Masters of The Air Review: A spectacular masterpiece, everyone needs to see ☆☆☆☆☆

January 24, 2024

Five Star Masters Of The Air review: Austin Butler is at the top of his acting game in stunning Apple TV+ series

“Masters of the Air” is the new, big budget follow up to “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific” streamiong on Apple TV+ from Friday. So does it live up to the hype?

Hell yeah. From the opening moments of the first episode, you’ll be pulled in and invested. Think “Top Gun” in a war setting, and you’ll get the gist. Engaging, authentic banter in a low lit bar sets the scene immediately, making it clear that Austin Butler and Callum Taylor’s characters are very much “brothers”. Cut to an action sequence, showing the squadrun in action and we’re off. Exceptional visuals, you know as as a viewer you’re watching something special and we’re not even five minutes in.

Then, the stunning title sequence that deserves an award in itself. Yes, this series is THAT good, that even the title sequence needs a reference.

The A-List cast is incredible and Butler in particular just oozes star quality. It only adds to the whole feel of the thing. You can’t believe this is a tv series and not a blockbuster movie.

We move on to more action scenes which simply look phenomeonal and a story about Major Crosby (Anthony Boyle) suffering from air sickness which adds more humanisation and excellent characterisation. There’s a near fatal accident and you’re left with the feeling that next time they might not be so lucky.

The casting here is off the scale. As well as Buter, Taylor and Boyle, there’s man of the moment Barry Keoghan oozing charisma as you might expect, Raff Law, Lauren McQueen and even new Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa.

This is absolutely going to be one of those series where you back the heroes but just know there’s going to be tragedy and chaos amongst it all. The blend of human stories and all-out spectacular action sequences is breathtaking. So much so, we’ve watched the first episode twice.

This show has been waiting to drop for almost two years and we can only hope they’ve been using that time to write a follow up.

Hanks and Speilberg have made a masterpiece that most likely can’t be beaten this year. It’s incredible.

What is Masters of the Air about?

“Masters of the Air” is an action-packed drama that follows the true story of an American bomber group in World War II. The series will premiere on Apple TV+ with two episodes, followed by one new episode every Friday through 15 March, 2024.

The series is executive produced by Spielberg, Hanks and Goetzman, and features a stellar cast led by Academy Award nominee Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafferty Law, Academy Award nominee Barry Keoghan, Josiah Cross, Branden Cook and Ncuti Gatwa.

“‘Masters of the Air’ is a salute to the brave men of the 8th Air Force, who, through their courage and brotherhood, helped defeat Nazi Germany in World War II,” said executive producer Gary Goetzman. “Tom and Steven have always wanted to visualize cinematically what our author Don Miller has called, this ‘singular event in the history of warfare.’ We’re thrilled that Apple TV+ has given us the opportunity to combine the efforts of so many talented people, on-screen and behind the camera, to tell this important story.”

Based on Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name, and scripted by John Orloff, “Masters of the Air” follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions, lack of oxygen and sheer terror of combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the air. Portraying the psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich, is at the heart of “Masters of the Air.” Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home. Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all.

Ranging in location from the bucolic fields and villages of southeast England, to the harsh deprivations of a German prisoner-of-war camp, and depicting a unique and crucial time in world history, “Masters of the Air” is enormous in both scale and scope, and a genuine cinematic achievement.

Hailing from Apple Studios, “Masters of the Air” is executive produced by Spielberg through Amblin Television, and Hanks and Goetzman for Playtone. Amblin Television’s Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey co-executive produce alongside Playtone’s Steven Shareshian. In addition to writing, Orloff co-executive produces. Graham Yost also serves as co-executive producer.

Stream the series on Apple TV+. This alone is worth a subscription.