Product Description

Featuring a talented cast including Richard E. Grant (Gosford Park), Golden Globe nominee Jason Priestley (Beverly Hills, 90210), Emmy nominee Ken Welsh (The Aviator) and BAFTA nominee Joss Ackland (Asylum) as Winston Churchill, Above and Beyond is a moving epic of courage, triumph, heroism, and love against all odds.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #52441 in DVD
• Brand: TIMELESS MEDIA GROUP
• Released on: 2007-10-02
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 179 minutes

Customer Reviews

4-stars for the history buff, but only 2 stars for the general viewing audience, but I liked it!
In 1940 Germany's submarine forces are winning the war in the Atlantic, and massive tonnage of allied shipping, including shipments of military aircraft, make it only to the bottom of the sea. This Canadian made-for-TV mini-series uses this dire situation as a backdrop.

Since submarine warfare is slowly strangling Britain's ability to defend herself something has to be done to get materials across the Atlantic. A bold military officer and his capable female assistant take on the responsibility of setting up a risky yet vital plan to fly planes across the north Altantic from Newfoundland to Britain.

When the officer and his assistant arrive at a small Newfoundland airfield, they face the challenges of recruiting and retaining pilots, and training them to fly across the north Altantic (a risky venture at best), and dealing with the local townsfolk.

We soon learn that the assistant has a history with the local airfield operator, and their past catches up to them as men and machines face perilous odds as they prepare to fly.

I found this show to depict an interesting and generally overlooked aspect of early WWII. It therefore deserves recognition. At the same time I found the acting and overall quality of the production to be only good, not great.

History buffs should enjoy this show, but the average viewer would probably find it to be rather tedious, since it is generally lacking in high-cost digital candy that flavors most movies these days.

I'd rate this 4-stars for the history buff/romance crowd, and perhaps 2- stars for the general audience. I guess I'll split that difference and award this a solid 3-stars.

I hope this is helpful. Have fun and fly safely!

I love learning little bits of history
If you buy this because you see Jason Priestley's name in the cast list, you may be both sadly disappointed (his part is very small) and pleasantly surprised. This two-part Canadian Miniseries tells how a place most residents of the USA (and Canada and England, for that matter) had never heard of in 1939 became the primary embarkation point for thousands of US and Canadian built fighters and bombers flown to England to help turn the tide of the Second World War. It's an interesting story, with a little human conflict, a little star-crossed love, and a lot of pride in what the human race can do when the chips are down.

Watchable but not great
This Canadian mini-series centers around a little-remembered aspect of World War II. The British face a Nazi onslaught and are desperately short of planes. Canadian newspaper magnate turned cabinet member Lord Beaverbrook conceives a bold plan to fly them across the Atlantic from Newfoundland to Ireland. "But that's impossible," everyone exclaims. Not so. With a motely crew of civilian volunteers including Americans, it can and will be done.
The first half of this mini-series moved along briskly. We're introduced to some of the flyers and their intrepid commander and the girl who will organize the operation and provide the love interest. Joss Ackland provides the Chrchill impersonation, complete with growling voice and huge cigar.
Unfortunately, the dramatic tension is not sustained in Part II. Once the pilots show they can indeed cross the Atlantic, the plot veers to infighting over who will control the operation and a poorly conceived love triangle that totally lacks any snap, crackle or pop.