In 1914, "The Great War" --WWI--began in Europe. By 1917, the Allied powers of France, England, Italy and others were on the ropes against the German juggernaut. Some altruistic young Americans disagreed with the war. They volunteered to fight alongside their counterparts in France; some in the infantry, some in the Ambulance Corps. A handful of others had a different idea: they decided to learn how to fly.

Fans of the comic strip Peanuts would remember how Snoopy used to fantasised about being a World War I flying ace and taking on his archrival, The Red Baron. However, in Tony Bill's latest war drama, the German Ace Pilot happens to fly a black plane, so shouldn't it be known as The Black Baron instead?

"Flyboys" is the story of Texas boy Blaine Rawlings (James Franco) who flees his hometown one step ahead of the sheriff, and journeys to France to join the Lafayette Escadrille, a group of young volunteers for the country's first fighter pilots. In France, he learns how to fly, stumbles through his initial missions, forms a band of brothers with his fellow pilots, go through conflicts with his stern commander (Jean Reno), falls in love with a pretty French girl (Jennifer Decker) and finally becomes an ace.

Of course, the focus is not on Rawlings alone as his fellow "flyboys" each have their own characteristics and personalities that makes them stand out in the film. However, as you realise that not all are going to make it to the end with happy endings, it won't be long before you start predicting who's next to be shot off the air.

The action above the ground is what most audiences will be looking most forward to, and it does not disappoint. Combining actual aerial footage and computer-generated special effects, the scenes have the dramatic crackle that's lacking on the ground, and the inclusion of deadly webs of CGI tracer-fire adds a new dimension to the swoops and rollovers. Best of all, they are cohesively edited rather than just a series of frenetic split-second shots that don't build tension. Besides the amazing dogfights scenes, the quiet and tender moments with Rawlings and the French girl are some of the most memorable in the movie. She speaks no English at first, and he barely can come up with a sentence in French. Yet, they both share a chemistry on-screen that may put some romance film couples to shame. Fortunately, these lovey-dovey scenes are minimal and they do not make "Flyboys" into a soppy love drama.

Fans of aerial warfare should definitely catch this movie. Younger moviegoers may respond to it, and to its sweet romance, tales of brotherhood, sacrifice and honour as well as its overall air of historical accuracy. Veteran moviegoers, however, are more likely to find it cliched, weakly cast in its supporting roles and, at over two hours, way too long.