Masters Of The Air - Apple TV
Discussion
ben5575 said:
Getting lost
Landing gear failure
Cross wind landing
Counting them home
Cut scene from American Werewolf
Any other cliche from Ep1 that I've missed?
Add in that everybody looks the same, more so with masks on and just so much cgi. It is woeful.
Not sure I can must the energy to bother with Ep2. I will coz BoB, so I know it can't really be this bad for the whole series. Can it?
3.5/10
You forgot the highly religious (ball turret) character (ref. Saving Private Ryan, and one of the waist gunners in the newer Memphis Belle movie, from memory)Landing gear failure
Cross wind landing
Counting them home
Cut scene from American Werewolf
Any other cliche from Ep1 that I've missed?
Add in that everybody looks the same, more so with masks on and just so much cgi. It is woeful.
Not sure I can must the energy to bother with Ep2. I will coz BoB, so I know it can't really be this bad for the whole series. Can it?
3.5/10
Alex Z said:
It’s not as good as BoB so far, but neither is it as unwatchable as you make out.
Ep2 is where you start to get to know some of the characters a lot better.
Not sure I can be bothered with the main two. The blonde in the opening bar scene I seemed to recognise..Aha part played by Isabel May who played Elsa in the much superior 1883.Ep2 is where you start to get to know some of the characters a lot better.
I've watched the first two episodes and, overall, I've enjoyed it. I'm sure there are elements of the story that have been embellished, but show me a film which hasn't taken at least a few liberties with the facts for the purpose of dramatic effect. This practice goes all the way back to the dawn of film itself.
My wife accuses me of being too much of a stickler for historical accuracy when it comes to period pieces, as I'm always on the lookout for anachronisms and I'm not at all shy about calling them out. I did pick up on the lack of smoking throughout, with the exception of the one officer's cigar in the first episode and a couple of airmen lighting up Lucky Strikes round a poker table in the second. This being 1943, one would expect to see anyone over the age of puberty to be puffing away every waking moment!
As for all the complaints about the CGI, let me ask one question: In the world of 2024, when there are only FOUR airworthy B-17s left in existence in the entire world, how else are you going to replicate a B-17 bombing raid? Airfix scale models suspended on fishing line?
Could certain aspects of this series, perhaps, have been done better? Maybe, yes. But, overall, I am relived Masters of the Air turned out as good as it did.
If a history and film anorak like me can enjoy it and find very little to pick at, then I'm sure the rest of you miserable old gits can do the same! I should know, because I'm a miserable old git, too!
My wife accuses me of being too much of a stickler for historical accuracy when it comes to period pieces, as I'm always on the lookout for anachronisms and I'm not at all shy about calling them out. I did pick up on the lack of smoking throughout, with the exception of the one officer's cigar in the first episode and a couple of airmen lighting up Lucky Strikes round a poker table in the second. This being 1943, one would expect to see anyone over the age of puberty to be puffing away every waking moment!
As for all the complaints about the CGI, let me ask one question: In the world of 2024, when there are only FOUR airworthy B-17s left in existence in the entire world, how else are you going to replicate a B-17 bombing raid? Airfix scale models suspended on fishing line?
Could certain aspects of this series, perhaps, have been done better? Maybe, yes. But, overall, I am relived Masters of the Air turned out as good as it did.
If a history and film anorak like me can enjoy it and find very little to pick at, then I'm sure the rest of you miserable old gits can do the same! I should know, because I'm a miserable old git, too!
Edited by MadmanO/T People on Monday 29th January 06:37
MadmanO/T People said:
As for all the complaints about the CGI, let me ask one question: In the world of 2024, when there are only FOUR airworthy B-17s left in existence in the entire world, how else are you going to replicate a B-17 bombing raid? Airfix scale models suspended on fishing line?
We also don't have any dinosaurs around but they did a pretty good job of staging a T-Rex attack scene in Jurassic Park through a combination of practical effects, lighting AND the CGI. Modern CGI can often look unrealistic as it is not thought through properly and other elements are not included when they could be and would do a better job. Another classic example is LOTR vs The Hobbit trilogy.
Jimbo. said:
Re. the CGI, I agree. What alternatives do they have in the absence of whole fleets of B-17s kicking around and a city to bomb?
It’s just a case of if you’ve going to do CGI to make a B-17 fly, then do it _right_.
As mentioned earlier there are 4 airworthy B17s left but not all are the same version(B17E?) used att but there's nothing to get them in the air in the right markings flying in close proximity and film them from different angles and then superimpose them to give the impression of a lot more flying. With a supposed $250m budget I'd have thought it was achievable without having to resort to poor CGI. Also why is it shot in soft focus? The more I think about it the more I confused how the same production team as BoB and the Pacific have come out with this and as mentioned why no smoking they all did it. Perhaps it's the PC insipid creep element we get these days. Might as not show the bombing raids too. It’s just a case of if you’ve going to do CGI to make a B-17 fly, then do it _right_.
The recent documentary film 'Lancaster' showed how a real and familiar aircraft can still be filmed in new and visually amazing ways. Filming one aircraft is a long way from recreating an entire daylight raid of multiple aircraft and the enemy of course, but there's just something about CG aircraft; rarely do they seem to have any weight and truly be supported in the air. It all gets a bit 'video game cut scene' and more often than not I think that is where MotA has ended up.
For comparison this scene in The Pacific was a mix of CGI and practical affects and looks stunning in HD (poor quality on this site unfortunately).
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1083945475334897
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1083945475334897
I am a big fan of CGI when it is done properly. Too often, it is not.
As I said earlier, CGI of dinosaurs and fantasy vehicles is a lot easier as we have no experience of these in the real world-so can’t point out too many flaws in how they are depicted.
When applying CGI is applied to objects we are more familiar with, it should be done much more carefully and with a degree of subtleness.
As I said earlier, CGI of dinosaurs and fantasy vehicles is a lot easier as we have no experience of these in the real world-so can’t point out too many flaws in how they are depicted.
When applying CGI is applied to objects we are more familiar with, it should be done much more carefully and with a degree of subtleness.
Eric Mc said:
I am a big fan of CGI when it is done properly. Too often, it is not.
As I said earlier, CGI of dinosaurs and fantasy vehicles is a lot easier as we have no experience of these in the real world-so can’t point out too many flaws in how they are depicted.
When applying CGI is applied to objects we are more familiar with, it should be done much more carefully and with a degree of subtleness.
Well put. CGI can start to look almost cartoonish and 'soft'.. it's a fine line.As I said earlier, CGI of dinosaurs and fantasy vehicles is a lot easier as we have no experience of these in the real world-so can’t point out too many flaws in how they are depicted.
When applying CGI is applied to objects we are more familiar with, it should be done much more carefully and with a degree of subtleness.
Eric Mc said:
I think CGI technicians carry too much gaming experience into the movie work they do.
I think it’s as much about the physics being wrong. They’re either too fast or don’t appear to be straining under g force or the turning circles are too tight. You could switch the background out to Space and change the 109s to x wings and it would make more sense.
Eric Mc said:
I am a big fan of CGI when it is done properly. Too often, it is not.
As I said earlier, CGI of dinosaurs and fantasy vehicles is a lot easier as we have no experience of these in the real world-so can’t point out too many flaws in how they are depicted.
When applying CGI is applied to objects we are more familiar with, it should be done much more carefully and with a degree of subtleness.
I agree, it's all just a bit overdone. You'd think they'd look at actual footage, or even the BoB, movie and say "there – it should look just like that, but with B17s, etc"As I said earlier, CGI of dinosaurs and fantasy vehicles is a lot easier as we have no experience of these in the real world-so can’t point out too many flaws in how they are depicted.
When applying CGI is applied to objects we are more familiar with, it should be done much more carefully and with a degree of subtleness.
That said, I'm enjoying it.
WrekinCrew said:
Minor annoyance at the end of ep.2 - they are watching Norwich getting bombed a good 5 or 10 miles away yet the explosion flash and sound are simultaneous.
Not to mention Norwich is at least 20 miles from Thorpe Abbots. Would they really have even seen that much? As someone who grew up surrounded by these airfields in East Anglia, read countless books and visited the bases, the series is currently leaving me a little cold.
Edited by NelsonM3 on Monday 29th January 22:25
Eric Mc said:
I think CGI technicians carry too much gaming experience into the movie work they do.
Yeah some of the flying has looked a bit weird particularly the go around and the crash. Either way I’m really enjoying it. Seems to lack some of the grittiness of Bob and the pacific and is a bit more Memphis belle than saving private Ryan.
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