Tom Cruise (aka, The Smirking Dwarf) channels former TWA pilot Barry Seal perfectly in this movie “based on true events.” It’s the late 1970s and the CIA approaches Barry Seal with a proposition: quit TWA and fly planes down to Central America on reconnaissance missions. Seal likes the sound of that and does the fly-overs of Communist bases. The CIA is so happy with Seal’s photos, they give him additional missions: deliver money to Colonel Noriega in return for top secret intel, deliver some weapons to insurgents, etc. Barry Seal decides to free-lance a little and starts bringing cocaine into the U.S….lots of cocaine. And, Seal makes millions of dollars. Part of the fun of American Made shows the difficulty of stashing bags and bags of cash.
Of course, all good things must come to an end. The CIA dumps Barry Seal, the D.E.A. busts him, and Colonel Oliver North sends Seal down to Central America for “one last mission.” Tom Cruise perfectly captures the arrogance, greed, and lunacy of Barry Seal. American Made is a cautionary tale that stings at the end. GRADE: B
Been getting good reviews. Not a fan of Cruise but he mostly surrounds himself with talented people and makes decent movies(last years horrible Jack Reacher an exception.) Will probably see this but this weekend belongs to Bladerunner 2049.
Steve, I’ll be seeing BLADE RUNNER 2049 next week.
Yeah, I’ll be REAL happy to watch that slimy cockroach! I don’t know how you keep your popcorn down!
Bob, I got another free ticket from AMC to see AMERICAN MADE. There were only six other people in the theater so I’m guessing the Box Office for this movie will be minimal.
What a story!
Truth again is stranger than fiction …
Thanks, George, for mentioning this.
Btw the movie opened in Europe at the end of August already and seems to be quite successful – evrybody likes stories which show the USA’s involvment in the drug business.
Of course the reality of the drug epidemy is horrible,so many lives lost!
Wolf, the ridiculous (but true!) story of the U. S. Government involvement in the drug and weapons trade in Central America is on full display in this movie.
I’m not a fan of Cruise and doubt I’ll see this movie–but, from what I’ve seen of the ads, it appears that Cruise has had his entire face sandblasted. Someone needs to tell him to go easier on the dermabrasion.
Deb, there are a lot of close-ups of Tom Cruise in AMERICAN MADE. You can count his pores.
I dislike Cruise but in looking at a list of his films, there are many good ones. Not sure about this one yet.
Patti, I think you and Phil will enjoy AMERICAN MADE. The film clips of Reagan are priceless!
Let’s just say that from what I’ve read they sanitized Seal to make him more palatable than the real slimeball.
I’m with Cap’n Bob on this one. The fact that it couldn’t beat the remake of IT in its third or fourth week is a Bad Sign. I won’t be watching.
Call me when EDGE OF TOMORROW 2 comes out,
Jeff, the director of EDGE OF TOMORROW (a really good SF film!), Doug Liman, directs AMERICAN MADE. It’s a great looking movie, too!
I’m with Bob and Jeff: no, thank you.
Rick, AMERICAN MADE is a good, but not great movie.