Telling the important story of the Tuskegee airmen, the first all-African American fighter pilots during World War II, Red Tails becomes increasingly bogged down by a very weak script filled with bad dialogue, bland characters, and numerous cliches we’ve come to expect from your run-of-the-mill war movie, as well as executive producer George Lucas.

The film opens with a midair fight sequence, as American fighter pilots escort a group of bombers high over the European landscape. Suddenly the action begins as a pilot ridiculously exclaims, “Germans! Let’s get ‘em!” This sequence, although not featuring any of the main characters of the film, perfectly illustrates what to be expected over the next two hours, as it shows some half-way exciting ariel fighting, filled with campy one-liners that offer laughs when they shouldn’t.

Soon enough we meet the Tuskegee 332nd Fighter Group, which includes an absolute bevy of actors, many of whom are interchangeable and don’t have much personality to their characters. The leader of the pilots is Marty ‘Easy’ Julian (Nate Parker), a skilled pilot with a drinking problem. Next there is Joe ‘Lightning’ Little (David Oyelowo), a hotshot and the most skilled of the group, who falls for a local Italian girl named Sofia (Daniela Ruah). Then there’s Samuel ‘Joker’ George (Elijah Kelley) and Ray “Junior” Gannon (Tristan Wilds), with Andrew ‘Smoky’ Salem (Ne-Yo), and the new recruit Maurice Wilson (Michael B. Jordan). These group of young pilots are led by Major Stance (Cuba Gooding Jr.), a likable enough leader always with a large pipe in his mouth, and Colonel Bullard (Terrence Howard), who seems to be placed in the film only to give cliche-filled, impassioned speeches.

Thanks to Colonel Bullard’s politicking in Washington, the Tuskegee 332nd Fighter Group gets its first shot at glory despite opposition, mainly from Colonel William Mortamus (Bryan Cranston), who is extremely opposed to an all African American fighter group, as he does everything he can to stop this talented group of young pilots from seeing any real action in the war. Eventually, the Tuskegee airmen are given action transporting bomber planes on missions. It soon becomes clear that these pilots are among the most talented the US Army has to offer.

A few likable characters and some impressive ariel sequences can’t save a hopelessly cliched and bland script. George Lucas and company are clearly setting out to give the Tuskegee airmen the attention and honor they deserve, but some truly awful constructs to the film makes it impossible to salvage. In fact, it is clear just how much a hand Lucas had in making this film. Not only does it have a large budget, but it possesses many of the archetypes we’ve come to expect in his scripts, as well as Star Wars-esque flight sequences, down to the obligatory one-liners in between the action.

Director Anthony Hemingway, who has previously directed such television shows as “The Wire,” “Fringe,” “Community,” and “True Blood,” does his best to save the lackluster script, as Red Tails has a very glossy feel to it, but this look doesn’t feel very real, as the most successful war films usually have a very gritty look. Unfortunately, exciting flight sequences and a few charismatic characters do little to salvage a script that fails altogether to live up to the important story it tries to tell.

Grade: C-

Rated: PG-13 (for some sequences of war violence.)

Red Tails opens nationwide January 20th.