Movie review: ‘Blue Angels’ boasts awesome footage, by-the-books
The Blue Angels” puts you in the cockpit for its flying sequences – and they’re breathtaking, particularly on a big screen.
But when it comes to training – and behind-the-scenes action – the documentary is as pressed (and stiff) as a Blue Angels uniform.
That could be because participants don’t want to reveal any wrinkles in the 75-year-plus program. There must be some (particularly with a slew of nicknames for each pilot) but this comes off as prim and proper.
The film shows how the U.S. Navy unit makes the transition from one team to another. The year is 2022 and its about to begin a cross-country tour, wowing audiences with skills that require more than a steady hand.
Brian Kesselring, the cut-from-granite leader, details how the year is going to go. He talks sparingly about the sacrifices the pilots make and tries to keep things light when they’re in a room simulating what it takes to execute formations some 18 inches apart from each other.
Director Paul Crowder lets the Angels retain that shroud of secrecy in exchange for awesome flying footage. In post-flying sections, the pilots hear how some may not have been at their peak, even though spectators didn’t see a blip.
Moments at home are sparse, but interesting. Chris Kapuschansky is the most fascinating character (nickname: Cheese) but doesn’t get the focus he should. Similarly, Amanda Lee, the first female Blue Angel pilot, is slipped in at the end of the film but could have dominated.
Kesselring does a fine job explaining everything, particularly the moment when he learned about his selection. He seems exactly what you’d picture a Blue Angel to look and act like, but Crowder should have thrown him a few curves. (Our question: How tight are those uniforms? They look uncomfortable.)
Despite a brief history lesson (it goes back to the days of Admiral Chester Nimitz), “The Blue Angels” doesn’t dwell much on the program’s cost or value. It’s a hit on the air show circuit, but is that enough?
When you see how close the planes fly (talk about “Top Gun”), you realize there’s more here than they’re letting on. Easily, this is more promotional than educational.
“The Blue Angels” hints at life after the gig. It could have stuck with Kesselring a little longer and expanded on what happened with Cheese.
Still, Crowder makes you feel like you’re in those briefing rooms when they firmly (but politely) tell pilots what they did wrong. When they bob and weave like they might in the air, you do, too.
Because it prompts plenty of questions, “The Blue Angels” could have been a six-part miniseries and still left details on the floor.
At a time when “good enough” seems OK, it’s reassuring to see a team refuse to settle for anything but excellent.
“The Blue Angels” is a great look at a profession we only thought was possible in the movies.
