World War II movies are perhaps my favorite genre and I've probably seen 85%+ of the WWII films produced over the years. While this film is not on the same level or even in the same league as 1969's Battle of Britain (and honestly that are no other battle of Britain films extant that are in the same league as the 1969 Battle of Britain film), I did find Hurricane (2018) to be very enjoyable. Period war movies are so very difficult to make, but the filmmakers did an exceptional job recreating the authentic look and feel of 1940's England and the RAF. You'll be very pleased to find that the story-line, though highly dramatized, does provide you, the viewer, with the proper historical perspective and background of World War II's Battle of Britain, and the formation of the Polish Squadron 303. The acting overall is very competent, sadly though with the exception of the lead female actress, who I just did not fine to be such a good fit relative to the performance of other actors in the film, plus the oddity that her character really suffers from having bleached blonde hair and a plethora of dark brown roots, which is something (women dyeing hair) that wasn't socially acceptable in 1940's Britain. The story line does , but only very slightly, suffer historically in the way it portrays British RAF officers being hateful and antagonistic towards the Polish volunteers. By all accounts the Brits during this time were deeply grateful to the military help of each and every allied soldier, sailor or airman, if not for anything else than for Britain being entirely on their own at that time while fighting the Nazis. The aerial combat and dogfight scenes are mostly competently done in CGI, though could have been so much better had the CGI artists been aware that aircraft engines cause the airplanes vibrate and that it is impossible for a plane and pilot to fly in perfect formation without being tossed around by wind gusts regardless of altitude. The only other primary fault I would find with this film is the screenwriter's use of anachronistic dialogue, i.e. having a character state that a squadron is coming "on-line" or having a squadron leader during flight order his pilots to stay off "com's". Neither of those modern day/internet age terms would have been used in the 1940's. Otherwise, I was surprised to see some scenes showing the Polish pilots appearing away from their airfield dressed in civilian clothes, as that is something that would have been so unlikely since wearing the uniform was akin to a badge of honor, while those of fighting age not wearing a uniform were very suspiciously as skulkers. Except for those few flaws, Hurricane is a very compelling film which justly shows the courage and determination of a group of Polish pilots who had lost everything due to the Nazi destruction and subjugation of their homeland, and who wanted desperately to make the German Luftwaffe pay in blood for their barbarity.
Review of Mission of Honor
