Wings (1927)

The review calls Wings a classic that lives up to its reputation, singling out its matchless aerial photography, detailed battle scenes and dogfights, and solid performances in a straightforward plot of love, duty and camaraderie.

The critic calls Wings more than a historical footnote, praising it as one of the most exciting and innovative Hollywood movies of its era with impressive aerial stunts and visual storytelling. They note its grand spectacle in the restored Blu-ray edition while acknowledging its mixed messages about war.

The critic praises the film's superbly choreographed stunt flying and aerial combat sequences, highlighting the beautifully restored print as first rate. The homoerotic relationship between the leads and Gary Cooper's cameo are also noted as enduring elements.

The critic praises the film's unmatched graphic power in its aerial flying and combat sequences. The ground-level story follows familiar war film conventions without particular distinction.

The review highlights Wings as a festival gem in the Treasures strand of the 2012 London Film Festival, praising its still-impressive aerial combat scenes and noting its place in history as the first film to win the Best Picture Oscar.

The review highlights the film's enormous scale and technical achievements in special effects and set pieces as a producer's triumph that secured the first Best Picture Oscar. It notes that the characters and screenplay are less memorable but praises Wellman's handling of the spectacle and its timely restoration.

The film is a rousing adventure that extols the gallantry of WWI pilots through its thrilling aerial set-pieces and meticulous staging, which helped it win the first Best Picture Oscar. However, the novelettish storyline and inconsistent acting undermine it.

The critic highlights the film's spectacular aerial photography and gritty realism amid some silent-era melodrama, noting its historical significance as the first Best Picture winner. The beautiful restoration on the Criterion Blu-ray, with restored tinting and stabilization, makes it a must-own for cinephiles.

The critic calls Wings an impressive war epic with striking filmmaking techniques and exciting dogfight sequences wrapped around a satisfying wartime story. They single out the dynamic camera movements in the party scene and the emotional climax for particular note, while observing that the melodrama feels a bit corny.

Wellman’s wartime aviation epic is a large-scale melodrama whose spectacular dogfights and camerawork still impress, though the story of rival pilots and their shared love interest drags in its later stretches. Clara Bow stands out as the lively highlight amid otherwise unengaging leads.