Free Republic

"The only modern way to describe a World War I dogfight is to imagine a knife fight in a phone booth," says Tony Bill, who directed "Flyboys," which MGM is releasing today. The film tells the tale of the Lafayette Escadrille, a squadron of American pilots who volunteered to fight for France in the early days of World War I.

In Flyboys, young Americans volunteer for the French Air Corps in World War I. And this genuinely thrilling movie makes it look like fun, telling the true story of the famed Lafayette Escadrille that engaged in often-deadly aerial combat just one decade after airplanes were invented. One veteran flyer explains why each pilot gets a revolver: This is a stirring, old-fashioned war movie with vivid characters, involving flyboy James Franco and French farm girl Jennifer Decker. Rated a mild PG-13 for wartime action and brief sex references but suitable for all viewers over ten...

Dear Lord, There's a young man far from home, called to serve his nation in time of war; sent to defend our freedom on some distant foreign shore. We pray You keep him safe, we pray You keep him strong, we pray You send him safely home ... for he's been away so long. There's a young woman far from home, serving her nation with pride. Her step is strong, her step is sure, there is courage in every stride. We pray You keep her safe, we pray You keep her strong, we pray You send her safely home...