A great rebound move for Cruise

Rating: 6/10 (15 April 2018)

Tom Cruise hits a homer with the depiction of real life Captain Barry Seal who was a hot shot ex TWA pilot recruited into the CIA after getting caught smuggling drugs for the Mexican drug cartels during the 1980s. It was good to see him back in a great role and movie after his disastrous Mummy movie. Watching Barry Seal ascend to the top and subsequent fall reminded me of Ray Liotta's depiction of mobster Henry Hill in the movie Goodfellas. The move was a bit of a comedy wrapped around a serious story with an unfortunate ending. I really liked seeing Sarah Wright in this film playing his wife. I have never seen her in a mainstream film but look forward to seeing her in the future.
The plot was fast flowing with very little pauses or breaks. I was quite surprised how quickly the time passed while watching. The aerial film sequences and location was worth the price of admission. The film was bright and the sound was great unlike so many crime films today filmed in low light/night. The 80's props and clothing was very authentic and believable. Although the whole movie surrounds drug smuggling there was almost zero scenes showing drug usage. I probably would not watch again as the plot outcome is the big reveal.