It is my heartfelt belief that no clearly thinking individual who considers him- or herself to be a student of either WWII aviation history or modern cinematography could possibly find this to be a good (or even decent) movie, from ANY standpoint. The lost potential in this film is monumental - between gathering the hardware which provides an authentic backdrop (aircraft, uniforms & flight gear, restoring a former WWII base for filming, etc.) and selecting a capable cast, the entire effort was shot in the head when it came time for the script - not to mention some model sequences which, in spite of emerging technology, still just flat don't 'work.' The juvenile behavior of the crew, particularly IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MISSION, was abominable. For me, the only shining moment was the exchange between John Lithgow and David Strathairn over the letters from home, voiced over with the gun camera footage. Beyond that, the overall film was deplorable. And after that much expenditure of effort to be wasted, I wouldn't look for any other producer to undertake a similar theme. Spielberg tackled the infantry ("Saving Private Ryan"), Eastwood has done justice to the Marine Corps ("Flags of our Fathers") - but you'll have to contend with THIS monstrosity for an 8th Air Force tribute.<br /><br />Want the real story of the 8th Air Force? Watch William Wyler's original "Memphis Belle" documentary - or Dana Andrews' performance in Wyler's "The Best Years of our Lives."