Too many fans seem to be blown away

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

A nicely paced romantic war story that should have got more exposure. The Czech pilot who played piano gives a mellow touch to the story. The flying footage may not have been enough for aviation buffs like myself, but then again, this really isn't an action movie. Though it does not have anything in common with the James Salter novel "The Hunters" that became the movie about Korean War F86 Sabre pilots, Dark Blue World had a similar feel but with more of a romantic element to it. Better in some ways than Battle of Britain in that it doesn't rely on big name actors. Suggest viewing this movie with some Czech beer and some Czech dumplings called kneldniky(sp).

This movie is a disappointment. The Czech pilots here are all depicted as if they were not in the War- They behave like it is just a kind of game. Kind of a summer camp or so. Running around, drinking, singing... some shooting time to time... And the actors- I understand why all the British actors have this look like- "I beg your pardon?" Apart from Ondrej Vetchy (Slama)you just have to really use your imagination to understand why they did this or that. And the ending- I really did not find the way they showed communist prison accurate. I just feel sad because it dishonests the real war pilots. Those who went abroad and joined the free world in battle against evil. This movie just can not decide if it is parody or drama. I know that the Sverak tandem can do better films, so why did they make a bad version of "Vesnicko ma strediskova?"

Being advertised as the most expensive movie ever made in the Czech Republic, it automatically makes the you think it will be over glorified and clichéd (out of fear of the budget). However with a budget of 8 Million and half the movie in English it was not exactly a big budget, high risk movie.What we have a grand epic tale centered around the friendship of two people, the younger Karel and the older Frantisek . As pilots in the Czech air force when the Germans invade before the beginning of world war II they escape the country to England to joined the RAF.Their friendship becomes strained through the love of the same woman. However there is a bond of friendship that goes beyond merely being friendly. Their friendship is an elegant metaphor for the attitude of the Czech people and their country. Remember they were not the winners, the defeated the Germans only to be invaded by the Russians.Funny, exciting, intriguing, beautiful, sad and illuminating this movie is one of my favourite war movies. Most of all I like the way they make fun of the British in a way that is amazingly affectionate and gives an amazing insight into the way the British military fought WWII.Forget the recent American efforts (Peal Harbour, Saving Private Ryan), this is the best WWII movie for a long time.

During WWII hundreds of Czechoslovakian pilots fought with the British against Nazi Germany after their country was invaded and their military prevented from resisting. Two such pilots are Frantisek and Karel, who both go to England to join the RAF, only to find themselves sidelined being taught English and flying skills that they already have. Once flying missions, they quickly lose friends but Karel meets the beautiful Susan after escaping a crash. Hitting it off with her, Karel brings his friend Frantisek to meet her as well however neither men could predict that he would fall in love with her as well. As we are told this story, we are also told the story of Frantisek's future when he returns home to the newly "freed" Czechoslovakia where the ruling Communists have jailed returning pilots for fear that they will continue their fight for the freedom that they have seen in England.I tuned in to watch this film sight unseen, by which I mean I didn't know what it was about, far less that it one of the most expensive films to come out of the Czech Republic at the time it was made. With the jazzy score and light opening I thought it was going to be a light romantic fantasy but quickly it moved to darker territory with the legend stating the fate of many of the pilots who came to England to fight with the RAF during WW2. With this thread continuing as a frame for the narration, the story stepped back into the personal story of Frantisek, Karel and the love that would threaten to tear them apart. In this regard it manages to work very well, even if it was a touch longer than I think it needed to be. The historical context is interesting as it is about a bunch of characters who, even in real life, not only failed to get recognition for their actions but were imprisoned and shunned as a result; this sat surprisingly well with the romantic/tragic main narrative and the whole thing was quite engaging and surprisingly touching.The aerial action was very effective; natural looking and professional throughout, as it should have been considering the budget (one scene apparently cost more than Kolja cost in total) although it is still small potatoes when you compare it to Hollywood prices. The cast help by delivering some very strong performances that help the characters rise above the clichés that they could easily have been. Specifically Vetchy is a great lead, providing humanity and an interesting character; Hadek is good and cannot help it if his material requires him to follow an obvious path. Fitzgerald is also pretty obvious but she is well understated and I thought that her doing that helped to keep the film from melodrama. Support is roundly good whether it is from English actors such as Dance or the Czech actors such as Kaiser, Novotny and Rybova.Overall this is a solid and enjoyable war film crossed with a tragic melodrama. Pearl Habour suggested that to cross a love story with a war story could only go wrong, with the former cheapening the latter, however it does work here and although it is a little slower than I would have liked, it is still a touch moving as well as being consistently entertaining and enjoyable.