I liked the original mini-series
Istrebiteli
giving it 8 of 10 stars. I thought it had a great setting (YAK 1 squadron in Kursk)
was very authentic
utilized great CGI (occasionally too much)
and deployed a great cast! It was a typical high quality Star Media production!
Thus said I was excited to see that several of the actors had been retained to continue the series. Of particular note are the characters of Ilya & Zhenya.
In short if you liked the original you will like the sequel. Again a great setting (a squadron flying the brand new YAK 3 aircraft on Polish border in the later days of the GPW) again very authentic again utilizing great CGI (occasionally too much) and again a great cast that features a whole lot of very beautiful women (Schwing!)
I will say that it didn't feel up to par with the original because there was too much soap opera romance going on (Ilya has 3 lovers now). In fact at times it felt rather sophomoric and over played which tended to drag the show down. But then again I like my romance in small doses.
Regardless the series again delivers great historical context as we learn all about the YAK 3's service in the GPW and are introduced to the terrifying Schwalbe (Messerschmitt's ME 262). This is a show that feels accurate and authentic.
7.5 stars but not the 8 of its predecessor too much silly romance
POST: To show IMDb what I think of their disabling their message boards, I am vowing to stop using Amazon's pay per view service! Google Play, VUDU and Netflix are excellent alternatives ... and are often cheaper. Thanks IMDb ... way to treat your dedicated customers who want to share their passion for films and history!
Thus said I was excited to see that several of the actors had been retained to continue the series. Of particular note are the characters of Ilya & Zhenya.
In short if you liked the original you will like the sequel. Again a great setting (a squadron flying the brand new YAK 3 aircraft on Polish border in the later days of the GPW) again very authentic again utilizing great CGI (occasionally too much) and again a great cast that features a whole lot of very beautiful women (Schwing!)
I will say that it didn't feel up to par with the original because there was too much soap opera romance going on (Ilya has 3 lovers now). In fact at times it felt rather sophomoric and over played which tended to drag the show down. But then again I like my romance in small doses.
Regardless the series again delivers great historical context as we learn all about the YAK 3's service in the GPW and are introduced to the terrifying Schwalbe (Messerschmitt's ME 262). This is a show that feels accurate and authentic.
7.5 stars but not the 8 of its predecessor too much silly romance
POST: To show IMDb what I think of their disabling their message boards, I am vowing to stop using Amazon's pay per view service! Google Play, VUDU and Netflix are excellent alternatives ... and are often cheaper. Thanks IMDb ... way to treat your dedicated customers who want to share their passion for films and history!