Above and Beyond

I saw this movie last night and I was surprised that it was actually pretty good, but thats only after seeing part 1. Truthfully the only reason I started watching it was because some of it was filmed here in Gander, NL, and some of my friends were extras and I thought it would be funny/cool to see them on TV, but once I started watching it I found it pretty interesting. I, personally, haven't learned a lot about WW2 yet so I can't critique on whether it was accurate or not but I enjoyed it and it was a good story. I'm also glad that one of the lead female parts was played by somebody that wasn't tall, thin and pretty. All 'n all, as I said, I thought it was pretty good. I would have given it a 6 but since it was partially shot in my hometown, I gave it a 7.

That this was definitely not a great production. Although I admit that the story was entertaining and the acting wasn't bad. The computer generated imaging was terrible, and in almost in every scene I could see historical inaccuracies. All in all, a very amateurish production. Here are some factual inaccuracies I found.

• The DC-3 shown was equipped with the wrong engines (modern turboprops), and of course sounded nothing like a DC-3.

• One scene shows a de Havilland Chipmunk trainer in a hangar. There were no Chipmunks in service in 1940; the first one flew in 1946.

• The RCAF ensign with maple leaf roundel was not in use in 1940. Use of the RCAF ensign with the leaf in the roundel wasn't used until 1941. If you saw a flag in 1940 it would have been the RAF ensign.

• The USAAF landed in Gander in a Lancaster bomber. The USAAF did not use Lancasters, and certainly couldn't have been using them in 1940 since they were not yet in active operational service.

• A modern dial tone could be heard during overseas telephone calls between Bennett and Lord Beaverbrook.

This is written after viewing part I. I may not bother with part II. The story is a good one, the creation of Ferry Command in the early, dark years of World War II. But the production is sloppy and melodramatic, peopled with cardboard stereotypes right out of the Hardy Boys and hopelessly contrived situations. The special effects look as though they were done with a Commodorte 64 and there is a huge list of factual errors. For example, BOAC was not formed until after the war. In 1940 it was known as Imperial Airways. There was no such thing as CP Air in 1940. (Canadian Pacific Airlines at that time was a very small regional operation in British Columbia.) The supposedly Montreal homes are obviously in Toronto. Some props (radio equipment, fire extinguishers, thermos bottles, airport tractors and hangars) were blatantly of post war vintage. The portrayals of Churchill and Beaverbrook are reasonably good. The rest is an unfortunate joke. PS/I STAND CORRECTED. BOAC WAS FORMED IN 1940

This film is a fantastic period drama that uses actual events to tell an enchanting story. It was quite enjoyable to watch the events leading up to the establishment of the Ferry Command unfold and the four hour running time seem to fly by. My only disappointment with part one was having to wait until the following night to see the second half. I am eagerly awaiting a rebroadcast or release to video so I can enjoy this entertaining film again.

It is refreshing to see Newfoundlanders portrayed as something other than comedic simpletons. This film is a showcase for the hospitality, generosity, wit, and intelligence for which Newfoundlanders have long been known.

It is unfortunate the filmmakers were unable to delve deeper into some of the events that occurred during that time such as German U-Boats landing in Newfoundland and Labrador to obtain fresh water and establish weather stations, or the sinking of the S. S. Caribou by a U-Boat.

There is a great deal of history in Newfoundland and it is always exciting when someone takes the time to present it to the world in such an entertaining and enjoyable manner. It is clear the filmmakers researched this subject very carefully and made certain that what was presented is historically accurate.

I hope this inspires others to dig into our history and heritage to create other cinematic works.

Here is a television mini-series that one wills to be good, but all the wishful thinking in the world can't forgive its flaws. On the plus side, the setting is authentic in terms of greater geographic area and the cast does fairly well despite a sophomoric and uninspired script. Poor Joss Akland does his best although he is badly miscast as Winston Churchill. On the minus side, the film's budget was too low to allow the story to be well told or the period convincingly evoked. There are simply too many historical inaccuracies, too few of the right types of airplanes (and many that are inappropriate), and too much reliance on amateurish and unconvincing computer-generated aerial sequences that serve only to squander credibility. Sadly, the more one knows of history, the less forgivable these failings become.

I should perhaps reserve judgment because I did not see more than a third of Above and Beyond. I turned it off (something I rarely do with aviation films) in utter disgust after a Lockheed Hudson makes a crash landing due to an engine fire. The orchestration of this emergency and its cheesy digital realization were so ludicrously inept that the producers should have fired their technical adviser on the spot. That is, if they even had one. I suspect they didn't because the interior mock-up of the Hudson cockpit entirely lacked a pilot's side window. Hello! All in all, this mini-series was a promising concept that ended up doing a disservice to those who actually organized and performed those transatlantic ferry flights early in World War II. Here was an opportunity -- unfortunately missed -- to make up for Captains of the Clouds, the 1942 Jimmy Cagney film that likewise ends with an unconvincing depiction of Hudsons being ferried from Canada to the United Kingdom.