The Dawn Patrol is a 1930 war film focusing on the aviation aspects of the Great War. The story follows Dick Courtney, an ace pilot fighting for the Royal Flying Corps. As the plot progresses, Courtney's unit is faced with endless suicide missions and heavy casualty rates.
The movie is a true-to-form war story. Without focusing too much on the overall arc of the war and the larger picture, the story focuses instead on a select few soldiers and their own personal struggles. The conflict is well-written and the casting is decent. There are also many great action shots, such as aerial views of bombs being dropped and the resulting explosions.
Unfortunately, the movie is faced with many moments of bad acting. Examples of over-acting, over-the-top performances, bad deliveries, and overly phony death scenes abound in this film. The attempts at comedy are corny and should have been left out. Melodrama constantly bursts into the picture, with otherwise serious characters flying into "say it ain't so!" moments and "don't tell me he's g-g-g-gone!" scenes. At one point, a soldier nonchalantly dives into an opera in an otherwise songless picture.
Overall, you could skip this film. This movie might be pleasing to those who enjoy war movies or perhaps specifically those who like World War I movies. Otherwise, you're not missing much if you decide to miss this one.
The movie is a true-to-form war story. Without focusing too much on the overall arc of the war and the larger picture, the story focuses instead on a select few soldiers and their own personal struggles. The conflict is well-written and the casting is decent. There are also many great action shots, such as aerial views of bombs being dropped and the resulting explosions.
Unfortunately, the movie is faced with many moments of bad acting. Examples of over-acting, over-the-top performances, bad deliveries, and overly phony death scenes abound in this film. The attempts at comedy are corny and should have been left out. Melodrama constantly bursts into the picture, with otherwise serious characters flying into "say it ain't so!" moments and "don't tell me he's g-g-g-gone!" scenes. At one point, a soldier nonchalantly dives into an opera in an otherwise songless picture.
Overall, you could skip this film. This movie might be pleasing to those who enjoy war movies or perhaps specifically those who like World War I movies. Otherwise, you're not missing much if you decide to miss this one.