--- title: "Wings: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/wings-1927/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/wings-1927" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Wings (1927): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 10 reviews: 8 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics agree that Wings still earns its reputation, and nearly all the praise lands in the air. The stunt flying, the dogfights and the photography from the cockpit are called matchless for their period, and several reviews add that the ground battles are staged on a scale that still impresses. Wellman’s handling of the spectacle is admired across the board, and the reviews written around the restoration find the condition of the print part of the pleasure. The reservations are all on the ground. The story of two rival pilots and the woman between them is described as familiar, novelettish or faintly corny, and the acting as uneven. The Skinny finds the leads unengaging and Clara Bow the lively exception, and thinks the later stretches drag. The spread is narrow, eight positive to two mixed, with Empire the clear outlier, weighing the melodrama heavily enough to arrive at a shrug. The most recent notice, from /Film, goes the other way and finds the wartime story satisfying and the climax moving. ## Time Out — PT Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. 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. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/wings) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 February 2012. 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. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/wings-all-quiet-on-the-western-front-1798171553) ## The Guardian — Philip French Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 February 2014. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/feb/02/wings-classic-dvd-philip-french) ## Variety — Sid Silverman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 17 August 1927. 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. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1927/film/reviews/wings-3-1200409954/) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 October 2012. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/festival-gem-wings) ## Slant Magazine — Jaime N. Christley Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 2012. 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. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/wings/) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 21 July 2006. 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. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/wings-review/) ## Collider — Jackson Jackson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 29 February 2012. 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. [Read the review](https://collider.com/wings-criterion-blu-ray-review/) ## /Film — Witney Seibold Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 April 2025. 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. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1837596/oscars-first-best-picture-winner-gary-cooper-war-movie-wings/) ## The Skinny — Josh Slater-Williams Rating 3/5. 27 January 2014. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/wings) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/wings-1927.md