Red Tails
Twentieth Century Fox | Release Date: January 20, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
46
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
18
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Tampa Bay TimesSteve PersallJan 20, 2012
Thankfully, much of Red Tails is spent in the skies, where fighter planes swoop and zoom in thrilling dogfights with incendiary direct hits. Executive producer George Lucas apparently gave Hemingway the keys to his CGI kingdom, creating marvelously designed in-flight action and a sappy, snappy salute to the Tuskegee Airmen. Read full review
75
St. Louis Post-DispatchKevin C. JohnsonJan 20, 2012
Overreaching fits of melodrama, occasionally stilted dialogue, and performances by Gooding Jr. and Howard that are mostly a series of serious faces can't keep the shiny Red Tails from taking flight. Read full review
75
New York PostLou LumenickJan 20, 2012
A well-acted, well-directed (by TV veteran Anthony Hemingway) popcorn movie with great aerial battles and solid dramatic scenes that hold your attention for two good hours. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicRandy CordovaJan 19, 2012
Perhaps the movie's most surprising feat? Somehow, the darned thing mostly works, probably because its heart is in the right place. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianShawn LevyJan 19, 2012
Kudos to the makers Red Tails for paying homage to a remarkable group of men and their genuinely heroic deeds, and a hat-tip as well for the idea that the best way to tell the story was the old-fashioned way. But would that the film's old-school aura felt knowingly retro rather than dutifully rote. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanJan 18, 2012
As long as it stays in the air, Red Tails is a compelling sky-war pageant of a movie. On the ground, it's a far shakier experience: dutiful and prosaic, with thinly scripted episodes that don't add up to a satisfying story. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliJan 20, 2012
Sadly, the result is a disappointment. Sure, the aerial battles are technically adept and occasionally exhilarating, but it's almost painful to sit through some of the "drama" that occurs on the ground. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia PuigJan 19, 2012
David Oyelowo stands out as the daredevil Joe "Lightning" Little, the unit's best flier. With his bravery and bravado, he's the film's most complex character. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaJan 19, 2012
There isn't a real, flesh-and-blood figure in the bunch. Everything about Red Tails - the breaking down of racial barriers, the military achievements, the courage and sacrifice - is diminished in the process. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertJan 18, 2012
Red Tails is entertaining. Audiences are likely to enjoy it. The scenes of aerial combat are skillfully done and exciting. Read full review
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