In a sentenceThe cockpits are terrifying, though several of the men inside could still use an introduction
Maj. Gale ‘Buck’ Cleven (Austin Butler) and Maj. John ‘Bucky’ Egan (Callum Turner) face repeated combat missions alongside fellow airman Harry Crosby (Anthony Boyle). Their immediate task is to carry out each assignment and return alive, working in confined cockpits while enemy fire threatens the aircraft around them. Away from the fighting, friendships and the strain of service occupy men whose next assignment will send them back into the air. This nine-episode war drama follows the airmen through combat and the psychological demands that extend beyond each mission.
Plays from YouTube when you press play; nothing loads from them until then.
Masters of the Air makes aerial combat frighteningly immediate, but struggles to make its crowded cast equally distinct. The repetitive storytelling and reverent tone make this a qualified recommendation for those particularly drawn to war drama.
Masters of the Air is worth considering for its frightening aerial combat, though the drama between missions is much less dependable. Across nine episodes, creator John Orloff asks us to live with airmen whose work repeatedly puts them in mortal danger. The attacks make that danger painfully clear, but the series struggles to give everyone caught in them a distinct personality. We would recommend it chiefly to those already interested in war drama, with patience for an ensemble that takes too long to settle.
The cockpit sequences are the reason to stay. Cinematographers Adam Arkapaw, David Franco, Richard Rutkowski and Jac Fitzgerald convey confinement even during action taking place in open sky. We were frightened by the fighting inside those cramped, bloodied compartments, where the men have so little space in which to react. The close quarters and forceful sound give the combat an immediate physical threat that survives the occasional distracting gloss of the images.
Austin Butler and Callum Turner give the crowded ensemble an initial point of focus as Maj. Gale ‘Buck’ Cleven and Maj. John ‘Bucky’ Egan. Both have the presence to hold our attention before the writing has properly established the friendship. That is useful, but the series relies on it for too long, asking us to supply affection that the early episodes have not quite earned. Anthony Boyle, as Harry Crosby, helps, although even a capable cast cannot make every supporting airman memorable.
The editing is shared by Billy Rich, Markus Czyzewski, Mark Sanger, Carmen Morrow, Saar Klein and Spencer Averick. The combat has urgency, but the repeated missions give the larger story a rhythm that becomes predictable. The opening episodes introduce more people than the writing can distinguish, so we are still placing faces when scenes require concern. A little less haste between attacks would have helped us recognise who is flying into the next one.
Chris Seagers’s production design helps enormously: the cockpits feel like working spaces that have become dangerous to occupy. Their cramped construction contributes more to the tension than the broader views of aircraft in flight. There are nevertheless stretches where the handsome presentation makes war look more attractive than the drama appears to intend. Blake Neely’s music adds to the reverence, and we sometimes wished for less encouragement to admire men whose courage is already clear.
The series becomes more affecting when it spends time on the psychological suffering beyond combat. It is easier to care about the airmen once their suffering has consequences beyond the next mission. The familiar war-drama task of making a group of uniforms into separate people begins to feel properly addressed, though some supporting characters remain indistinct. We wanted more of that attention earlier, when the sight of men under fire was doing so much of the emotional work.
We would not choose this for an unsparing examination of wartime morality. The respectful tone seldom permits much questioning of heroism, even when the fighting itself is appalling. If aerial combat is what draws you to a war drama, allow for a slower acquaintance with the men.
Most critics respond positively to Masters of the Air, with praise clustering around its aerial combat rather than its storytelling. The reviews repeatedly single out the claustrophobic cockpits, tense flying sequences and convincing sense of danger; even several detractors find the combat harrowing. The ensemble also earns praise, while the more enthusiastic assessments find emotional weight in the airmen’s lives beyond their missions and the psychological suffering that follows them home.
Opinion varies widely on whether the drama gives those men enough depth. The AV Club praises its humanising attention to their lives and trauma, while Digital Spy finds thin characterisation and a glib treatment of casualties. Elsewhere, reservations centre on repetitive missions, overcrowded opening episodes and supporting roles that barely develop. Several critics also question the glossy or triumphalist presentation of war, leaving broad agreement about the combat scenes but considerably less about the series around them.
Hibbs presents the series as exceptional television and a remarkable achievement. The standfirst singles out its unprecedented impact on the small screen.
Read the full review →The review strongly recommends the miniseries as a brutal, beautiful and powerful depiction of war. It especially praises the show for humanizing the real airmen and exploring their lives and traumas beyond combat.
Read the full review →Howells finds the series highly watchable, with its aerial action making it soar. He praises the nerve-shredding cinematography but finds the characters too one-dimensional.
Read the full review →Hilton finds the series compelling overall, though its glossy presentation sometimes glamorises war. He praises the ensemble and the pulse-quickening aerial action, while wishing for a more naturalistic approach.
Read the full review →The review finds the series stirring and gripping, despite some quibbles and a triumphalist American perspective. It particularly praises the tense, confidently staged flying sequences and the emotional scale of the ensemble drama.
Read the full review →Tinubu finds the series massive, beautifully rendered, and a powerful account of war’s human cost, though its opening episodes are overcrowded and disorienting. She especially praises its later focus on soldiers’ psychological suffering and the Tuskegee Airmen.
Read the full review →
Twelve O'Clock HighAircrew strain receives the patient character work this series sometimes rushes past.
Das BootA confined fighting space, with fear and exhaustion wearing down the crew.
The Cruel Sea · not on Fi1m yetA British naval drama with room for exhaustion, doubt and professional duty.
The Ascent · not on Fi1m yetFor a harsher war drama that gives moral choices their full weight.
Catch-22 · not on Fi1m yetAirmen face military absurdity in a satire with little patience for noble speeches.
