Masters Of The Air is arguably the biggest show AppleTV has produced so far given the scale, budget and talent involved in front of and behind the camera. It started production in 2021 and has gone through a string of production issues mostly due to COVID-19, but it’s finally arriving on the streaming service this January. The miniseries was on a lot of people’s most anticipated list, including mine and there were high expectations from this Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg-backed project.
It also serves as a companion series to Band of Brothers and The Pacific, both of which came out on HBO. This War-drama is based on the 2007 novel Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany by Donald L. Miller. It 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. It is developed by John Shiban and John Orloff, with Hanks and Spielberg among the executive producers.
The series is surprisingly action-heavy and doesn’t slow down too often to go off on unnecessary tangents. The VFX work is mostly impressive with some weak moments that are forgivable. The aerial flight sequences are where the show is at its strongest. All of these sequences are absolutely riveting and keep you on the edge of your seat. You can feel the tension and the stakes whenever the officers are sent on a mission. As the story is set at the peak of World War II, the boys were regularly sent on missions. There haven’t been many shows that show the Air Force in such a thorough fashion, so most people aren’t aware of what goes on inside an Air Force aircraft, which works in favor of the show.
The show also boasts an impressive list of directors for its 9-episode run that included Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective), Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (The Affair), and Tim Van Patten (The Sopranos), who also directed episodes of The Pacific. The direction is very impressive overall, and the directors give a lot of attention to detail in every frame. This creates an utterly authentic experience. The color grading and costume design are also done well.
The writing led by John Orloff is also really good. We get a lot of interesting subplots and we keep on getting to see new sides to our characters. The writers do very well to maintain the underlying theme of brotherhood and humanity throughout the storytelling. This is a show that just gets better with every episode. The first couple episodes take their time to set everything up especially as they have to introduce so many characters at a time, but once we get settled with our characters, that’s when it starts firing on all cylinders.
Coming to the performances, Austin Butler is by far the biggest name on the cast and he is good as Major Gale Cleven. Although the marketing sets up Butler as the lead, Callum Turner is arguable the main lead and he really impresses as Major John Egan and shows his range especially in the middle episodes. Barry Keoghan’s role is small but impactful. Other standouts were Anthony Boyle as Major Harry Crosby and Nate Mann as Major Robert Rosenthal. The other cast members support well and have decent chemistry as a unit.
Masters Of The Air is binge-worthy mission and proves to be a solid companion to Band of Brothers and The Pacific. It is a great addition to AppleTV’s ever expanding library of compelling content and will surely prove to be another winner for the streamer in both awards circuits and audience reception. It may not be a completely turbulence-free ride, but it keeps you gripped with a squadron of strong characters and adrenaline-pumping aerial action sequences. Add this one to your watchlist.
Masters Of The Air will premiere on AppleTV+ on January 26 with its first two episodes. The following episodes will release weekly until March 15.
