, has the hallmarks of something which could be quite good. However the non stop bashing of the British, the pretending the British done nothing in the war is tiring beyond belief.

Considering the series had significant resources, huge investment and a strong cast - many would hope for serious writing and a more honest approach to what actually happened.

Watching master of the air - you would think America won the war single handed, never made mistakes and hated everything about Britain.

In the eyes of the series creators - All Brits speak posh, have no idea what to do in a war, are helpless and all go fox hunting.

It's time for Hollywood to take a more mature view on actual events.

This series takes the viewer from the B-17's flying from the US to Greenland and then on to England. BoB started with the training of Easy Co in GA. Pacific was similar to BoB. I felt like we missed out on knowing the characters here because they were just dumped on us and two of them were majors. I felt like I missed a couple of episodes and couldn't get caught up. I never got past the knowledge of the three or four main characters. The others all seemed alike and I couldn't differentiate them. The Tuskegee Airman seemed like an afterthought, but I'm glad they included them even though they weren't in the Eighth AF. Some people complain about CGI. I thought it was remarkable and I can't think of any other way it could have been done. Some reviewers have a problem with how the Brits were portrayed. I thought they were shown to be brave and resilient. Still, movies like this are a national treasure. The Eighth AF represents all our heroes who fought in the skies over Germany and Japan. The movie made sure the viewers knew Germany was pure evil in its intentions to conquer and subjugate the world. I would give BoB a 10, Pacific a 9, and this a solid 8.

I was quite excited by this new series with Spielberg and co at the helm. But after a few episodes the script took a turn for the worse, why belittle the RAF making out they are some toff graduates from Oxford or Cambridge, quite embarrassing really. Of course the Americans are the only heros in this, utter BS. Spielberg is a f?@king numpty. There were many brave men from all sides but as always the yanks saved the day single handedly where the RAF were buffoons. We all know the British have the best armed services in the world and between me and you the yanks are somewhat jealous, so they try and make themselves look better. Spielberg yawn off.

Let me start off by saying I really enjoyed the series, it was really quite good. The acting is good, the sets and costumes and characters are phenomenal. I feel like they really show you the horrors of war. Certainly some of the best depiction of aerial Combat I've seen (I can't test to its accuracy but it certainly kept me at the edge of my seat). But it should have been better and ultimately it's nothing I haven't seen before in other World War II films and series. That being said this is top caliber.

The main con being that so many characters come in and come out of the series that it's hard to get attached to many of the newer ones, even though large parts of the stories are built around them. I understand that they were trying to be somewhat historically accurate and that's why they kept bringing a new characters, but it just got hard to tell who was who and even when I couldn't remember peoples names, I didn't feel too much for them because I only know them for a few episodes. Also, this is really nitpicky, but the opening tile sequence is a little much. I always say Apple TV has some of the coolest tile sequences for their shows, this one was boring and cliché, and it really shows just how highly the show thought of itself.

All in all, if someone told me then you very about World War II and wanted to watch a good movie/series about it I would recommend this one. However, if you're a war film buff, it's nothing you haven't already seen.

Well, as many have already said, it's no Band of Brothers. It's not even The Pacific. I'm not sure why the RAF gets so much hate from Spielberg, but I guess if you're re-writing history to show that the USA single-handedly won WWII on its own, that's what you do.

Spielberg tries to portray the Americans as noble because they flew daytime 'targeted' missions even though in reality, this was deemed a complete failure and the US changed their tactics to a more 'destroy anything' response. Honestly, if I were British I'd be insulted by the toff Eton-educated caricatures this show pushes. It's dumb and lacks any kind of subtlety.

It's just a pale replica of the greatest WW2 tv show ever to have graced the screens. The characters are two dimensional tropes, utter cliches galore left and right and 6 episodes in I don't care about any of them because I don't know them. I have no idea what makes them tick, no idea about their backgrounds, dreams or desires. Every single character is either distant or highly unlikable.

Sometimes it feels like I'm watching the same episode over again, with certain scenes being framed and filmed exactly the same. They wake up, they walk into a staff room, they watch some maps, fly, bomb, some die, others come home. Rinse and repeat.

There is no sense of progress or where things are in the war and there's very little sense of urgency or importance to what they're doing. Finally, there's nothing to show the effects or results of their raids.

Sorry to say it, but I expected so much more.

This is undoubtedly a colossal production about an aspect of WWII that has already been extensively covered in cinema, and now it is revived with all the current cinematic power and the resources that the Spielberg-Hanks duo are capable of deploying. Much of the criticism often compares this series with the legendary "Band of Brothers," also produced by the same duo, but I believe that it is a mistake because, despite the common historical moment, they are two completely different worlds, each with its own peculiarities and narrative needs.

"Band of Brothers" is undoubtedly the most grandiose and well-structured war epic about a group of men united by a common destiny, a group of soldiers who have been together from their training days until the final days of the war. There, the spirit of camaraderie becomes very strong, and the bonds very tight. This has allowed for a narrative depth in these characters that has no parallel in cinema on this subject, and the very title of the series already gives a clue and is also entirely explanatory.

In "Masters of the Air," the title also gives us a clue. It is not about a brotherhood of comrades; it is about masters, dominators of the sky, masters for having survived when many other comrades have not returned home. They are masters of survival, not of camaraderie. In the Eighth American Army, camaraderie was very difficult to establish when half or more of the crews did not return from missions, and new replacements were coming in day after day. In this context of infrequent interaction, it is difficult to find elements to delve into camaraderie and the psychological portrayal of the characters. Furthermore, it must be said that aviators are made of a different cloth; they are not simple soldiers; they are the elite of the armies, a sort of gentlemen who have rarely set foot in the mud of the trenches and have seen firsthand the deaths that their bombs have caused, except for the losses of their own crews.

Therefore, I believe it would be better to compare this series with another historical one, much more complete in terms of the number of episodes and seasons produced, such as "Twelve O'Clock High." Despite the many differences, if we want, we can see "Masters of the Air" as a summary, in color and with all kinds of special effects, of something that has already been extensively covered in historical series. Indeed, almost all the events narrated are already present there.

Certainly, comparisons are odious; both productions have decades of differences between them, but both undoubtedly complete a chapter of the war history that leaves little room for cinematography.

What else can I add? "Masters of the Air" is impressive in its visual power, with very well-executed reconstructions, both physically and materially, as well as in terms of CGI. The music is also very apt, and the dialogues, always very believable and well-structured, allow the excellent cast to superbly portray those young heroes who, in their innocence, faced the most feared enemy forces in the skies.

First off, I see a lot of low ratings coming from, I am guessing, Brits that are upset by the lack of respect given to the RAF in this production. They are not wrong. Basically the only RAF presence is depicted as jerks. Apologies to the Brits. From watching a lot of British TV and movies I know they get annoyed by our arrogant idea that we single-handedly won the war, or basically our arrogance in general. This production is definitely waving the American flag.

If you can put that and the questionable choices of accents used by some of the actors aside, the story is very compelling. I have watched the first 5 episodes that have aired and have found myself literally at the edge of my seat during some of the air combat scenes. My only suggestion is to not get too attached to the characters. If you were a fan of Game of Thrones you know what I mean. It is sometimes hard to keep track of who is who and hard to tell who is talking during air combat scenes because they are wearing masks. If you put on closed captioning, it help.

All in all, I find this entertaining and recommend you give it a try. I look forward to watching it each week. It is slow moving and builds from week to week. Don't give up if you are not instantly drawn in by the first episode. I have read it is also not historically accurate. There is an article somewhere that points out the fact from the fiction. This did not bother me because I wasn't looking for a documentary. I am a bit of a history nerd, however, so I also like knowing the facts the story is based on. Since the characters are based on real people, don't Google them if you don't want spoilers. I made that mistake with one of them. Lesson learned. Didn't Google anyone else after that.

Once again, sorry Brits for the diminished role of the RAF in this production. The RAF deserves more respect than what it got here. I know there are several British actors portraying Americans in the cast (more than actual Americans, I think), but this is definitely an all-American, baseball and apple pie, flag waving production and the focus is on an American squadron's role in World War II. So, if you choose to watch, you will know what to expect.

Poor writing, awful special effects. The air combat scenes appear to have been produced with an arcade game in mind. Cars 2 had more realistic combat scenes. Why denigrate the RAF? The British had already fought for 3 years by the time the Americans decided to join in. This is an embarrassment compared to Band Of Brothers or The Pacific. I'm not sure why this is called Masters of the Air given everyone involved gets shot down! It's clear to see that when Hanks and Spielberg were given Executive Director roles they didn't have any say for the final cut. This show could have been a real tribute to the courage and sacrifice of the Allies in WW2 but unfortunately has resulted in this mess.