Tom Cruise plays Barry Seal in a movie that appears to be based very loosely on the story of a man who was a pilot for TWA, was fired for conspiracy to smuggle explosives, became a drug smuggler, then an informant for the DEA. In the movie, Seal leaves TWA after being offered a job to fly reconnaissance missions to Honduras and Nicaragua. At some point, he begins smuggling drugs; the principal part of the movie portrays his life as a smuggler and arms carrier. Cruise does a satisfactory job of acting, but his character seems to be more charismatic and charming than the actual Barry Seal. Thumbs up for a film whose quick pace keeps it engaging, even if you cannot quite believe that everything you see on the screen happened as it is portrayed.
