What if Maverick broke bad?
Tom Cruise was born to play Barry Seal, and that makes Doug Liman's "American Made" a highly entertaining and breezy action comedy.
Seal was the youngest man to ever fly a TWA airplane, but that was only the beginning of his adventurous life that is chronicled in Liman's flick, which is based on a true story. Seal went from smuggling guns overseas for the C.I.A to sneaking drugs into the United States for the Medellin Cartel, eventually crisscrossing himself into lines of fire that put many lives in danger and makes for a heck of a story.
Seal's ability to fly anything anywhere kept him alive for a long time, but make sure you skip the Google search. American Made is more enjoyable if you don't know much about the real Seal going in. Most movies are better left as unopened Christmas presents under the tree before the theater hits play.
The result is a pleasurable mix of "Blow," "Kill The Messenger," and "Lord of War." It's a unique pleasure at the movies that thrives on its star power, a fine mixture of humor and facts, as well as some expertly crafted flight sequences.
Seeing Cruise behind an aircraft will rightfully bring back memories of the classic 1980's film, "Top Gun," especially with the sequel currently in pre-production. And in more ways than one, Seal is a lot like Maverick. If Val Kilmer's Iceman met this real-life, death-defying pilot, he'd call him very dangerous. If Maverick was let off the chain to wreak havoc, Barry Seal is what you would get.
Without Cruise, "American Made" doesn't work and loses half its luster. A handful of Oscar nominations, countless $100-million grossing films and constant comebacks can't stave off the haters who don't think Cruise is any good, but this film shows how smart an actor and performer he has become. There are no facial procedures or extra makeup dabs applied to Cruise here. He adopts a very good Southern accent, but looks like Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible 2. That's all Cruise needs to create another riveting man of action that you can't take your eyes off of.
Understand that you will love, hate, like and dislike Cruise's Seal during the two-hour running time of this film, as you watch the guy slither away from the authorities and frequently break the law while stacking houses and banks full of money. And that's the way it should be, but the entire time you will be laughing at and admiring the abilities of this man and what he managed to get away with during his life.
It takes a movie star who can act like Cruise to pull off the role, and his work carries the movie. There are no other heavyweight stars in the flick. Unlike Cruise and Liman's last wicked adventure film — Edge of Tomorrow — there is no Emily Blunt or Bill Paxton, just Cruise working his magic. He couldn't save "The Mummy" with all his talent and charm, but "American Made" flies high due to Cruise's talents.
The flight sequences are amazingly shot as well, forgoing the glaze covered appeal of CGI for a rugged realistic frame instead. When Seal attempts a takeoff from a short runway in Columbia, Liman uses the shaky camera method to place you right in the cockpit with Seal. Each plane sequence is filmed that way and it's very entertaining.
There's a sequence involving a plane crash with lots of cocaine and a Cadillac infused bribe that plays particularly well.
The story at the heart of the film isn't all sunshine and rainbows, especially when you think about the amount of drugs that Seal helped drop into America. The film's tone wavers from comedy to thriller to serious drama at times, throwing off the enjoyment level a bit, and leaving you wondering if a crisper edit or storyboard option was left on the cutting room floor.
However, "American Made" does cement one thing: Cruise and Liman need to make more movies together.
Like "Edge of Tomorrow," "American Made" is a very good time at the movies and will make you laugh and gasp at the adventures of its subject. Barry Seal was a surefire anti-hero, but one you couldn't help but continue to watch.
Thanks to the star-appeal and charm of its star and the unreal story, "American Made" is a cinematic delight.
