Filmology Rating: 2 out of 4 

The American anti-drug initiative took a big uptick with the Reagan Just Say No campaign.  Most people who understand history will know that the American people brought those drugs into our country and made billions, while the government tried to cover up from the real issues at hand by creating mountains out of anthills.  We all know that our government isn’t in the protection business; it’s in the expansion of empire and making profit while doing so, no matter the cost.  

Barry Seal, played by Tom Cruise, is bored with his unrewarding job as a commercial airline pilot.  Seal is doing some small time smuggling, mainly bringing cigars back from Cuba, but his work is noticed by CIA case officer Schafer, played by Domhnall Gleeson.  Schafer offers Seal a deal in order to not have charges pressed against him if he will conduct clandestine reconnaissance missions over Central America.  Seal wanting to avoid jail time decides to help the CIA,  but he soon realizes he has to deal with more issues than he bargained for.  

Director Doug Liman in many regards has made a career of making projects that are half-baked or in some cases just bad.  The half-baked movies such as Mr. and Mrs Smith and Jumper  are ones that have a great concept but never get past that.  Another movie that is abysmal is Fair Game which could have been one of the better thrillers to come out based on the subject matter.  While Liman has made some fantastic films, The Bourne Identity and Edge of Tomorrow, I still couldn’t help by worry as the lights dimmed.  American Made is one of the best examples of an over directed film with flashy montages and trying to tell the story so quickly without having the audience empathize with any of the characters.  

Tom Cruise is one of the last movie stars that we have on the American movie screens, I have said this many times before and I will continue to say it.  Usually Cruise doesn’t choose bad projects to work on, even The Mummy on paper sounded like it could be a good idea but American Made feels like a lifeless movie for the movie star.  Cruise is actually the best part of this movie but for those who have followed his career,  he usually brings everything he can for a role, even in films that are lackluster such as Oblivion or Rock of Ages.  Cruise's performance in American Made however cannot save the film for me and the repetitive story became close to barbaric for me.  

I’m frankly sick of films that deal with the American dream and I honestly feel that I can only honestly recommend one of them from the past few years that being The Big Short.  Other films all hit the exact same beats which makes for a boring film.  As someone who hates the concept of capitalism,  I find the excess of money wasted by people to be one of the worst crimes that someone can commit.  The common man understands that power and money corrupt, they don’t need to see at least one movie a year that shows how the American Dream cannot be achieved and that those who have money and power don’t want to share it.  Most of us live that life everyday.  Seeing that message play out on the silver screen just reminds us all of how unfair life can be in America.

I have always enjoyed movies which give me characters I can empathize with and want them to succeed.  I have no reason to wish that anyone in this film would succeed with the goals that they were reaching for. In fact,  the ambitions for most of the characters are so bland that you would find more inspiring stories from grade school students.  Most characters in the film are striving to have a better financial situation or to better their social standing,   which most people can relate to on face value; but the film doesn’t give us any reason as to why these characters want to achieve those goals.  

Perhaps American Made isn’t the bland film that I feel it is, but the story told in the film has been told many times over the past few years.  The story has become tedious and overstated; and if the director of the film doesn’t bring anything new to the table the importance of the film is underserved.  

Rating: Skip It

-Jonny G