AVERAGE

Following the success of Band of Brothers and The Pacific, this limited series focuses on young American pilots flying missions over Europe during World War II, facing intense resistance from the German air force, and dangers on the ground, if they survive getting shot down.

High production values and moments of tension sprinkled throughout the series, but in spite of attempts to depict a bit of wartime romance and a stint in a German stalag, there’s a sense of repetition hanging over it. Neither the cast nor the characters generate much emotion.

A rousing music theme, though.

2024-U.S. 513 min. Color. Widescreen. Created by John Shiban, John Orloff. Book: Donald L. Miller. Theme: Blake Neely. Cast: Austin Butler (Gale ”Buck” Cleven), Callum Turner (John ”Bucky” Egan), Anthony Boyle (Harry Crosby), Barry Keoghan, Nikolai Kinski, Stephen Campbell Moore. 

Trivia: Originally shown in nine episodes. Co-executive produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Among the directors are Dee Rees, Cary Joji Fukunaga and Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck.