REVIEW: AppleTV+ Takes to the Skies in ‘Masters of the Air’
Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman have returned to the world of World War II in their new AppleTV+ miniseries, Masters of the Air. Like their previous war miniseries, Band of Brothers and The Pacific, this series is focused on the events of said war, but unlike its fellow brothers, this series finds itself taking to the skies as it focuses on the 100th Bomb Group unit, aka the “Bloody Hundredth”, in the Eighth Air Force.
Based on the 2007 book Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany by Donald L. Miller, Masters of the Air places the spotlight on a select group of airmen whose job was to fight Nazi Germany via the skies. The series takes a look at the mental and physical effects these bombing raids had on not only the airmen in the fighter planes, but on their comrades waiting back at base.
The first thing to note about this new series is the amount of questions that will be swirling through your mind as each episode commences. If you are not a World War II history buff, or know someone who is, you will yourself researching a variety of events and topics as you watch this series. There were numerous moments throughout the series where I found myself pausing the show so I could look up my questions or research events because I couldn’t wait until the end. This is in no way a dig at the writing of the series. Screenwriter, John Orloff does a wonderful job seamlessly interworking the events of the war with the characters own personal journeys. However, with so much happening in each episode, details on certain points in the war are breezed over to instead focus on the overall arc of the series.
A good thing to note is that there are no filler episodes to be found in the 9-episode series. Each episode is worth tuning in for each week. Though some episodes do feel a bit lackluster compared to others. It may be because of the story being told in the episode or it may be because of the lack of action, but there are certain episodes that aren’t up to par.
The other thing to note about this new series is Austin Butler, Callum Turner, and Barry Keoghan are not the leads, though AppleTV+ sure wants you to think that. The lead of this story, in my opinion, goes to Anthony Boyle as Major Harry Crosby. He is the narrator who helps guide the audience through this whirlwind journey. His character also has the most growth of any character featured in the story, which he portrays with ease. Butler, Turner, and Keoghan are great as Major Gale Cleven, Major John Egan, and Lt. Curtis Biddick. Each character faces their own version of turmoil in this series and each of these three gentlemen grab it by the horns and run with it. Nate Mann as Major Robert Rosenthal, though, is the major standout for me in this series. Mann has a charm about him that will have you rooting for his character when he his down, hiding behind your hands when Rosenthal is facing danger, and overall loving everything about him when all is said and done.
Band of Brothers is still my favorite miniseries from Hanks, Spielberg, and Goetzman. That series managed to convey the hardships these soldiers’ faced day in and day in a way that has been unattainable by any other war series. Masters of the Air is captivating, and the story is intriguing, but it misses that last bit of spark needed to truly convey that same hardship.
Grade: A-