Memphis Belle

Matthew Modine and Eric Stolz head the dynamic cast of Memphis Belle, an adventure inspired by true World War II heroics.
It’s May 1943 at a US Air Force base in England. The four officers and six enlisted men of the Memphis Belle - a B-17 bomber so nicknamed for the girlfriend of its stern and stoic captain, Dennis Dearborn - will soon start their twenty-fifth combat mission, having completed their previous twenty-four successfully without incident. Meanwhile fewer and fewer other planes are coming back from their missions at all...

If you’ve never seen an aviation movie before in your entire life, you’ll be blissfully ignorant of the fact that Memphis Belle shamelessly (and yet gloriously) incorporates just about every cliché in the flight-movie handbook. If you’re a big fan of aviation films--especially ones about World War II bomber crews you’ll be glad that the genre’s clichés have been handled with such professional flair. As it follows the crew of a B-17 bomber on its final and most dangerous mission over Germany, Memphis Belle may be little more than a slick and highly authentic presentation of familiar thrills and characters, but it’s a rousing piece of entertainment. Featuring an ensemble cast of fresh faces who’ve since enjoyed thriving careers (including Billy Zane, Sean Astin, Eric Stoltz, DB Sweeney and Harry Connick Jr.), the movie exists as a fitting tribute to the men who fought and often died in the air over hostile territory. It’s the Hollywood version of a 1944 wartime documentary made by legendary director William Wyler (whose daughter served as one of this film’s producers), and as such it’s a bit contrived and melodramatic. And yet, this exciting movie is almost certain to grab and hold your attention

1990

PG

7321900120401

Classics

Movie

The Essential War Collection

68

6.9

2018-02-07 21:07:42

1.66:1

103

United Kingdom

2017-06-08

H.264 / AVC (MPEG-4 Part 10)

1080p

16:9

N/A

1

2

Hardbox

~$3.24

2026-01-17

2018-02-07 21:07:42