Some parts are pretty slow but the highs definitely make up for it the cinematography is insane considering it was the 1930s

Some parts are pretty slow but the highs definitely make up for it the cinematography is insane considering it was the 1930s

6 out of 52 for the 2026 Criterion Challenge

The aerial scenes are fantastic. The scene of the Zeppelin first coming in is now one of my favorite shots from this era. I cannot stress how cool that was. Unfortunately the story was very hollow. I like Jean Harlow but she could be completely removed and this would have been exactly the same. Her character felt pointless, but that is amplified by the two male leads also giving not so great performances. It felt like there was zero development or complexity to any of these characters. I didn't really like the script either. The Karl character at the beginning also felt very wasted and kind of unnecessary. ( Wings is vastly superior.) Regardless though this is still worth seeing for the aerial scenes and its place in film history.

6 out of 52 for the 2026 Criterion Challenge

The aerial scenes are fantastic. The scene of the Zeppelin first coming in is now one of my favorite shots from this era. I cannot stress how cool that was. Unfortunately the story was very hollow. I like Jean Harlow but she could be completely removed and this would have been exactly the same. Her character felt pointless, but that is amplified by the two male leads also giving not so great performances. It felt like there was zero development or complexity to any of these characters. I didn't really like the script either. The Karl character at the beginning also felt very wasted and kind of unnecessary. ( Wings is vastly superior.) Regardless though this is still worth seeing for the aerial scenes and its place in film history.

Suffers from being an early sound film and the melodramatic story not being particularly interesting, but once those aerial sequences start this film is truly something to behold. Though it seems to me that James Whale probably directed more of what's on screen than Howard Hughes, but it is Hughes' utter insanity that makes this worth a watch. The third act dogfight sequence made me gasp repeatedly. But if you want a better story with your WW1 dogfight picture, Wings is still the much better film.

Suffers from being an early sound film and the melodramatic story not being particularly interesting, but once those aerial sequences start this film is truly something to behold. Though it seems to me that James Whale probably directed more of what's on screen than Howard Hughes, but it is Hughes' utter insanity that makes this worth a watch. The third act dogfight sequence made me gasp repeatedly. But if you want a better story with your WW1 dogfight picture, Wings is still the much better film.

Despite its lack of a fully engaging plot, Hell’s Angels is an impressive film - perhaps the first proper action blockbuster. It’s a film that makes you ask the question: “how did they do that?”, in a time way before the elaborate visual effects of today. 

The short answer is that they mostly performed the film’s stunts naturally by actually doing real-life dogfights and capturing them on camera. But no matter how impressive the practicality of the film is, I could not get behind the film’s story or its characters. It feels like an afterthought compared to the visuals - perhaps it’s an early example of style over substance. 

While having some fun time with Hell’s Angels, it primarily made me think of Scorsese’s The Aviator since it’s been way too long since I last saw it. My perhaps biggest takeaway from the film is that it’ll make me enjoy The Aviator more.

Despite its lack of a fully engaging plot, Hell’s Angels is an impressive film - perhaps the first proper action blockbuster. It’s a film that makes you ask the question: “how did they do that?”, in a time way before the elaborate visual effects of today. 

The short answer is that they mostly performed the film’s stunts naturally by actually doing real-life dogfights and capturing them on camera. But no matter how impressive the practicality of the film is, I could not get behind the film’s story or its characters. It feels like an afterthought compared to the visuals - perhaps it’s an early example of style over substance. 

While having some fun time with Hell’s Angels, it primarily made me think of Scorsese’s The Aviator since it’s been way too long since I last saw it. My perhaps biggest takeaway from the film is that it’ll make me enjoy The Aviator more.

Watched this with no sound but the dogfight sequences were unreal

Watched this with no sound but the dogfight sequences were unreal