“You will be punished for your guilt”

The movie begins with a black screener, while what seems to be a newscaster is reporting a work-related accident that led to the death of two workers. It turns out that the sound is coming from the car radio of a man who is parked in an area where he is looking for a specific house he was asked for by a wealthy lady, along with another man, his assistant, Seong-tae. The area is in Daegu, within a forest and includes houses of traditional style. The two discuss various matters, from whether the boss, Yong-bae, is sick and the assistant’s knack for buying lottery tickets, when their employer appears.

She carries with her a jar sealed with what seem to be scrolls and eventually begins something that looks like an intense ritual. The weather suddenly changes, her eyes turn white, and upon the ending of the ritual, a boy appears, which the woman immediately orders to go to work. The boy opens a door which the lady states is the Door to Heaven and then disappears. She then asks from Yong-bae to go inside and check if there is white light there, offering him a huge amount of money. Yong-bae send his money-loving assistant in, for half the money. While Seong-tae is there, the woman reveals what this thing is all about. Eventually, something seems to go wrong.

Although not exactly clear, it seems there is a parallel between what is being said in the intro and what happens later with Kim Gyu-tae, which results in a comment about how the rich and higher ups exploit the workers and the poor, with promises about money, not caring whether they live or die essentially. That the higher up the chain the worse people are and vice versa is also highlighted. The concept of the title also seems to have some significance here, as the rich are portrayed to look for things like eternal life and the poor for a way to be comfortable when they grow old, with money here being what connects the two, although in opposite terms: the poor are constantly in search for it and the rich exploit the fact by offering it to achieve their goals.

This aspect, however, is very difficult to realize, particularly since the nature of the movie moves more towards a supernatural horror film than a social drama, and the comment and the metaphor that communicates it, are barely visible. On the other hand, as a genre movie, “Heaven’s Door” works quite well, creating an atmosphere of disorientation that gradually turns into terror, in the most entertaining fashion. To achieve that, the cinematography by Jang Eun-woo, the editing by Kim Gyu-tae himself and An Ho-sung’s sound come together in the most impressive way, communicating the horror and the dramatic direness of what is happening quite impactfully.

Also of note here is the acting by Song Ah-gyoung, who plays the femme fatale with gusto, emitting a sense of mystery, danger, and a tad of sensualism from every movement.

Kim Gyu-tae has some interesting ideas, like using genre filmmaking to make social comments, while he evidently knows how to create a captivating atmosphere. At the same time, however, the 28 minutes of the short are definitely not enough for his ambitious purpose, with the first past getting almost completely lost. Hopefully, if he gets the opportunity to shoot a feature in the future, he will be able to achieve his goal in much better fashion, as he seems to have the knack for it.

THE BLUE ANGELS is a very captivating documentary on IMAX and Amazon Prime about the famous Navy exhibition team. The movie explores a year in the life of a particular team as they go through training, exhibitions and then retirement from the Blue Angels. The movie starts by telling viewers that the Navy has about 3700 combat pilots in active duty every year. Out of that, six are chosen to be members of the Blue Angels for about two years. In January, the six men featured in the movie are put through intensive training for three months. Their exhibitions feature flying that’s absolutely amazing for its need for precision and perfection. After training, the pilots travel the country like a sports team or rock band to 32 shows. Toward the end of their year-long exhibitions, the pilots choose the people to replace them.

THE BLUE ANGELS is an excellent family movie. It will inspire children and adults. Except for one very light obscenity, this one of the cleanest, most wholesome movies since the Golden Age of Hollywood. It’s highly recommended by MOVIEGUIDE®.

(BBB, PPP, L, V):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Extremely moral worldview promoting excellence, teamwork and graciousness between the superior pilots who are chosen to be part of The Blue Angels jet plane exhibition team of the United States Navy for two years, with some pro-family themes;

Foul Language:

One “a…h…” obscenity;

Violence:

No depicted violence but exciting and dangerous maneuvers at very high speeds and reports about the 28 Blue Angel pilots who died during their expositions and several pilots chosen to be Blue Angeles pass out in the G forces experienced in a centrifuge;

Sex:

No sex, but discussions of how much the pilots love their families and family reunions;

Nudity:

No nudity;

Alcohol Use:

No alcohol;

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

No smoking or drugs; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

Nothing else objectionable.

THE BLUE ANGELS is a very captivating documentary on IMAX and Amazon Prime about the famous Navy exhibition team and a year in the life of a particular team as they go through training , exhibitions and then retirement from the Blue Angels. THE BLUE ANGELS is one of the most moral, uplifting and positive movies ever made.

The movie starts by telling viewers that the Navy has about 3700 combat pilots in active duty every year. Out of that, six are chosen to be members of the Blue Angels for two years. In January, the six men featured in the movie are put through intensive training for three months. Their exhibitions feature flying that is absolutely amazing for its need for precision and perfection. For instance, in the famous Navy diamond, six planes fly at over 400 mph extremely close to each other with just a few inches between their wings, so one little slipup can cause a disaster.

At El Centro, Calif., their flying involves experiencing seven Gs on a centrifuge, which forces the blood down into your feet and causes pilots to pass out. Some of them do pass out in training on the centrifuge later in the movie. Of course, you can’t mess up when you’re flying wingtip to wingtip. So, each pilot must get incredible control of their body, mentally and physically. The crew chief spends hours every day talking to them about their procedures.

After training, the pilots travel the country like a sports team or a rock band to perform 32 shows around the country. At one point during those shows, they return to Pensacola, Florida, which is the official home of the Blue Angels. There, they’re united with their wives and children. Many of their wives are also serving in the Navy. During this part of the movie, they discuss the 141 Blue Angels support people, with each pilot having his own support team.

Toward the end of their year-long exhibitions, the pilots choose the people to replace them. Choosing the boss is extremely difficult. Pilots who serve their two years on the Blue Angels, return to active service in the Navy. For the first time during this movie, the Navy appoints a woman to be a member of the Blue Angels, leaving it open ended whether she can perform under the stress to achieve perfection.

The last part of the movie shows a little bit of the history of the Blue Angels and the fact it was started by Admiral Nimitz in 1946 to show the world the Navy’s prowess in flying in planes as well as in ships. Many of the pilots testify they saw a Blue Angels exhibition when they were six and even four years old, and therefore caught the vision of becoming member of this elite team.

THE BLUE ANGELS is an excellent family movie. It will inspire children and adults. Except for one very light obscenity, this one of the cleanest, most wholesome movies since the Golden Age of Hollywood. It’s highly recommended by MOVIEGUIDE®.

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Our small team works tirelessly to provide resources to protect families from harmful media, reviewing 415 movies/shows and writing 3,626 uplifting articles this year. We believe that the gospel can transform entertainment. That’s why we emphasize positive and faith-filled articles and entertainment news, and release hundreds of Christian movie reviews to the public, for free. No paywalls, just trusted, biblically sound content to bless you and your family. Online, Movieguide is the closest thing to a biblical entertainment expert at your fingertips. As a reader-funded operation, we welcome any and all contributions – so if you can, please give something. It won’t take more than 52 seconds (we timed it for you). Thank you.

4000+ Faith Based Articles and Movie Reviews – Will you Support Us?

Our small team works tirelessly to provide resources to protect families from harmful media, reviewing 415 movies/shows and writing 3,626 uplifting articles this year. We believe that the gospel can transform entertainment. That’s why we emphasize positive and faith-filled articles and entertainment news, and release hundreds of Christian movie reviews to the public, for free. No paywalls, just trusted, biblically sound content to bless you and your family. Online, Movieguide is the closest thing to a biblical entertainment expert at your fingertips. As a reader-funded operation, we welcome any and all contributions – so if you can, please give something. It won’t take more than 52 seconds (we timed it for you). Thank you.

If you’ve ever oohed and aahed at a fighter jet demonstration, you probably also wondered about the laborious efforts that must go into producing such an enthralling aerial display. The documentary The Blue Angels aims to answer all your questions, providing a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at the venerable United States Navy and Marine Corps outfit that has probably done more to boost enrollment than anything other than the Top Gun films. The connection is further emphasized by the fact that Glen Powell, who played military pilots in both Devotion and Top Gun: Maverick, serves as one of the film’s producers.  

The Blue Angels, which tours the country annually for eight months at a time, consists of six jet fighter pilots flying in dazzling formations, sometimes no more than a terrifying 18 inches apart. Paul Crowder’s documentary chronicles their 2022 season, from the highly competitive selection process to the rigorous training to the exhausting tour that includes not only the aerial demonstrations but also considerable outreach programs including visits to schools and hospitals.  

Naturally, the film provides personal portraits of the various members, including the flight leader, Brian Kesselring, whose all-American, square-jawed good looks and intense personality could certainly provide plenty of acting opportunities should this flying thing not work out. “This place is the great equalizer,” he explains about the rigorous program that separates the men from the boys. And thankfully, finally women, as we’re later introduced to Amanda Lee, the first female pilot ever to be inducted into the program.

Kesselring leads the training, which includes desk sessions that have an almost ritualistic quality. The goal is to make six jets fly as one. “That’s the Blue Angels magic,” he says proudly.

And magic it is, with the film including generous amounts of amazing flight footage, much of it shot from within the cockpit, that illustrates the rigorous flying patterns, including their signature Delta Formation in which the six jets come together with seemingly impossible closeness. External views are provided by a helicopter outfitted with IMAX-certified cameras, representing the first-ever civilian aircraft permitted to fly inside the performance airspace known as “the box.” Not surprisingly, the aerial camera unit involved was also responsible for the flying sequences in Top Gun: Maverick.

We also learn about the history of the Blue Angels, which was the brainchild of Admiral Chester Nimitz, who created it in 1946 to promote public interest in naval aviation. The film doesn’t shy away from the tragedies that have dotted the program, which has had 28 fatalities since its inception. Their names and faces are memorialized on a large portrait displayed in the organization’s headquarters.

The tremendous effort involved in the training process is best illustrated in a harrowing sequence in which we see several applicants participating in a centrifuge testing session. The pilots are not able to wear G-suits while flying because their inflating and deflating could interfere with the plane’s controls. So they must counteract the G-force with sheer physical strength, clenching all the muscles in their lower bodies to prevent the blood from leaving their head and causing them to pass out. Two of the pilots in the session, their faces horribly contorted by the effort, do indeed lose consciousness, and it’s very tough to watch. You’ll find yourself clenching your own butt cheeks in sympathy.  

The feature-length film features no small amount of padding, including looks at the family lives of several of the pilots, that demonstrates that it might have been more effective as the sort of 45-minute documentary short that regularly plays IMAX theaters in museums, etc. The Blue Angels has a more ambitious rollout, showing in IMAX theaters for one week before streaming on Amazon Prime, and this is one film that’s definitely worth catching on the big screen.