A German born American Navy pilot (Christian Bale), who has dreamed of nothing but flying since witnessing the Allied bombings of his hometown as a child, is shot down during a secret bombing mission in Laos, captured, and immediately plots an escape plan with his sickly fellow inmates. After profiling Dengler's remarkable exploits in Little Dieter Needs to Fly, Werner Herzog dramatized his story in this effective, offbeat POW tale that starts to drag in the last act with an out of place ending. Bale's aloof performance is likable and Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies are strong in support.
*** out of ****
