Editorial Review:Amazon.com:John Wayne plays the tough commander of Flying Tigers, the famous fighter squadron that fought to save China from the Japanese. Wayne finds he is fighting a war on two fronts: he's taking on the enemy with only a handful of inexperienced men and patched-up planes while keeping a cocky new pilot from stealing his girl. The story has little in common with real history, and lots of classic post-Pearl Harbor propaganda fills the script. Regardless, the movie is all Wayne's, and Wayne fans will enjoy seeing the prototype for what would become the Duke's trademark portrayal of the military fighting man.
Although the pressure of making life-and-death decisions in wartime may be more maturely explored in
Twelve O'Clock High,
Flying Tigers still has enough characterization and action to keep the viewer's attention (not to mention special effects by the pioneering Howard Lydecker).
--Mark Savary
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
-
loved those Japanese planes!
If I were rating this flick for historical accuracy, I'd give it just one star. (For the real story, turn to the book: Flying Tigers: Claire Chennault and His American Volunteers, 1941-1942.) As an hour and a half of entertainment, however, it's probably worth three stars. This was John Wayne's first combat role, in 1942, and filming actually began while the American Volunteer Group was still in combat.
Where the movie really shines, though, is in the depiction of the Japanese fighters battled by Duke and his buddies: they're old-fashioned, fixed-landing-gear Nakajima Ki-27s, in footage clipped from Japanese feature films about the air wars in China and on the Soviet border. Those are indeed the planes that the AVG met in combat. So when you hear the Duke drawl, "Nack-ah-JEEM-ah," you can rest assured that you're hearing the real thing. They really were Nakajimas. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford
Rating: -
Nice film, but I wish there was a colorized version on DVD!
This review is from: Flying Tigers; Flying Tigers
Although purists that enjoy this film as it was originally released in black & white may hate me for this, I think the colorized version that was released on VHS actually, looks quite good. The flying tiger airplanes are a very colorful airplane (my all time favorite vintage, war plane) and the colorized version of "Flying Tigers" on DVD would make these colorful planes look great! Just a suggestion!
Rating: 
-
Not much history
Was in hopes of learning more about the Flying Tigers. Kind of hokie story line. Not worth the time. Hubby likes the flying but he always does.
Rating: -
Do You Like Scenes of Aerial Dogfights? Then This Oldie is For You!
There are many scenes of aerial combat between the Americans and the Japanese. There are also scenes of combat aircraft formation, bailing out, etc. Warning: Some scenes are gory, albeit not in color.
The setting for this film is China in the late 1930's all the way up to shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941). The Japanese had already conquered parts of China in the 1930's. This film is obviously intended for propaganda purposes: The Japanese are portrayed as barbarians who are bombing Chinese settlements and leaving grieving children in their wake. Americans are portrayed as benefactors who bring food to the Chinese, and as defenders of the Chinese against further Japanese aggression.
It is in this latter capacity that John Wayne plays an American pilot who is fighting the Japanese air force. He has to deal with a recalcitrant pilot who wants to do things his own way, not in the way that he would contribute to the combat aircraft formation. Another pilot gets shot down needlessly because of his antics.
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the combat becomes more intense, and the recalcitrant pilot gets a chance to redeem himself. The Americans are planning an attack on an important Japanese bridge. To disguise their mission, the Americans use a small plane, and fly it low within the valleys up to the bridge. The bombs they drop are hand-held, reminiscent of those of World War I vintage. Will the recalcitrant pilot redeem himself?
Rating: 
-
Flying Tigers, flying to glory
An excellent John Wayne movie that takesm place during the second World War. John Wayne is the leader of a group of pilots in the AVG or Flying Tigers. He recruits an old friend to join. John Carroll plays the hot shot pilot who is only out for glory and pay. After a tragic incident, will he grow up? Lots of action, humor and even some romance provided by Anna Lee.
