Run, Don't Walk, To See The Action-Packed Red Tails
HOLLYWOOD (WWJ) – There are so many reasons to see the movie Red Tails, but since it would take page after page to list them all, here are just a few:
- It's executive produced by Star Wars' creator, George Lucas, who definitely knows more than a thing or two about action-packed, high-flying adventure films.
- It's inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen, the first all African-American aerial combat unit to serve in World War II – an important part of our nation's history.
- It's an excellent movie!
Red Tails gets the action started right away, the excitement builds and continues through until the credits roll. Not only does Red Tails place audiences right in the cockpits of fighter planes during aerial combat, they also get to watch the tense and heated discussions at the Pentagon as top military brass debate risking the use of black pilots in battle, as well as the relationships between the young hotshot pilots.
Red Tails features an ensemble cast anchored by Academy Award winning actor Cuba Gooding, Jr., who plays Major Emmanuel Stance, and Oscar® nominated actor Terrence Howard, who plays Colonel A.J. Bullard.
Why the name Red Tails?
The name comes from their planes, P-51 Mustangs, which were painted with distinctive red tails. During their combat missions between 1943 and 1945, the Tuskegee Airmen shot down more than a hundred German aircraft.
Lucas says it was a huge challenge getting Red Tails to the Big Screen. It took him more than 23 years and cost $58 million of his own money. But, he felt it was a movie that needed to be made.
"I thought their story would make a great film," says Lucas. "An inspirational one that shows the incredible things these men went through to patriotically serve with valor and help the world battle back the evils of fascism. It is an amazing story, and I wanted to memorialize it."
Those working behind the scenes and those working on camera are encouraging audiences to see the movie this weekend. They want the people in Hollywood who "green light" movies to see that there is a market for action movies featuring an all black cast.
Director Anthony Hemingway says "I'd like for every person, young or old, to walk away from the film feeling that anything is possible. Red Tails is a celebration. It's a celebration of life and a celebration of breaking down barriers."
Red Tails is rated PG-13.
Visit the Red Tails website here.
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