Stars: Laurence Fishburne, Allen Payne, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Courtney B. Vance, Andre Braugher, Christopher McDonald, John Lithgow, Cuba Gooding Jr.

Director: Robert Markowitz

Summary: Set during World War II, the story follows the 'Fighting 99th' - the first squadron of African-American US Army Air Corps combat pilots who had to rise above extreme prejudice for the chance to fight for their country.

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The Tuskegee Airmen is the true story of the black flyers who broke the colour barrier in the U.S. Air Force during World War II is a well-intentioned film highlighted by an excellent cast. Proud, solemn, Iowa-born Laurence Fishburne and city-kid hipster Cuba Gooding Jr. are among the hopefuls who meet en route to Tuskegee Air Force Base, where they are among the recruits for an "experimental" program to "prove" the abilities of the black man in the U.S. armed services. Fighting prejudice from racist officers and government officials and held to a consistently higher level of performance than their white counterparts, these men prove themselves in training and in combat, many of them dying for their country in the process. Andre Braugher costars as a West Point graduate who takes charge of the unit in Africa and in Italy (where it's christened the 332nd).

The film is rousing, if slow starting and episodic, but it's periodically grounded by a host of war movie clichés, notably the calculated demise of practically every trainee introduced in the opening scenes (ironic given the 332nd's real-life combat record--high casualties for the enemy, low casualties among themselves, and no losses among the bombers they escorted). Ultimately the Emmy-nominated performances by moral backbone Fishburne and the dedicated Braugher and the energy and cocky confidence of Gooding give their battles both on and off the battlefield the sweet taste of victory. --Sean Axmaker

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Year:	1995
Release Date:	March 31, 2008
Runtime:	101 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D Y 21059
Keywords:	War, English, Airmen, Drama, Historical, Tuskegee
Genre:	Drama