Inconsistent in what it does but still manages to be broadly entertaining

Rating: Null/10 (5 June 2018)

Pilot Barry Seal is recruited by the CIA to run a covert operation flying into South America; quickly he gets in deeper and deeper, with money flowing in all directions but significant risk with it.
Considering this is a Tom Cruise film, I was surprised how quickly it came and went from the cinemas in the UK. Based on a true story, the film rattles through the plot with a Goodfellas air but an inconsistent control of what it is trying to do and how it is trying to do it. It is a caper to be sure, and it has a broad humor to it; but at the same time it does have consequences and real drama behind it. It tries to do both of these things but it doesn't manage it. As a result the dirty, greasy heat of the drama knocks the swagger out of the fun, while the broad sense of caper it tries to deliver makes it feel disconnected from the stakes and realism of the drama. While both sort of work, neither really work that well.
Cruise is equally in two places. On one hand I thought he played it really well and convinced in his performance, but at the same time he never stopped being Tom Cruise with his winning smile and slick ways; it broke me out of the character too much and too often. The supporting cast has plenty of talent in there too, but the fast pace and slightly superficial story-telling means nobody ever has time to bed in and make something of their characters outside of Cruise. Production values are high and do well to give the film a sense of time and place with design and delivery.
Overall though, it is a fairly forgettable film that tries hard but doesn't convince. You can see the goals of Goodfellas and Wolf of Wall Street, but it doesn't get close and generally undercuts itself with inconsistency in what it is doing.