Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag (2004) User Reviews

Great footage.

[nwmountaintroll · 6/10 · 22 July 2008]

I saw this for the first time when I was in high school, while on vacation, and just before an air show. Not knowing much about mil aviation I was fascinated by it and inspired (started my pilot training within a few months after). Unfortunately I made the mistake of watching it again recently, and being more knowledgeable about the subject, it ruined the movie for me.

On the IMAX screen the footage is incredible, as for watching the movie on your computer or TV, you can probably find better clips on YouTube. Anyways, at least the footage is of real airplanes.

The scenes inside the controlling aircraft were so fake it was painful, obviously inside a studio. The amount of flare popping was annoying as well, especially because they made the aircraft so quiet.

They made the lead character into a nerd, I'm sure he's a cool dude in real life, but he was so watered down I had to tune out the narration in some parts. I was also disappointed with the pyrotechnics, couldn't they have used footage of some real bombs? Anyways, if you can get past the fact that hardly any of the tactics in the film are real, as well as the fake sets and pyrotechnics in some parts, it's got some great footage and is worth watching once or twice. It's an inspirational film to say the least.

Very entertaining and informative

[imdb-4150 · 7/10 · 10 January 2006]

I took my kids, 4M,6M,and 9F to this.

They all enjoyed it as I did. Lots of things get blown up. Cool! I did have to explain that there was no one in those vehicles.

There are invigorating flight sequences and the narrator explains things as he goes along. The visuals lift it from a 5 to a 7.

There are continuity issues as another commenter has noted, making it difficult to follow for anyone with any orientation. This is often a problem with films. It is necessary to let go of those issues to enjoy the film.

It was difficult to keep track of the story. A more direct story line would be appreciated.

Well worth it!

The IMAX process has never been put to better use

[Internist · 8/10 · 23 April 2006]

Notwithstanding the outrageously low score awarded to this film by at least one self-proclaimed "frustrated" reviewer, this is a terrific flick.

Obviously (and thankfully) exploiting the spectacular IMAX technology, director Stephen Low provides us, the uninitiated, with shot after shot of awesome and awe-inspiring aerial combat and the planes that participate in it. This is a movie that simultaneously wows us with aesthetics and excitement. Indeed, isn't that what fighter pilots have said so often - that 'it's beautiful but scary up there'.

In addition to the breathtaking cinematography and heart-stopping action sequences, I was especially impressed by some of the less glamorous depictions. The shots inside the AWAC plane are simply exquisite. In fact, I would have guessed that the luscious views we see of the computer displays on board that intelligence craft would have forever remained off limits to us civilians. Likewise, we are treated to stunning panoramas of the airfield and runways at Nelles AFB. Wow! A super example of something that must be seen to be appreciated.

And that's just it. 'Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag', Low's brilliant work, allows us to SEE modern air warfare first hand and up close. The IMAX process has never been put to better use.

not too shabby,just doesn't quite deliver what it promises(in my opinion) (6.5/10)

[disdressed12 · 7/10 · 29 October 2007]

(this movie has a an HD option which is playable on your windows XP PC.however,i just watched it on my standard TV.)i just finished watching this 48 minute feature.it wasn't quite what i had hoped.***possible spoiler ahead***the back cover of the DVD promises "thundering,roaring,screaming sound and stunning aerobatics that will blow you away" that's exactly what it says on the back cover of the DVD.i didn't see any of that.the movie is more about the training mission itself than anything.i still found it interesting though.Operation Red Flag is apparently the gold standard,when it comes to training,not just the pilots,but also the ground crew,for combat situations.although i don't think the movie delivered what it promised,i still thought it was entertaining and informative.there is also a 10 minute 'making of' feature which has some interesting things.anyway,my vote for Fighter Pilot:Operation Red Flag is a 6.5/10

I Enjoyed It

[Michael_Jonathan_Dowswell · 8/10 · 28 March 2010]

I read a couple of very damning review of this film saying that it was completely dumbed down (simplified) and that some bits are completely fake. You could see watching it that this was indeed the case...

...but, I still think, that it's wonderful to see 70mm films in high definition (especially if your new to it too) the quality on the footage is so very clear and detailed….again its very nicely edited with long takes. There's a wonderful sense of being up there flying...its really quite scary actually! It's a problematic film definitely, but I still have to recommend it because of the detail in it that the 70mm cameras get...there is after all not many films made in this format too...so they are rare things.

I can completely understand people being upset about it...being a expert in something and *then* seeing a film about your specialist subject and that film missing the mark completely is very, very annoying...so I do understand it.

THE BAD: the person doing the narration is very monotone and that was very unfortunate.

THE GOOD: It's a heck of a experience with the detail this high.

amazing movie

[lizzyd718 · 10/10 · 29 October 2006]

The comment above me is full of inaccurate facts about the fighter pilot in the movie, his unit and the filming of the movie. I believe that if you are going to write a review about something that you obviously know nothing about then you should stick to your opinion instead of making stuff up and pretending like you know what you are talking about....You know neither Capt. John C. Stratton or anything about the filming of this movie...if you don't like it, then just say that. However, I found the movie to be amazing and inspiring. I cannot tell you how many people I have heard come out of the theater after viewing it and say "wow" or "I think i want to join the air force."

Fake and forced

[Chris_Halpin · 2/10 · 15 January 2009]

I was excited at the prospect of watching Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag, thinking that it would be a genuine documentary. How wrong I was. The saccharine sweet narration can be rather vomit inducing at times, however in places it is delivered in a dull, lifeless monotone. The documentary aspect of the film is very shallow indeed as it simply glosses over things and never really actually educates or demonstrates anything, we are just treated to some very basic facts figures over the top of some visuals that are, admittedly, stunning.

Some of the cinematography is excellent and I would love to be able to say make the whole experience worthwhile however it suffers from bad editing and staging and a lack of continuity making it obvious that many shots were filmed in various locations nowhere near Red Flag, and during some of the dogfight sequences it's hard to keep track of who is who as the aircraft keep chopping and changing between shots so you have no real idea who is flying what.

There is an excessive amount of pyrotechnics used to stage various explosions making the whole affair feel rather fake and forced. Ultimately this isn't a documentary and it isn't a film. It doesn't educate and it doesn't entertain, and it feels like a huge missed opportunity given the access the film crew had to the Red Flag exercises.

If you rented the DVD, look at the bonus features?.....

[Snoopysjk-1 · 9/10 · 28 June 2008]

If you don't understand what the directors when through then why do you automatically downplay the movie? This movie revolves around Captain Stratton a fighter pilot new to Operation Red Flag at Nellis air force base in Nevada outside Las Vegas.

For the cinematography, it was excellent and well done. Of course not all the scenes where real, they couldn't have been. Do you really expect the air force to let a filming crew into a war zone with 120 million dollar fighters from over 5 different countries? The only CGI in the film was the '3D' fighter sequences onboard the AWACS and there was no CGI 'fire' when the fighters blew up tanks. Most everything was real with exceptions to the opening scene when they go through briefing the first time. With all the scenes using munitions, the camera crew was in fact there. In the 'bonus features' on the DVD if you rented it they even show how close they stood to one of the bombing runs.

As for the rescue sequence when the pilot was 'downed' as part of the excercise, come on, do you really think the air force would conduct a rescue operation with a bunch of IMAX cameras hovering around a 'hidden' pilot and still called the mission 'practice for the real thing'? Obviously some things were 'staged' in this movie but what the film should be notorious for is the angles with which the camera captures. I guarantee you will see nothing on par with this in other films and the way the director accomplished this is truly 'stunning'.

A good opportunity missed due to dumbing down.

[Paul-Andrews237 · 2/10 · 27 October 2005]

I was so looking forward to seeing this film, especially as it was made for the wonderful IMAX format, yet it turned out to be such a let down. If you know nothing about the subject yet want to feel that you are flying with the aircraft then by all means go an see this film. If you know something about the subject matter then you will pick holes all over the place in this film. Whilst not being a pilot I know enough about this to comment.

The film follows the story of a pilot from the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home AFB who goes to the Red Flag exercise at Nellis AFB for the first time. It took me three-quarters of the film to fully establish what aircraft type he flies because of the poor continuity this film suffers from. To start with, it implies he flies an F-15C Eagle but for much of the film we see sequences involving the F-15E Strike Eagle. It was only when I realised which squadron his neck scarf and shoulder patch represented that I knew for sure what he flew in. In the mix are sequences involving F-15Cs from the U.S. Airforce wing based in Japan (look for the "ZZ"s), all seen on the ground when our pilot was being discussed. The film must have been made during two or more Red Flag exercises, as we see Royal Navy Sea Harriers in one shot, and RAF Harriers in another (no, they were not there at the same time!). We have another sequence where the commentator talks about aircraft from other visiting nations, yet fails to mention the Israelis, whose F-16s we are viewing at the time. My view is that if they are too politically sensitive to talk about then don't even show us the images either! We then move to the flying sequences. This has quite clearly been filmed over Idaho: firstly, Nevada is not that green; and secondly it involves F-15s and F-16s from Mountain Home in Idaho, and A-10s from the Idaho Air National Guard (neither the A-10s or F-16s were seen at Nellis earlier). The flying sequences involve both snippets of poor CGI'd aircraft and internal views of a controlling E-3 AWACs, which is quite obviously inside a studio. The ground attack sequences should use the term "Fire for effect" as that is what they clearly are, poor fireworks!!! The one true sequence we see of modern munitions hitting their targets looks very different. I know much of this may seem like nit-picking but the film started out with so much promise, and then it goes on to suffer from "dumbing-down", which is a great shame as several bits are very good, especially one where a camera is slung underneath an F-15 and we get treated to some great low-level flying; and the shot of four F-15Es in close formation at a fairly low-level. I may not be able to review this film as eloquently as others do but that is down to my sheer frustration at a chance wasted here. I feel like the audience is being treated as a fool because of the appalling continuity and dumbing down for effect of this film. Top Gun may have had its faults but it is a far better film than this.

Embarrassing to Show in Museums

[gibbs5988 · 4/10 · 27 March 2011]

There are so many flaws in this film. I am a military buff and I've worked at an IMAX for years, so I've seen this film hundreds of times. I'm just going to list a few of the errors I've found in the film.

Fake explosions. Clearly pyrotechnics during the last bombing run. When the A-10 shoots at the tank a fireball appears from the ground.

Some scenes they reuse. They a mirror image in one scene fire the rockets at the air. I can tell because the writing on the rockets is reversed.

They show a female pilot boarding a plane that says Captain Jim Worley on the side.

They show American pilots boarding an Israeli Air Force F-16.

In one scene they say "break left" they show the pilot move the stick left, but they then show the plane from the outside and its turning right.

They show an F/A-18 approaching the runway head on, then they switch to a different camera and now all of a sudden its switched to an F-15 thats touched down on the runway.

They are not using aggressor F-16s. Agressor F-16s would have blue or brown camouflage. Most scenes the aggressors are gray.

They reuse scenes by filming a scene and inserting different CGI aircraft in. One scene they are flying over a bunch of tanks. They reuse this multiple times and simply insert different CGI aircraft to make it look like different shots.

They show John Stratton flying an F-15C but from the outside often he is shown in an F-15E.

"Tractor" the aggressor is supposed to be flying an F-16, but in shots from the cockpit you can clearly see the twin tails of an F-15.

At the end they do the picture with everyone and John Stratton blinks during the group portrait. It looks stupid, why couldn't they have freeze framed the shot a second earlier so his eyes were open? Or simply retaken the shot? Is it that hard? On a side note. Why do they keep dumping flares even when in a gun fight? Why do they never dump chaff or shoot beyond visual range missiles? I feel like they are excessively dumping flares because they think it looks cool on camera.

All in all I think this was a poorly and hastily down film. They thought they could entertain the audience with fast jets and pyrotechnics. Perhaps they did, I thought it was OK the first time I saw it, but the more you see it the more you can see its faults all to clearly. I know most people only see an IMAX once, but I have seen other IMAX films many times as well, and have not caught nearly as many sloppy or technical errors as on this film.

Air Force gets it wrong

[abutcher20 · 4/10 · 6 June 2006]

I went to a prescreening of this in early 2005, and it was specifically hyped by one of the featured pilots, Major Novotony, as the Air Force's long overdue answer to Top Gun. Although most of the cinematography was well done for an IMAX theater, there was no real depth to the movie with the audience getting dragged along with a main character that was sheepish and uninteresting--not what people perceive in fighter pilots.

(SPOILERS AHEAD) Although the movie is presented as a pseudo-documentary, it shows the main character in a later exercise mission in a role as a downed pilot involved in escape and evasion from enemy forces, while trying to signal to friendly pararescue forces. This part does not suit the film presentation and feels very staged, as it's unlikely that the opposing forces would not find the downed pilot with all the IMAX crew and equipment focused upon him. Overall, this movie is very sparkly at times, but is composed entirely of makeup with no underlying beauty.

Pretty boring watch

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 26 February 2016]

Stepphen Low's "Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag" is an American 40-minute short film from over 10 years ago and the title already tells you what this is about. I must say I generally do not have a great interest or any interest at all in this subject, so i cannot say i was surprised how little this documentary did for me. It's probably only worth a watch if you have a great interest in aviation, American military (history) or are a (fighter) pilot yourself. The technical aspects did not do a whole lot for me and the patriotic parts was a bit on the cringeworthy side as well and felt way over the top in my opinion. That said, I also never really felt that this one may get me interested in the subject or be a really informative watch. As a whole, i give this one a thumbs down and only the demographics I mentioned earlier may want to check it out. Not recommended.