7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
A pilot lands work for the CIA and as a drug runner in the deep south during the 1980s.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright (VII), Jesse Plemons, Caleb Landry JonesBiography | 100% |
Thriller | 29% |
Crime | 3% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS:X
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS Headphone:X
Spanish: DTS 5.1
French (Canada): DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
BD-Live
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Director Doug Liman's (The Bourne Identity) American Made is "based on" the story of Barry Seal, a man whose career as a TWA pilot took an interesting turn -- and dozens more -- after taking on a job flying reconnaissance for the CIA. The film, by all accounts -- Liman's included -- plays fast and loose with Seal's story. It's more "inspired by" than anything else. The core center of the film may ring more or less true, but careful window dressing and amplified drama are added in abundance throughout. The result is a film that may not be a straight retelling of an interesting story from the Reagan era but certainly a fun, efficient, crafty, and catchy movie that satisfies the itch for a zipping, zagging, high energy character and period film.
American Made wasn't made to be a looker. The film, which was digitally photographed, maneuvers through a myriad of structural fronts that leave some images soft, some hotly contrasted, some very diffuse. The image is stable only in its predictable diversity. Heavy noise seeps through at times. Definition wavers. Colors fluctuate. But the image appears to present as Director Doug Liman and Cinematographer César Charlone intended. It certainly finds enough core clarity to satisfy Blu-ray expectations, where faces are well defined, clothing is crisp, airplane innards are adequately clear, airplane exteriors are shiny and smooth, houses appear capably revealed, Central American jungles are properly defined, and so on. But a traditionally straightforward "good looking" movie it is not. It's made to blend into its era, to visually reinforce its tonally unique presentation. Colors tend to fluctuate a bit as well, going from drab to overcooked. Black levels occasionally stall on the way to perfectly deep. Skin tones waver a bit in presentation. American Made may not fall under the traditional "reference quality" umbrella but it appears more or less true to filmmaker intent.
American Made's DTS:X soundtrack is made to dazzle. It's an incredible listen, offering plenty of overhead engagement and wonderfully defined sound elements. Music delivers exceptional clarity, width and depth, and even through the track's additional hard-hitting pieces with which it must compete, it never gets lost or, on the flip side, overwhelms. The track is filled with bountiful sound effects, often of the big, booming variety. Planes power overhead with tremendous weight and zip; listeners will literally feel them powering above the listening area, traversing from one side to the next. Rumbles and rattles are so clearly defined, complex, and precise that the listening area is often transformed into a plane interior. Gunfire hits hard with sharp, authoritative claps, ripping through a plane 11 minutes in during which it almost feels like the shots are actually coming from down below and shredding everything from the theater floor and above. At every opportunity the track doesn't shy away exploding with incredible depth and full-on stage penetration. Ambient effects are likewise totally immersive, whether Central American jungle atmospherics or city din. Dialogue is, of course, clear, smartly positioned, and perfectly prioritized, even through the most intensive sonic chaos. This is a reference track from beginning to end and will likely remain as one of the top handful for years to come.
American Made contains a few featurettes and several deleted scenes. DVD and digital copies are included with
purchase.
American Made is a fun movie that walks that fine line between taking itself seriously and bordering on total frivolity. It's a film based on a true story but that unapologetically takes plenty of liberties with its story. Its goal isn't to document; its goal is to recreate and entertain its audiences, and both Liman and Cruise have crafted it into one of the year's more entertaining escapes. Universal's Blu-ray delivers decent video, exceptional DTS:X audio, and a decent little smattering of extra goodies. Recommended.
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