
A true story revolving around Ensign Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors) an African American Navy pilot during the Korean War (which was called a conflict because war was never openly declared and even today there is a truce but no final settlement to that early 1950s involvement on the Korean peninsula. Because of that few stories of those who were devoted to their service have surfaced. Devotion brings the action and commitment on the part of Navy flyers to the battles.
Director J.D. Dillard using the screen play by Jake Crane and Jonathan A. Stewart moves the introductory story of Ensign Brown both his challenges in the service, his family life and the prejudice he faced from some fellow Navy flyers at a slow pace leaving the performers appearing hollow at times. The screen play does not promote the expression it should have given for the tension a man of color had to face even when fighting for America. But hIs heroism comes through the ineffective pacing of the story.
On the other hand the action scenes in the air are spectacular to experience and coordination of the sound track and the resistance which each pilot must traverse, are harrowing and about as real as ever on the screen.
A tighter script would have helped but non-the-less watching Ensign Jesse Brown give his measure of Devotion to his mission and fellow pilots is inspiring even though it happened in a non war about seventy years ago.