Although Band of Brothers is a fantastic show, Masters of the Air is another devastating war series that you should also watch. After executive producers Tom Hanks and Stephen Spielberg made Band of Brothers and The Pacific, which were released in 2001 and 2010, respectively, they turned their attention to another compelling facet of World War II.
The best war dramas have top-notch acting, sets, and sound design, along with a realistic tone. You want to feel like you’re having the same powerful and memorable experience as you would sitting in a movie theater. The emotional scenes in Band of Brothersdefinitely provide a roadmap for all other shows about combat, death, and courage, including Masters of the Air.
Masters Of The Air Deserves As Much Love As Band Of Brothers & The Pacific
An adaptation of the non-fiction book by Donald L. Miller, Masters of the Air follows the 100th Bomber Group in 1943 Europe. The show is so good because it was a personal project for Stephen Spielberg, and you can see the care and attention put into it. That puts it up there with Band of Brothers and the powerful The Pacific.
As Gary Goetzman, an executive producer, told USA Today, Spielberg’s dad, a former Army Air Corps member, inquired, “When are you telling the pilots’ stories?“ Goetzman mentioned it was a long process because of the need for “the technology.” Thanks to that detail, it’s unlikely the show would have had the same impact if made earlier.
Star Callum Turner told Uproxx that not only were “thousands of extras” filming the show, but an aspect of CGI known as “The Volume” contributed to the great look and sound. Turner described it as “a horseshoe of high-definition screens that are wrapped around you” while shooting scenes in the planes.
The show should be as popular as others in the genre because it delves into such a harrowing and dangerous mission. Since the pilots had to demolish targets that their enemies set up, they were especially vulnerable, and the miniseries doesn’t shy away from that fact.
While the solid acting and great characters in Masters of the Airdefinitely contributed to its 85% Rotten Tomatoes score, viewers tend to discuss Band of Brothers and The Pacific more. That’s a shame, as Masters is equally high-quality and should be as popular.
Why Masters Of The Air Is A Must-Watch War Drama
You have to tune into Masters of the Air for Austin Butler’s strong performance as Major Gale Clevent, who goes by Buck. It’s especially interesting seeing him portray a WWII pilot after his breakout role as the King of Rock and Roll in the 2022 biopic Elvis and playing the mean Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two.
The miniseries also treats the 100th Bomb Group’s journey almost as a workplace drama. Besides the heavy theme of facing your own mortality, it explores the obstacles that the characters continually run into. Part One and Part Two see Colonel Harold Huglin (Nikolai Kinski) and Major Marvin Bowman (Stephen Campbell Moore) getting sick, which forces some others into leadership positions.
Harry Crosby (Anthony Boyle) also gets nauseous while flying, a significant detail that makes him relatable. Even though not every viewer has lived through the pain of war, everyone can relate to working as part of a team and dealing with various stressors.
Masters of the Air is a satisfying story and humanizes history by sharing details about each main character in the last moments. No matter how much you learn in a history book, nothing compares to seeing it all right in front of you.
All nine parts are equally well-done, and they each cover a different month or period of time, with the final episode taking place in February 1945. With as many tragic moments as Band of Brothers, Masters of the Air treats the pilots’ stories with respect, and it’s a reminder of the impressive storytelling feats of the genre.
Masters of the Air
8/10
- Release Date
-
2024 – 2024-00-00
- Directors
-
Cary Joji Fukunaga, Dee Rees, Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Timothy Van Patten
- Writers
-
John Shiban, John Orloff
