Happy Memorial Day! 🇺🇸 Just in time for Memorial Weekend, The Blue Angels documentary dropped on Prime Video. My hubby and I had hoped to see this on IMAX, alas it wasn’t playing on any IMAX or Dolby theater near us, so we decided to stream it instead.

Interestingly, one of the film’s producers is Glen Powell who played one of the pilots in Top Gun: Maverick, and JJ Abrams, who directed Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible 3. Well, the Blue Angels pilots are the real Top Guns, they’re the best aviators selected by the U.S. Navy for its elite Flight Demonstration Squadron. The expository texts tell viewers that every year, the Navy has roughly 3700 combat pilots on active duty, and out of that, only six are recruited to fly with the Blue Angels team.

The film shows a year in the life of the pilots as they get rigorous training as well as an intense selection process, with plenty of never-before-seen footage of heart-stopping aerial sequences. Top Gun fans would absolutely love this fantastic documentary full of impressive aerial maneuvers. Directed by Paul Crowder, the British musician-turned-filmmaker, the film does a great job in placing us the viewers in the cockpit with the pilots. The visuals are absolutely breathtaking thanks to the incredible camera work capturing the death-defying stunts. Watching the flying sequences gives me serious goosebumps! 

This film gives us a bird’s eye view of the absolute precision required to fly the various formations. During the most iconic maneuver, the Diamond 360, the F/A-18 Hornets fly just a mere 18 inches apart from each wingtip at a certain point. At one of the air shows, it’s fun watching the sneak pass ‘Mach Knock’ solo maneuver at speeds close to 700 mph, just under the speed of sound. It’s extra exhilarating as these sequences aren’t done with special effects and there are stunt doubles, these are the real deal!

While the aerial artistry is the selling point of the film, I love the human story of each pilot, both the veterans and the latest class members, and the insight into what it means to be part of such an elite program. I enjoy listening to each of their stories and seeing the training scenes that enable them to fly without wearing G-suits. This job requires much more than skills, their sense of duty, discipline, and personal sacrifice are inspiring. In remembrance of those who died serving their country, the film also honors the pilots who perished during training. One thing I wish they explored a bit more is the ground crew who are crucial in making the program run smoothly.

The squadron has to be away from their families as they perform nine months out of the year, but the entire team (not just the pilots) becomes their family during that time. Their motto is ‘happy to be here’ which shows they thrive on genuine gratitude that drives them to excel. Though largely a male-dominated industry, the film does show a few key female officers: flight surgeon Lieutenant Commander Dr. Monica Borza, and Minnesota native Lt. Amanda Lee, the first female Blue Angels flight demonstration jet pilot.

While the Blue Angels don’t go on combat missions, they are combat-ready in times of crisis. However, their role in the U.S. military is crucial as an effective recruitment tool by showcasing the honor of serving one’s country and enforcing a culture of excellence. Even the film team acknowledged in the film promos that given the current lack of enthusiasm in the U.S. Navy, they hoped the film would help entice young people to pursue aviation or military service. 

The Blue Angels is one of the best aviation films that’s thrilling, entertaining, and educational. Growing up with two brothers, I’ve been on a few air shows but the Blue Angels show is still on my bucket list. There are 60 shows at 30 locations throughout the U.S., plus two in Canada, so I hope to see them LIVE one day!

Have you seen The Blue Angels? What did YOU think?

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