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pws1286
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Masters of the Air: Part Eight (2024)
A disregard for accuracy
Colonel Benjamin O. Davis was 67 years old when these events took place. Apple chose to use a 34 year old actor to portray him. Why? Presumably because it looks better. Is it a small detail? Well, sort of. But it's the small details that made Band of Brothers so remarkable and timeless. This series, figuratively and literally, absolutely lost the plot weeks ago... and little things like this give us an insight into why.
Apple clearly had its priorities backwards when it made Masters of the Air, and it really is showing as the series progresses. The love and attention to detail is completely lacking, and, with only 1 episode to go, I just don't see any chance at recovery.
I watch Band of Brothers and The Pacific every year. I'll watch Masters of the Air once... and probably forget it exists. What a shame.
Masters of the Air (2024)
I waited a decade, and you give me THIS?!
If this was a standalone series, it'd be... fine. Typical Apple TV stuff, just alright. But this *isn't* a standalone series. This is the spiritual successor to Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Not only that, but this was by far the most anticipated of the 3 series, having been teased for years, teetering on the edge of oblivion, before finally getting produced. Expectations were so high going in, and they knew it, and they still gave us... this!
Episode 3 was a tease. I thought to myself, finally, we slogged through some mediocre drek, but things are turning around. They really do care. They really did understand their homework. Nope, WRONG!
Quite honestly, it's offensive. I waited so long for this series, and I was so looking forward to it, and they actually let Elvis call a B-17 a "Bee One Seven" and nobody said cut?! Are you kidding me?! 4 episodes into Band of Brothers I was emotionally attached to, like, 15 different characters. The 2 main characters of Masters of the Air aren't even likable!! One, Elvis, is so far from being believable as a bomber pilot I can't even form words to describe how uncomfortable I feel watching him. And the other one, the thin mustache guy, is *actually* hatable. He's a hatable character, and he's the main one!! The one we're supposed to care about! And I DON'T! When I see the guy, I start rooting for the Focke Wulffs!
Add to this the weird AAF/RAF bar fight, the CGI that's oftentimes just barely on par with Back to the Future 2, and an entire slew of characters who might as well be completely nameless, apart from Crosby who I actually somehow like... Honestly I couldn't even tell you what's happened so far in 3 out of the 4 episodes.
Spielberg was okay with the legacy of Indiana Jones being ruined, so maybe I really shouldn't be surprised he'd let this series go too, but come on, man. Just watch one interview with the cast of Band of Brothers and juxtapose it with an interview from Masters of the Air, and you'll understand why it's not even on the same planet. It's like someone typed a brief synopsis of the first 2 series into A. I. and asked it to churn out a script for a 3rd. And all the VFX too, for that matter. Flight Simulator looks better than 90% of the shots in this... whatever this is. All those credits, 9 minutes of credits, and this is the best they could do. I'm going back to MS Windows.