Good concept, poorly executed.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

There was little about this movie worth watching, but there was a little. The plot was an afterthought, the dialog childish, special effects were marginal (even for 1941), the aeronautic aspects were suitable for use in cartoons. But there were some great shots of early versions of the B17 (known as Fortress I to the RAF). If you're a fan of the B17, struggle through the nonsense for these rare pictures.The initial private plane crash scene was ridiculous as was the trial determining that the two drunken pilots in the front seat (at the controls) were not at fault but Sky, the passenger-pilot in the rear seat, was. What? Was the judge drunk too? And what kind of fool was Sky to even consider getting into a plane with two drunken pilots? Flash forward to the Berlin mission. An engine is on fire. Extinguisher didn't work – solution? Climb out on the wing and stuff your seat cushion into the damaged engine. Brilliant - does this work on airliners? Conclusion: Does the aircraft successfully return to base? Do Spence and Sky become friends? Does the romance between Sky and Deborah blossom? Do Spence and Sydney get together? If you think the movie will answer these questions guess again.A side note: Contrary to what others have posted, the B17 was not "hated" by the Brits ("their British crews generally were quite pleased with the Fortress" http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b17_6.html) What dissatisfaction there was came from the Brits holding unreasonably high expectations of an early version of the plane. While early-on the Brits carried out high altitude daylight missions they soon switched to lower altitude night time missions as effectiveness and survivability was greater.The film accurately depicts the B17A version which lacked among other things the dorsal and ball turrets and the tail gunner position. These improvements were made in large part due to RAF input and greatly improved the effectiveness and survivability of the aircraft allowing the Flying Fortress to become the symbol of the WWII European air war.

Routine script, cardboard performances and a plot that is almost invisible gives one no excuse for recommending this RAF aviation drama of wartime England.Dimpled matinée idol RICHARD GREENE is incapable of stirring up any interest in what little plot there is. He's not entirely to blame since his role is extremely underwritten and devoid of any character. For those fascinated by glimpses of the Flying Fortresses in action, so be it. Actual bombing footage is about all the film offers in the way of any visual excitement.This is no more than a shabby programmer masquerading as an A movie at a time when these sort of stories about aviators on bombing missions over Germany were done with much more style and attention to detailed performances. None of the characters are anyone you could care about.The romance is clumsily handled and except for a few scenes of an actual bombing mission at the end, there is nothing to distinguish it from dozens of other routine service films. As a drama dealing with the RAF, it is inept and weak in characters and plot line.

It's difficult to find anything right about this movie. The major male supporting actor is an American who behaves like a 14-year-old, the male lead is an accomplished pilot who is made a navigator, and considering the demand for fighter pilots in Britain at the time that is ludicrous. Just as ludicrous is the idea that Berlin would be bombed in daylight in 1940 by a squadron of B-17's flown by British pilots - the British hated the B-17. During the raid, the gunners shoot down 4 German fighters (possible but highly unlikely, however scenes like this were not unusual in films made during the war years). On the way back from the raid the #2 engine is hit by flak, catches fire and the extinguisher doesn't work. The male lead then proceeds to climb onto the wing of the a/c while in the air, and does something or other (it's impossible to ascertain what) and puts out the fire. The concept of a person hanging onto the wing of a B-17 while it's in the air, particularly while over enemy territory, is so ridiculous as to be nothing but laughable. Factually, as I recall, all the Americans flying with the RAF during WW2 were in the Eagle Squadron, and all flying fighters...none were in bombers. If they had been, they'd not have been in B-17's.I like WW2 movies, but this one was really very, very bad. It's hard to imagine the most naive of viewers, even in those years, accepting any of this as other than a kid's comic book story, and a pretty poor one even for a 10-year-old.

This movie is a mixture of the B-17 Flying Fortress, an inane class struggle, and superficial love interests. The are some exceptional scenes of the damage caused during the first London blitz of World War Two, yet little more of interest. The real star of the film is the B-17, with a typical bombing raid over Berlin, a propaganda target for 1942. It is an interesting docudrama of the early B-17's use during the war, so early that the navigator uses celestial fixes. Don't bail out on this movie without seeing it first.