Developed by John Orloff and based on Donald L Miller’s book of the same title, “Masters of the Air” (2024) is a star-studded extravagant affair from start to finish. With tons of money pumped into production, the show boasts some stunning visuals with a classic television storytelling approach. Produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, “Masters of the Air” completes the WWII trilogy after “Band of Brothers” (2001) and “The Pacific” (2010).
It follows the story of the 100th bomb group, the ‘bloody hundredth’ of the United States Eighth Air Force in 1943, as they take on the harrowing job of bombing Nazi targets in broad daylight. In the words of Barry Keoghan’s Lt. Curtis Biddick – “they had to knock one off and drop bombs on those Nazi fucks”.
The story’s heroes are two endlessly brave pilots who are best friends but have polar opposite personalities. Major John ‘Bucky’ Egan (Callum Turner) is a passionate, bold, and gung-ho type who itches to get into battle, whereas Major Gale ‘Buck’ Cleven (played with a movie-star glamor by Austin Butler) is grounded and realistic about the perils of war and tempers Bucky’s fire. It quickly becomes apparent that their missions are fraught with danger and dreadful odds.
Every time these two, along with their squad, depart for a mission, the viewer is sure to be filled with a sense of crippling anxiety concealed by the possibility that these men might not return to their base. One might think that it would be hard to get attached to any of these characters, but that was not the case, at least for me. The emotional connections are intense and immediate. As the series progresses, it is made clear that the survivors deliberately distanced themselves from the new and younger recruits, having experienced the anguish of losing comrades. The series intricately handles all these heavy emotions and is determined not to glorify war in any sense.
Where “Masters of the Air” falters a bit is the execution of its narrative, which feels a bit disjointed. It might be due to the condensation of Miller’s broad-ranging history and converting it into an eight-hour drama that doesn’t give itself enough space to grow. The show, for most of the part, feels like a mash-up of different genres: an aerial combat blockbuster, an escape adventure, a prisoner-of-war drama, an espionage thriller etc., etc.
As it comes from the same producers, it is hard not to say that this doesn’t give you the same level of satisfaction as offered by “Band of Brothers” or, to a lesser extent, “The Pacific.” That’s not to say that the show is poorly directed. The reputed roster of directors includes Cary Joji Fukunaga, Dee Rees, Tim Van Patten, and the duo of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. All of them carry the show’s high pedigree with great consistency and balance reflected in the in-air action, which is immersive to look at, but an equal amount of detail is provided on the maneuvers inside the B-17 bombers.
The entire cast does a great job of bringing the story to the screen. Austin and Callum are extraordinary performers and wonderful to watch. Austin’s reserved charisma and Callum’s sparkling energy play off each other, and as a viewer, you want to know where the mayhem of the war will take them on their journey. As a hapless navigator, Harry Crosby, Anthony Boyle provides the voice-over and occasional comic relief.
Nate Mann, a latecomer to the series, is also excellent in a more one-dimensional role, picking up the narrative slack that comes in the middle of the series. Other minor characters include Barry Keoghan, Alexandra Wingate, and Ncuti Gatwa. They add to the existing gravitas with their charisma and make one feel they could have had more screen time.
“Master of the Air” delves into the psychological, moral, and emotional toll of war, highlighted by the characters of Crosby and Rosie, who introspect the relentless killing. This offers a fresh perspective you don’t see in most old-school war movies. The show embraces a timeless quality that aligns with its objective and feels like a fitting tribute to long-running extravagant TV.
With its gorgeous white-knuckle battle scenes and a drool-worthy cast, “Masters of the Air” is vivid and nerve-wracking at the same time, and it sets to match the standard of its predecessors; the fact is that it can stand proudly with its sister series’ as Apple again delivers something worth investing our time in.
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