Barry Seal: Only in America

Ein unterhaltsamer, schwungvoller und hauptsächlich dank dem ausgezeichneten Cruise cooler Entspannungsfilm, der auch dramatisch sein könnte, aber er möchte es nicht. Was mich überrascht, weil er mit einer stärkeren Satire in Scorseses beste Gesellschaft kommen konnte. (31.08.2017)

Wittily and engagingly written, fantastically edited and I just love Liman's fierce visual style. And also Tom Cruise, who at 56 looks like someone who could pick up a young girl on the spot :o) He's such a stud. (28.01.2018)

American Made is a very straightforward crime comedy without any major stumbling blocks and it makes no effort to face us with any difficult moral dilemmas. It conspicuously imitates the style of Scorsese’s films (pop songs, a narrator intervening in the story and determining what we see and how we see it, attention-grabbing camerawork and editing) and cashes in on the popularity of the TV series Narcos, so it comes across as unoriginal and predictable, but thanks to the smooth (albeit slightly mechanical) narrative and Cruise’s charisma, it is entertaining from start to finish. The position of the main protagonist is unusual (for a Hollywood movie), as he lets himself be dragged along by circumstances and merely accepts outside offers and follows orders dictated to him through almost the entire film. He can demonstrate his ingenuity only in the way he carries out deliveries of certain goods, not in what he actually does. It would almost be possible to interpret him as the embodiment of American pragmatism, the ability to adapt to the given situation and make the most of it for himself, but we know too much about him (compared to the other characters, who are really only types) to perceive him in such an impersonal way, and relatively strong emphasis is placed on the family storyline (which, however, the film handles much more carelessly than The Wolf of Wall Street, for example – you will probably care as little about the protagonist’s wife and children as you did for Barry). Of the films that “comfort” us with the fact that people may be bad, but their governments are worse (War Dogs, American Hustle), this one gets bonus points in my eyes for taking the procedural side of things into greater consideration and for not pretending to be anything better. It’s simply light summer macho entertainment that does everything possible to keep the viewer from getting bored for even a second and, unlike Atomic Blonde and The Hitman’s Bodyguard, it does that very well. 70% (23.08.2017)

Barry Seal is Tom Cruise's one man show. Totally. Actually, there's nothing here but Tom Cruise in a role that was tailor-made for him. As a likeable bastard who can work for three deadly organizations at the same time and still make a damn good living at it, he's downright brilliant. His Barry is an amoral bastard, but with such enormous charm that you'll be rooting for him even as he muddies the waters with Colombian cartel bosses, delivers weapons to Central American paramilitary organizations, and buries his money in suitcases in the backyard. Barry has style, and thanks to Doug Liman and his brisk direction, his adventures are quite watchable. And it's only at the end that you realise that it's actually playing it too safe, that Barry's sort of getting away with everything, lacking a significant antagonist, conflict or even problem, and that it's not actually very interesting. Cruise fans will probably enjoy it to the max, others will be treated to a stylish, broadly entertaining but more or less pointless film. (27.07.2018)

Es ist schade, dass Cruises beste Rolle in den vergangenen Jahren nicht in einen etwas besseren (d.h.: besser geschrieben, konzipiert und dramatisch pointiert) Film eingepackt worden ist. Barry Seal: Only in America fliegt nur allzu reibungslos, vor allem in der ersten Hälfte betet man nahezu, dass künstliche Turbulenzen aufkommen. Aber Spinellis Drehbuch ist ein flacher, aus sich wiederholenden Episoden zusammensetzender Track, die dank Toms Charisma und dem gebrauchsfertigen 80er-Jahre-Flaire gekennzeichnet sind. Obwohl sich Liman regietechnisch bemüht, vermag auch er mit seinen 80s-Techniken keinen zusätzlichen Drive zu kreieren. Zum Glück genießt Cruise die Rolle eines alltäglichen Gauners, der im Allgemeinen nicht viele Fragen stellt, so sehr, dass auch die Zuschauer ins Genießen kommen können. Barry Seal: Only in America stellt eine solide, jedoch allzu lange Narcos-Episode dar. Der Film verdankt nahezu alles der Netflix-Serie, schafft es jedoch nicht, in Vergleich zu jener seine Grenzen zu verbergen. Ein ernsthaftes historisches Thema wird somit durch einige Abkürzungen und Witze abgewimmelt, die wir nahezu wortwörtlich aus den Narcos kennen. Es ist jedoch gelungen, der Serie gefährlich nahezukommen. Barry bemüht sich darum am Ende, jedoch in ziemlich harmloser Form. Warum ****? Weil eben Tom. Zum wohl auf das 4. Stück reinen Fantums. (25.08.2017)

A worse feature episode of Narcos, made in a relaxed but inconsistently executed style of The Wolf of Wall Street or the Lord of War. So, it never finds its own path and so it crouches in the shadow of the above. What would help is a better-built storyline, some emotions and a better executed shift to more serious department at the end, but purely as 80s stylized relaxed biographical nonsense, it's not really bad at all and it's definitely fun. Take my word for it. Especially thanks to Cruise, who is a great fit to this comic conceived role of a passive macho dude. Partly because he doesn't try to stylize himself into the real Barry Seal and he just plays himself. (24.08.2017)

Clever and funny. This will stay around for a while. Cruise and Liman began to hit it off together on the Edge of Tomorrow and the chemistry continues in this free biography of smuggler, Barry Seal. Great comedy style, tongue-in-cheek to damning reminder of the insensitivity of the government. Perfect late 70s atmosphere, great music and two hours of good, honest fun. (02.09.2017)

After The Mummy, Tom Cruise apparently relaxed and enjoyed this 1980s summer romp perhaps even more than many viewers. It’s hard to deny that the premise is uninteresting, but the execution and especially the pacing are a challenge. It's a movie about a huckster pilot that basically flies on autopilot the whole time and everything is clearly lined up (and repetitive). There is no moment of surprise, no vivacity and no drive, you can anticipate the screenwriter's intentions three moves ahead. You still may get a taste of this summer ride, but it's not the experience of the year. The attempt to align itself with Scorsese's legends with its razor-sharp jokes and sarcastic undertones is there, but unfortunately often off-target. (01.09.2017)

Ein Film, der vom Anfang bis zum Ende sehr sympathisch ist. Man kann ein Fan vom Hauptheld sein, obwohl er keine hundertprozentig positive Figur ist. Der Film ist spannend und witzig und hat einen angenehmen Retro-Look und -Sound. Ich habe mich oft an den Film Gold mit Matthew McConaughey erinnert, welcher aber doch noch etwas Zusätzliches hat und der mir mehr gefallen hat. An den viel schlechteren Film The Wolf of Wall Street habe ich wiederum selten gedacht. Tom Cruise zeigt, warum er immer noch zu den sympathischsten und besten Schauspielern gehört. (06.09.2017)

A modern Scorsese who is as easy to look at as an overstuffed wallet, but at the same time embodies the fact that nobody can tell a story as coherently as the legendary Marty. Barry Seal wants to deliver a very complex and balanced story, but ends up offering terribly little room for the supporting characters and brings nothing new to the game apart from some flashy work with self-aware editing and music. I enjoyed Cruise, the pace and the positive feeling, even if it didn't always quite fit with the events described, but after a while what has stuck in my mind are hilarious bits, not a hilarious film. A respectable 70%, if only for Sarah Wright's undeniable potential for the less accessible roles whose ideas she cheekily encourages. (04.12.2017)

A pretty enjoyable film starring a living testament to the effectiveness of American plastic surgery. These biographical films are often only barely scratched by reality, but then there’s also black humor, action and suspense, which is a combination that works for me. I've never been a huge Tom Cruise fan, but I must admit the role of Barry Seal was a perfect fit for him. Plus, I even got a good dose of 70s and 80s retro vibes, including the soundtrack, so I quite enjoyed the film. (31.01.2018)

Tom Cruise is showing us all that he is an entertaining actor and that he does what he does well. He chooses his films so as not to ruin his image, but I simply enjoy watching him, which is great. He’s lost none of his abilities, and this film is still so beautifully sarcastic that I simply had to be entertained. (18.12.2017)

A likeable genre film that doesn't overflow with the pomposity of The Wolf of Wall Street or the sophistication of Narcos (which of course, given the different format, it logically can't), but on the other hand, American Made doesn't even make any attempt at anything similar. It's still hugely entertaining, though, and even if American Made doesn't become a classic in the genre, I'll always love coming back to it. Because it fulfills the concept of the "feel good movie" to a tee, and Cruise is a walking advertisement for charisma even at nearly 60 years old. (08.12.2018)

I have nothing in principle against this one-man show with a well-acting Tom Cruise. The plot moves along quite well and there are a few moments that will really entertain the audience. But when I compare this movie to the Narcos series which is similar in terms of theme and storytelling style, it loses a little bit of its luster. I feel like Barry Seale's biographical story lacks verve. It simply could have been more suspenseful. (65%) (17.05.2022)