Synopsis:

1943, would become the first year in which black aviators would be allowed to fight for their country, America. The Germans were winning the Second World's War as the United States suffered huge looses on the ground and in the air. Not welcome in the military, Young Black men and women enlist en masse to try to stem the tide of Nazism that has seen new resurgence and is sure of almost certain victory. The Tuskegee Airmen follows the lives of four of these Black aviators who are put through brutal training regiments and subhuman treatment at the hands of those who still mistakenly think them 3/5ths of a man. However, talent knows no race and integrity any color. These men prove to be the best at what they do and leave a record that no one, Black or White can equal or surpass. The Fighting 99th successfully completed all of their missions and saved untold millions of American lives in their fight for the heart and soul of a people and a nation. The Tuskegee Airmen are true American Heroes!

Audio/Video:

The audio as presented is a Dolby surround platform that is comprised of the fronts and the sub when warranted. The end result is a decent rendering of the film's aural textures. While I feel a 5.1 platform would have better suited the film, It's surround presence was adequately preserved in this Dolby Surround experience. The dialogue was clear and well delineated. Given the amount of gunplay and pyrotechnic involvement, the 5.1 would have been the better choice. However, as this is an HBO production that was primarily a cable-TV entry that just wasn't going to happen, at least until the Sopranos were released late last year!

The video is an anamorphically enhanced widescreen transfer that suffers from far too many scratches in the print. Overall, the imagery is stark and the contrasts are sharp however, the transfer gives way to softer images and a fair amount of Chroma noise. In all, it's a decent rendering but not a pristine one.

Extras: There are none. And that's really a shame. The information about these airmen has been documented in PBS presentations but nothing more than cast and drew bios made it to the disc. While I am thankful for HBO's willingness to broach the subject and make it a feature presentation, they fell through on the supplemental materials that could have accompanied this film. IE…how many are still living? What prominent people were Tuskegee Airmen? How were they treated after the war? And what are they doing now? All questions that could have been answered even in a static printed segment on the disc.

Overall:

The Tuskegee Airmen is a military drama that demands a wider audience. We are inundated with one side, one face to this country's commitment to the destruction of terror and the elimination of brutality around the globe. Yet if you were to ask one person about those who fought the war, a multicultural face was never to be found. Having met two actual Tuskegee Airmen, I have to say the experience is nothing short of thrilling. These men fought two wars where most men fought only one. The one away and the one at home. This film does a great job in re-telling a story that's long overdue in receiving the kind of attention, it's more than deserving of. First rate cast and a first rate story. Must See DVD! Highly Recommended