Devotion

Devotion

The harrowing true story of two elite US Navy fighter pilots during the Korean War. Their heroic sacrifices would ultimately make them the Navy's most celebrated wingmen.

  • Released: 2022-11-23
  • Runtime: 100 minutes
  • Genre: Drama, History, War
  • Stars: Ava Michelle Thompson, Alexander Goldstein, Jonathan Majors, Glen Powell, Christina Jackson, Thomas Sadoski, Joe Jonas, Joseph Cross, Daren Kagasoff, Serinda Swan, Nick Hargrove, Boone Platt, Matt Riedy, Logan Macrae, Spencer Neville, Kenneth Trujillo, Adetinpo Thomas, Emily Brinks, Aleks Alifirenko Jr., Elizabeth Harlow
  • Director: J.D. Dillard
 Comments
  • pqdelfs2002 - 7 April 2024
    Misses some parts, gets others wrong
    There's some things I enjoy. The musical compositions and the sounds of the aircrafts are great, as well as what little they show of the relationship between Tom and Jesse.

    I personally wish they had been able to spend a little more time on the Marines on the ground like the book did, so that we could see why air support was so crucial and the losses they sustained.

    In the book, Makos explains that Cevoli was still at a much higher altitude and on a separate frequency so he couldn't hear when Tom radioed that he was going down the Jesse and the other pilots remained silent when he said he was going down there.

    When Jesse crashes, the book explains that the smoke was from an indeterminate area, the nose wasn't visibly on fire like the movie suggests, and the movie didn't accurately portray that Tom was beside Jesse's crashing plane until about 50 feet or so. If the book had been read cover to cover before writing the movie could've been better, but for what it DOES portray it's not bad.
  • TxMike - 7 October 2023
    Based on a real F4U-1 Corsair pilot and his life in the Korean War.
    This true story is set in 1950, the Korean War is still a big thing, and the focus here is on a group of Naval aviators. In their training they are introduced to the new plane, the F4U-1 Corsair, which was placed into action in the 1940s. They were built with fold-up wings for duty on aircraft carriers.

    Jonathan Majors is really good in the main role of Jesse Brown, a young man from Mississippi who just wanted to fly. That he also broke racial boundaries in the process just made his task more challenging. But there he found himself, the only black pilot in his squad, flying the Corsair.

    The title has two references, one was his young wife, he was totally devoted to her and he told her so, as he left for combat and in his letters. The other was the Navan Aviator who became his wing man, Glen Powell as Tom Hudner, who also became devoted to his partnership with Jessie.

    The movie does depict some battles, one the ground and in the air. But the movie is really relationship and character driven.

    Good movie, my wife and I watched it at home on Blu Ray from our public library. The disc has a couple of interesting extras, one of them focusing on the legacies of Brown and Hudner and their descendants.
  • evanston_dad - 22 May 2023
    Very Square Bro Movie
    A very square, very manipulative bro movie that plays like a bargain bin version of "Top Gun: Maverick."

    It's even got Glen Powell in it for pete's sake! Did he just finish his scenes in "Top Gun," stay in his costume, and then walk 50 yards over to the set for this movie and keep on filming?

    At the center of "Devotion" is the thread of a really compelling story about the difference between the way two crackerjack pilots, one white and the other black, are treated by the American military establishment. If it had been fleshed out more, it would have made "Devotion" a much more interesting movie than "Top Gun," which was just Tom Cruise idol worship and had nothing going on upstairs. But that story is buried under a bunch of tangents and maudlin big Hollywood histrionics that the film doesn't need, and it's too focused on making the central character played by Jonathan Majors a hero in the abstract to ever make him come alive as an actual person.

    Grade: B-
  • darvin-2 - 11 January 2023
    A true story of a great aviator but only half way told.
    The movie is good but just falls short of telling you enough about the main real life character Jesse Brown one of if not the first American of African / Native American descent in the US Navy. (There seems to be some question if he should be considered the first) but he was certainly the first to go through the normal process of becoming a naval aviator.

    The problem with Devotion is it almost comes off as more of a story about Tom Hudner (Jesse's wingman) than it does about Jesse Brown. If you watch and don't follow up with reading about the man you would never know that he few more than just two combat missions. In looking up Jesse L. Brown you discover that he flew at least 20 combat missions but for some reason the film only covers two of the missions leading you to incorrectly assume he had a short career as a combat pilot.

    And as previously mentioned, the film seems to dwell on his wingman Tom Hudner as Jesse's friend and commander by highlighting many of his feats. The story ends suddenly and without any fanfare leaving me somewhat disappointed in the ending of the film. Finishing off the story with a number of stills and text to finish the tale.

    I would much have preferred they shown the story of Jesse's difficulties in becoming a pilot and breaking barriers rather than have the actor complain about them to his friend. Told the story of how he and his wife eloped against Navy orders that they not wed while cadets. Even covered some of his share cropper history as a child growing up in the south.

    Unfortunately it is much more enjoyable to read this man's Wikipedia page than it is to watch the movie about him. And that's sad. Too bad they won't likely go back and redo the film. I would say more about the film but I don't want to add spoilers.

    It should have been called Disappointed rather than Devotion.
  • pedja-the - 9 January 2023
    Gets better towards the end.
    Perhaps the main problem with this movie was casting. Powell did a reasonable job, "not great not terrible" but I expected more from Jonathan Majors as he was supposed to carry this movie as a lead role. Occasionally it felt like he was trying to hard to make an impact and that gave away the feeling he didn't manage to portray that Jessie Brown character. Some shots were gorgeous but some lacked more detail which would bring you right into the scenary and make you feel like you're actually on an aircraft carrier or the plane itself. Final conversation (between Tom and Daisy) was a masterpiece, and after the credits role there are some interesting facts which director must have had added into the movie(their children and grandchildren are still friends etc). In the end watching this movie was fun, maybe it lacked a bit better(star cast) to be outstanding, but still, it's worth your time.
  • Goodgirl0003 - 19 December 2022
    If you didn't like this movie & give it a 10, I dont know what runs through your veins
    This movie has to be the most underrated movie of 2022. The movie is a Masterpiece. I read most of the reviews and it's crushing to see how little people appreciate this movie and how so much effort and movie was put into it. The actors did an amazing job from Jonathan Majors to Glen Powell and Joe Jonas. The movie is not about the war it's about Devotion, hence the title? It's about devotion whether it's from a husband, friend, father, or love to your country. The movie is mainly about the friendship about Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner and their experience in the difficult times during the Korean War. The movie is touching and powerful, the message it gives is beautiful and should remind us about what makes us humans. Not gonna lie there was a point when I just couldn't stop crying.

    Please go watch this movie and don't be too judgmental if we don't support these type of movies they won't make them again. They make these movies especially for us the moviegoers, all the money invested is for us to enjoy a 2:20minute movie, forget about everything or anything, get entertained and have a good time. We need to appreciate more.

    This movie is a beautiful tribute to the heroes who have sacrificed themselves for this country. Thank you to all who have served for this country, thank you.
  • ernestpons - 11 December 2022
    Well Made War Film
    I liked this movie. The story is captivating, especially since it's based on a true story. We don't hear much about the Korean War outside of MASH, so I'm glad they made this film. If you're a 1950s buff like I am you'll appreciate the background details. How they pull off the airplanes and aircraft carriers is beyond me-it's flawless. The early MiG jet is interesting too. The story line draws you in emotionally, but I think they played down what life was really like for a black Navy pilot in 1950 because modern audiences today could not stomach seeing what racial prejudice was like back then. Tom's friendship with Jesse was a remarkable thing for the times.
  • EMDII - 3 December 2022
    As Adam Mako said, this is an American movie.
    If you know the story, this is compelling docudrama. The action scenes are great when flying actual aircraft, and VG when using CGI. The Cannes scenes are epic and almost "total recall" when I compare them to my experiences in Europe. The work of Serinda Swan really lights up the Elizabeth Taylor role, as does that of Christina Jackson as Daisy Brown. The downside (I think intentional) is the movie misses how the Navy tolerated racism after President Truman wrote his famous EO 9981. But I think the notion that racism is still a "faint accompli" in 1950 leaves time for the slow character development, which I liked.

    In the main, I left with a few tears stroking my eyes. I knew the story, having spent some of my time in the Army getting to know many MOH citations. While not as anguished or angry as Bridges At Toko-Ri, or Flight of the Intruder, neither of those touched me like Devotion does. Powell and Majors really warmed up the screen in their scenes, with a believable trust and faith in one another developing well.

    The book has much more detail and back story, and I encourage viewers to give the movie a go. There are a few goofs or errors I suppose. IF you must know all the truth and out-of-sequence events, read the book. You will be humbled all the more by learning what Warriors will do for each other when the chips are really down. And stay for the aftermath scrolls- you'll learn more about LT Tom Hudner and his relationships with the Brown family.
  • iamjamalwhite - 28 November 2022
    Great true story well told
    Yes, I liked this one. Great flight scenes done without green screen. Amazing shots! Made you appreciate the skill required to ride one of these old birds. As a former USAF pilot, I was smiling like a little kid with a donut every time they took to the air. The uniforms were wrong for that time period. The winter in Korea is cold and they would have been wearing "poopy suits" for that (rubber suits that made you look like the stay-puff marshmello man). The leads were amazing, crying on command and demanding you pay attention. The victim and racism thing was heavy handed and they beat you with it at every turn, that got old. They missed a critical scene when the pilot saw the Marine for them to reconcile near the end. The fact this is a true story made it even better. Would recommend!