'"Rescue Wings" is a long promotional video for the Japanese army: after all, the Ministry of Defense provided the hardware and the filmmakers thanked it by putting the machines in the best light and creating a heroic story around them. The whole thing looks like it's from the era of "Top Gun" and the like, only without the action. Because what director Masaaki Tezuka (Samurai Commando: Mission 1549) pulls off here is surprisingly bland, apart from a few not particularly exciting rescue stunts.
The film has roughly the same problems as the Kevin Costner vehicle "The Guardian" (2006); it seems long-winded, full of pathos and not immensely exciting. A story? Actually non-existent. Based on the manga by Tommy Otsuka and the anime series realized in 2006, Tezuka tells individual episodes, all of which more or less revolve around the rescue job. The connecting element is our heroine, played by Yuko Takayama. But there is no real character development in her.
The TV actress Takayama never fills the already weakly drawn role with much life. Her co-stars are sometimes even weaker; it's hard to remember whether person X is supposed to embody a friend or just a colleague. Apart from the boss of the rescue unit and the glasses-wearing mechanic, all characters remain mere extras. The proud F-15 and the rustic UH-60 play the main roles. Air Force fetish before character drawing, hardware before human resources...
At least you won't get bored because the action drama is still solidly staged and all the technical praise at least gives you acceptable viewing values. Last but not least, it is also appealing that two of the most important protagonists here are women. They don't differ in their actions or thoughts from their male colleagues, but at least the sight is more refreshing for a few seconds. An effect that quickly evaporates. What's left is an off-the-shelf film, recommended only to die-hard military story lovers.' Translated from the only German critic's review.
