Director Anthony Hemingway and producer George Lucas made an amazing film in Red Tails.

Red Tails, which made its box office debut at No. 2 during its opening weekend in January, has a leading cast of all African-American males. Despite lack of interest from Hollywood executives, the film proved well worth the ticket price.

Lucas spent more than two decades getting this film off the ground. As I watched the movie, I was instantly drawn into the world of the Tuskegee Airmen.

In a segregated military system, the Tuskegee Airmen were the underdogs and often labeled as unfit for important missions. Throughout the movie, Hemingway and Lucas depict the fighter group's efforts to prove its merit on Italian battlefields during World War II.

It was captivating to watch the airmen take on fighter pilots roles with special effects that can only be attributed to Lucas.

Red Tails, though, does fall short on a fundamental note. The point of racism during the war was nearly avoided, or at least oversimplified.

In reality, the Tuskegee Airmen were subject to harsh prejudice. Only a few scenes between Col. Bullard (Terrence Howard) and Col. Mortamus (Bryan Cranston) show the reality of the military's segregation.

However, what the movie lacks in its oversimplification of racism, it makes up with amazing special effects and aerial battle scenes.

Yujie Ding is a sophomore at Santa Fe High School. You can reach him at gnrocks2846@gmail.com.