MASTERS OF THE AIR is Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ latest addition to men who fought and died during World War II. It is a gripping limited series that follows the airmen who battled in the sky. It is similar to how BAND OF BROTHERS was told through the eyes and hearts of the soldiers who never gave up.
The special effects and CGI were phenomenal. They made viewers feel the thrill of the chase, the explosive bombing, and the failures when hit with gunfire. The amount of carnage, pain, and destruction to these young boys was palatable. The death count was too high to comprehend both for the characters and the audience. This is not a sweet, rosy-colored series, but it is necessary to realize what our young boys went through daily, while still being barely out of their teens.
The only fault I have with MASTERS OF THE AIR is the amount of characters audiences must learn about quickly. There are too many storylines all within the hour-length episodes, and it is doubtful any will survive given the life expectancy of a bomber crew. The editing is abrupt and pushes viewers forward during fog-filled, hazy air fights. I realize this is to emulate how disjointed and unpredictable their lives were, but it was difficult to feel all the empathy I wanted when watching. I am sure this will grow as the series progresses, but it was missing in the first two installments. I needed to know more, so my heart could mourn more.
MASTERS OF THE AIR is a riveting show. It depicts the horrors, the fears, the bravado, and the “casualness” of dropping bombs from close to heaven. It will not only be a conversation starter but will haunt your dreams with horrific visions of war. It is streaming on AppleTV+.
