Made

Rating:
Summary: Not the same
Review: Those expecting a work as appealing as Swingers may be in for a disappointment here. While this film does boast a few interesting and humorous sequences, the pull of the premise is done in by way too many scenes of the two main characters--Bobby (Jon Favreau) and Ricky (Vince Vaughn)--arguing with each other. Their arguments are far too frequent and petty to counterbalance whatever great moments the film does have. The "Banter Brothers" (my term) are seen at the beginning of the film sparring with each other in a boxing ring, and that definitely sets the stage for the remainder of the movie.

In fact, these two characters dominate the film, and while that in and of itself is not a reason for a movie to sink under the weight of its own material, in this case, the constant combativeness between these two results in just that happening. There's just too much emphasis on these two and nowhere near enough attention paid to other characters. In a cameo role, Bud Cort is great, but used far too little. Sean (Puff Daddy) Combs is effective as a mob captain, but is also not a developed character. As Bobby's girlfriend, Famke Janssen similarly is an underdeveloped character; she's a lap dancer with a daughter who ultimately decides her career is most important, but we never see much of why she's made that decision. Peter Falk, as the representative of mob psychology at work (he's the "boss", Max) is fine, but he has, again, dialogue to work with that emphasizes how little is going on here.

The soundtrack is a much too self-conscious mix of most musical genres in the book--jazz, spaghetti western music, hip-hop, pop, and folk. The intent here appears to be to throw in whatever "enhances" the mood of the moment, but since those moments are typically superficial, the music actually serves to underline the superficiality rather than strengthen the film.

The point of this film seems to be that two guys can't get involved in illegal activity together without butting heads. The reason Swingers worked so well is because the banter of the dialogue--although often argumentative--was also simultaneously so full of fresh and witty humor that the combativeness does not weigh down the proceedings. In fact, the combativeness in the Swingers dialogue adds to the humor. But here, in Made, it outweighs the humor and that just does not work.

Rating:
Summary: A Dark Swingers
Review: It is hard for me to imagine anyone who liked Swingers not enjoying Made. Favreau and Vaughn play virtually the same characters as they did as aspiring LA actors in Swingers, only this time they are out of luck boxers looking for easy money. Other reviews have cited Vaughn's performance as annoying, but I found it hilarious in a kind of George Castanza way. I was constantly waiting to see how Vaughn's character was going to make an [jerk] out of himself next. The DVD also has several making of featurettes that are interesting. If you liked Swingers than check out Made.

Rating:
Summary: Annoying. Really Annoying.
Review: This is sort of the worst possible version of Rounders, which was likeable film about one man's journey of self-discovery, which is spurred on by his pain-in-the-neck best friend. In Rounders, it works because the best friend, although impossible, has depth. You understand him, his priciples (such as they are), and you know that a guy who won't compromise makes for an explosive combination in the environment we find ourselves in Rounders. But in Made, the best friend has no depth. He's just a jerk. He's a jerk through the whole movie, and he annoys the audidence as much as anyone else, so much so that you have a hard time following the story, and hardly even notice the main character's progress. Perhaps the jerk was supposed to be funny, and if so, maybe that could have carried the film. But he's not funny. He's not compelling. He's not interesting. He's a jerk, and living with him for two hours is two hours too long.

Rating:
Summary: DVD Problems & Lousy movie
Review: Couldn't get spanish subtitles to go away...but 20 minutes in decided it would be a much better movie if there were only spanish [or Chinese] subtitles. This movie was so bad that 3 of us [2 males, 1 female; ages 20 - 54] voted unanimously not to watch the rest of it. A main character is an embarrassment to the species.

Rating:
Summary: Can't get rid of Spanish subtitles
Review: Can't get rid of Spanish subtitles - very distracting. All other DVD's work fine in my player, so it's the DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Even better than Swingers
Review: Vince Vaughn, as the wannabee thug Ricky, is absolutely hilarious, absurd, annoying, a complete jerk, and yet frighteningly recognizable. There's a little Ricky in all of us. It's almost uncomfortable to watch at times as he blunders every social and professional encounter with inappropriate and obtuse remarks.

Jon Favreau plays the strong, silent, and long-suffering best friend, usually sitting next to Ricky with a look of intense frustration on his face, like he's barely restraining himself from punching him. Periodically, he does punch him, and the two end up rolling around in the dirt, hitting each other at the most inappropriate (and funniest) moments.

Like Swingers, the dialogue makes the movie. It's clever, satirical, and hilarious - not pathetic sitcom one-liners kind of funny, but slightly twisted, this could almost really happen kind of funny.

This is one of the best movies I've seen all year.

Rating:
Summary: Who cares about Swingers?
Review: Look, I didn't like Swingers. It was just plain boring. Made, however, was absolutely hilarious. I've read people saying that, "if you liked Swingers, you'll love Made." Well I'm here to say that if you liked Bottle Rocket, you'll like Made.

Both Bottle Rocket and Made deal with two friends who are trying to be criminals. One of them is a little too charged up by watching gangster movies. And both made me laugh intensely.

I've also read about how people didn't like watching Vince Vaughn's character. I can see where they're coming from, to a certain extent. But let me just say that the second time I saw it, the annoyance was almost all gone. I don't want to give anything away. But once you know how things turn out, you begin to accept Vince's character as just a good guy who couldn't count to 11 without taking his shoes off.

Rating:
Summary: It's Vince or Not Vince......
Review: How well you like this movie may depend on how well you take to the character played by Vince Vaughn. He is deliberately boorish, obnoxious, obtuse and irritating. Now, this can work in a movie at times, but for me, Vaughn's character was like fingernails on a blackboard and I was praying half way through the movie that, comedy or no, somebody would kill this jerk! Since I couldn't stand this lout after awhile, and since he is onscreen virtually the entire film, I couldn't wait for this exercise in irritation to end.

If, however, you don't mind this character the movie is a none-to-exceptional, but okay urban/gangster comedy.

Rating:
Summary: Not Swingers II
Review: I'd actually give this two and a half stars. Do not watch this movie expecting to see Swingers II. The problem with this movie is that Vince Vaughn's character is very annoying to watch. Its almost uncomfortable to watch how he make a fool of himself.

The reason this movie gets 2 1/2 stars though is that, like Swingers, Vaughn has classic quotes that you and your buddies can laugh heartily at during poker night. The lines, by themselves, are as classic as some lines from Swingers, but Swingers is still 2nd to none in that regard.

Rating:
Summary: cool average film
Review: this film was a Cool Average film.it didn't last long&that was a plus.some funny stuff in spots but you can tell it was very 2nd-tier in alot of spots.it was thin on overall story substance but it was a Average film worth peeking out for a few laughs.