RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Wings
Wings

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Wings (1927)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
96 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:24

Fresh:23

Rotten:1

Average Rating:7.5/10

Consensus: Subsequent war epics may have borrowed heavily from the original Best Picture winner, but they've all lacked Clara Bow's luminous screen presence and William Wellman's deft direction.

Runtime: 2 hrs 19 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Synopsis: WINGS was the first film ever made that graphically captured the emotional combination of freedom and fear of flying in combat. Director William Wellman drew on his years in an elite flying... WINGS was the first film ever made that graphically captured the emotional combination of freedom and fear of flying in combat. Director William Wellman drew on his years in an elite flying squadron and pushed the cinematic technology of the day to its limit when he created this film's timeless aerial sequences. The story revolves around two young men, of different classes, who have both fallen for the same young woman before they head off to combat. Richard Arlen and Charles Rogers are well paired as they fight it out over both Clara Bow and enemy soil, and Gary Cooper makes a memorable cameo appearance, which launched his career. The emotional current created by the three stars is as intense as the film's special effects, and the result adequately reflects the lasting brutality of war. This drama won the very first Academy Award for Best Picture. [More]

Starring: Clara Bow, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Gary Cooper, Richard Arlen

Starring: Clara Bow, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Gary Cooper, Richard Arlen, Hedda Hopper, George Irving

Director: William Wellman

Director: William Wellman
Producer: Lucien Hubbard

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Nov 30, 1999

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Wings

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Bubble View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
splat

The audience gulped down the plot as conventional but reliable stuff, watched with waning interest while spinning, swerving, dodging planes grew into confused monotony against a background of unpicturesque ether.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 17 2009 11:44 AM

TIME Magazine

tomato
B

Dennis Schwartz

The first Oscar winner for Best Picture was also the only silent film to win the Oscar.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 29 2008 01:01 PM

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

tomato
3/5

Clara Bow is mesmerising in this ahead-of-its-time air force drama.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 20 2008 02:12 PM

Empire Magazine

tomato

Sid Silverman

There not being so much of Clara Bow in the picture, or a straining for her to turn on that 'it' personality, she gives an all around corking performance.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 19 2008 02:09 PM

Variety

tomato
3/4

Rather predictable but still quite watchable.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 12 2006 08:11 PM

TV Guide's Movie Guide

tomato

Dave Kehr

It won the first Academy Award for best picture back in 1927, establishing a tradition of silliness that hasn't been broken to this day, but there is some thrilling flying footage and impressively expensive spectacle.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 12 2006 08:09 PM

Chicago Reader

tomato
2.5/4

Wesley Lovell

Above par effects (for the time) matched with decent performances make for a modestly entertaining picture.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 05 2006 06:53 AM

Oscar Guy

tomato

Long touted as a classic by cinema historians, and justifying almost every adjectival extravagance.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 26 2006 03:15 AM

Time Out

tomato
5/5

Michael Szymanski

No review available.

comment Comment | Sep., 23 2005 07:31 PM

Zap2it.com

tomato
3/4

Emanuel Levy

The first collaborative effort between Holywood and the Air Force, Wings enjoyed the administration's support on the condition that it projects a positive image of the military, emphasizing male camaraderie and heroism.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 27 2005 09:27 AM

EmanuelLevy.Com

tomato
4/5

Daniel M. Kimmel

No review available.

comment Comment | Apr., 27 2005 08:35 AM

Worcester Telegram & Gazette

tomato
5/5

Luke Y. Thompson

The classic war epic-meets-buddy-movie from which most others since have been derived.

comment Comment | Feb., 13 2005 01:01 AM

New Times

tomato
3/5

Gregory Weinkauf

Nice. Not thrilling, but nice.

comment Comment | Apr., 25 2004 05:09 PM

New Times

tomato

MaryAnn Johanson

An early buddies-go-to-war story that still echoes in today's movies.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 16 2004 05:14 PM

Flick Filosopher

tomato
4/5

Matt Easterbrook

The main attraction for this movie is the aerial fight sequences. They’re some of the most exciting combat scenes I’ve seen, and this is for a film that was made in 1927!

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 01 2003 08:45 PM

Matt's Movie Reviews

tomato

The airborne stunts, even to this day, are quite breathtaking and have rarely been surpassed; just as notable are the land-based war sequences, in particular a trench that collapses with devastating consequences.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 24 2003 08:07 AM

Channel 4 Film

tomato
5/5

Brandon Judell

No review available.

comment Comment | Mar., 03 2003 04:41 PM

PopcornQ

tomato
3/5

Philip Martin

No review available.

comment Comment | Jan., 23 2003 12:27 PM

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

tomato
5/5

Christopher Smith

One of the best silent films ever made.

comment Comment | Oct., 11 2002 06:16 AM

Bangor Daily News (Maine)

tomato
B+

John A. Nesbit

Clara Bow and Buddy Rogers develop their characters and bring far more life to the screen than anyone in the forgettable Bruckheimer-Bay rip-off WWII love story

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 01 2002 08:51 AM

Old School Reviews

 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Bubble View | 1 2 >> >|
See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
77% 77% The Hangover
88% 88% Inglourious Basterds
66% 66% Public Enemies
24% 24% G-Force
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
90% 90% District 9
86% 86% 500 Days of Summer
63% 63% Extract
06% 06% All About Steve
78% 78% It Might Get Loud

More New Releases…

See All

RT On Current TV

The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

Learn how you can be part of the show

More...

What’s Hot On RT

Best of the Decade

Best of the Decade

Find out what movies made our list!

Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2

Watch the brand new trailer now!

Clash of the Titans

Clash of the Titans

Prepare to Clash with Titans in this trailer!

Total Recall

Total Recall

RT looks back on Jude Law's best movies!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: Peter Jackson's Secret Sci-Fi Project
69
  • New Toy Story 3 Clip, Photos Posted Source: Slashfilm
24
  • Danny Trejo Talks Machete, Possible Sequels Source: Collider.com
14
  • It's Official: Jackass 3-D Coming in 2010 Source: Collider.com
16
  • Bryan Singer Returning to X-Men for First Class Source: Superhero Hype
102
  • Mark Strong Talks Kick-Ass, John Carter, and Robin Hood Source: Collider.com
1
  • How Avatar Happened: The Path to Innovation Source: CinemaBlend.com
19
  • Rob Marshall Says Pirates 4 Is Still a Maybe Source: ComingSoon.net
32
  • ET Teases Iron Man 2 Teaser Source: Collider.com
28
  • Tobey Maguire Refutes Hobbit Rumors Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Avatar Soars to #1 Spot
261
  • RT's Best of the Decade!
154
  • Brittany Murphy: 1977-2009
115
  • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson
69
  • Total Recall: Jude Law's Best Movies
56
  • Critics Consensus: Sherlock Holmes Is Worth Investigating
33
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: District 9 and (500) Days of Summer
32
  • Weekly Ketchup: Peter Jackson's Secret Sci-Fi Project
23
  • Friday Harvest: Sherlock Holmes, Toy Story 3, and more!
10
  • What We're Watching on Blu-ray from Disney!
9
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson
69
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
24
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
16
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
24
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Wings at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Wings at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
Best Dozen of the Decade
Best Dozen of the Decade External Link

Last week, MSN gave us their top 09 films. Now see what their favorites of the decade are!

Top 50 of 2009
Top 50 of 2009 External Link

Here's a list of the 50 best movies of 2009, according to the good people over at Moviefone.

Santa's Naughty List
Santa's Naughty List External Link

Hollywood.com takes a stab at determining who in movies will be on Santa's naughty list in 2009.

Top 10 Movies of 2009
Top 10 Movies of 2009 External Link

TIME chimes in with their own list of the best films released this year.

Top 20 of the Decade
Top 20 of the Decade External Link

Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!

Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Follow RT on Twitter External Link

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo
About Us | Advertise | Contact Us | Press | Careers
IGN | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | Direct2Drive | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Game Sites | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | GIGA.DE | What They Play | Battlefield Heroes
By continuing past this page, and by your continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. | Support | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! RSS Feeds
IGN’s enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA.
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.