Plot: Based on Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name and scripted by John Orloff, “Masters of the Air” follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions, lack of oxygen, and sheer terror of combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the air. Portraying the psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich, is at the heart of “Masters of the Air.” Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home. Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all.
Review: In 2001, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg produced one of the greatest television series ever. Based on the book by Stephen E. Ambrose, Band of Brothers chronicled the story of Easy Company during World War II. With Hanks serving as writer and director on episodes in the series, the HBO original was a critical and fan favorite. Nine years later, HBO aired The Pacific, chronicling the naval side of World War II. Most of the same writers and directors (minus Hanks) returned for that series, which was met with equal acclaim. Now, Hanks and Spielberg have reunited to produce Masters of the Air, a companion series streaming on AppleTV+ that looks at the aerial prowess of the Bloody Hundredth squadron in the European theatre of France and Germany. With a cast led by Elvis star Austin Butler and The Boys in the Boat star Callum Turner and boasting episodes directed by No Time To Die‘s Cary Fukunaga, Masters of the Air is a thrilling third chapter that is every bit as enthralling as Band of Brothers and just as harrowing as The Pacific.
Masters of the Air predominantly focuses on a core group of airmen led by close friends Major Gale “Buck” Cleven (Austin Butler) and Major John “Bucky” Egan (Callum Turner). The chemistry between Butler and Turner is evident from their first scene. Callum Turner boasts a thin mustache and a flawless American accent, while Butler’s voice is close to his famed Elvis drawl. The two pilots make their way to Europe at different times at the start of the war, interacting with over two dozen main characters. The most notable of these are Anthony Boyle as Harry Crosby, who also narrates the series; Nate Mann as Robert “Rosie” Rosenthal; Barry Keoghan as Lt. Curtis Biddick; Branden Cook as 2nd Lt. Alexander Jefferson, and new Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa as 2nd Lt. Robert Daniels. Where Band of Brothers focused on specific characters in each episode, Masters of the Air balances the main cast as they engage in key battles and raids. Focusing on the Tuskegee Airmen involved in the 110th Bomb Group also offers a unique perspective on American forces during the 1940s.
Each episode clocks in at a full hour and greatly uses the running time. There is no shortage of aerial action in the first episode, with multiple sequences of bomb drops, challenging landings, and dogfights. The special effects work on the air scenes is impressive and has a propulsive feel on par with Top Gun: Maverick. The close quarters in each bomber afford a unique crew to interact as these soldiers bond and become a unit. Masters of the Air does not glorify the combat but shows it in stark reality. Regardless of the star power of the actor portraying them, each soldier could die at any moment, which adds to this tale’s intensity. All nine episodes are told chronologically, balancing different characters through each chapter. The series takes place over multiple years, which affords a great deal of character development and gives some actors an opportunity to shine alongside Butler and Turner. This also means, like Band of Brothers and The Pacific, that many of the actors showcased in Masters of the Air are likely to be the next big Hollywood stars, so keep an eye out on Sawyer Spielberg, Oaklee Pendergast, Fionn O’Shea, and more.
It is also worth noting that despite the focus of this series being on the pilots, navigators, bombers, and other airmen of the 100th, Masters of the Air is not purely about aerial combat. The back half of the series focuses on prisoners of war held captive in various stalags and the death marches they are put on. A key section of the final episode also focuses on the concentration camps. A lot of Masters of the Air relies on a sense of brotherhood and patriotism, but there is also a secondary theme of the brutality of war on civilians outside of the armed forces. Masters of the Air is a bit more nuanced in that respect than Band of Brothers, as this story spends a good deal of time on the side effects of battle. But, like its predecessors, Masters of the Air never shies away from showing us the men who fought and the toll that war took on each of them. This also means that the role that Black and Jewish soldiers played in the American military is played more intrinsically to the narrative rather than being called out or highlighted from the overall story.
Where Band of Brothers and The Pacific boasted multiple filmmakers and writers across their ten-episode seasons, Masters of the Air is directed by just five filmmakers, with writing handled predominantly by John Orloff, Joel Anderson Thompson, and Dee Rees. Cary Fukunaga directed the first four episodes. Captain Marvel helmers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck took the next two, then Dee Rees on two episodes, with the finale directed by Band of Brothers director Tim Van Patten. With the heavy emphasis on feature film helmers, Masters of the Air boasts a more cinematic look than the preceding series. All of the filmmakers tackle the vast timeline of this series and the varied geography of sequences set across Europe equally. Fukunaga sets the tone at the start of the series, and the other four directors carry it through to the final episode. With a stirring score from Blake Neely, who also scored The Pacific, Masters of the Air is sweeping in every sense of the word.
It is unlikely that any series will equal the acclaim that Band of Brothers achieved. Still, the blend of feature film directors and a cast of actors more than up to the task, Masters of the Air is a powerful companion to that HBO series and ranks slightly higher than The Pacific. Austin Butler and Callum Turner deliver excellent performances but are balanced by an ensemble cast of rich talent more than up to the caliber of this story. Masters of the Air resonated with me more than the other two series as my grandfather served in World War II in the Air Force, and seeing this era recreated on screen is a powerful reminder of an era we will hopefully never endure again. No one will finish watching Masters of the Air without feeling every conceivable emotion, and that is an achievement these actors and filmmakers should be proud of.
Masters of the Air premieres on January 26th on AppleTV+.