Culture news This war mini-series by Steven Spielberg was a hit upon its release: the critics were unanimous
Steven Spielberg is back in action with this series which has everything to become cult. Air force and bombing will be present in this TV show which is unanimously acclaimed by critics.
13 years after working on Falling Skies, Steven Spielberg returns to television series, this time as a producer. But he is not alone, actor and producer Tom Hanks is also there. This collaboration gave birth to Masters of the Air, broadcast this Friday, January 26 on AppleTV +. Barely released, the TV show is already acclaimed by the public and critics; it looks like Spielberg is resisting.
Masters of the Air, what is it about?
In the style of Frères d’Armes or The Pacific, Masters of the Air is an American miniseries about World War II. This focuses on the 8th Air Force of the American army, in particular the 100th Bombardment Group, whose mission is to attack the strategic points of the Third Reich. In a 9-episode TV show, Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks want to show us the courage, the failures and the triumph of this unity that is so important in humanity’s most terrible conflict. The idea for this series is not new, because the two men have been working on this project since 2012, based on the book by Donald Miller Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany. It was in 2019 that Apple TV + reached an agreement with the two producers to broadcast the series.
What does the press think?
The press is quite unanimous regarding the work, even some criticisms stand out. The TV show marks thanks to its spectacular side and “is one of those series that we would love to see on the big screen”, according to the Parisian. For its part, Paris Match explains that a few months before the commemorations of the landing, “Masters of the Air highlights the unique commitment of these troops and offers additional depth to the fabric of its heroes”. But as said before, the show has some shortcomings that seem to grow throughout the broadcast. For Variety magazine, “ the first three episodes are almost too vast“, and “Aside from Buck, Bucky and Lt. Curtis Biddick, viewers are scrambling to name the faces“. A feeling of being too big which is felt a lot, but which is made up for by a very small achievement. Despite this flaw, the series is of very good quality and perfectly pays homage to the army and these war heroes.
Press notes
Note aggregators:
- Rotten Tomatoes: 83/100
- Metacritic: 75/100
The Press:
- TF1 News: 5/5
- The Guardian: 5/5
- The Parisian: 4/5
- The World: 3.5/5
- Premiere: 3.5/5