Customer Reviews

Made

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

Swingers was one of my favorite movies the year it came out. Jon Favreau wrote a very clever screenplay with cool fresh dialogue about the L.A. club and bar scene that any man 21 or over could relate to. Made is Jon Favreau's second movie and is every bit as clever as its predecessor with a little drama thrown into the mix. Jon stars once again with buddy Vince Vaughn as two friends (and I use the term loosely) who are making a run in the world of organized crime. Favreau who is trying to repay his debt to mob boss Peter Falk and Vaughn a screw-up, who just wants to become a made man for the glamourous prestige it will give him. Once again Favreau plays the straight man to Vaughn's comedic character and the formula is brought to life by these two solid actors. Favreau's screenplay proves that this man is not a one trick pony, he could have easily borrowed from Swingers and did lots of niteclub type jokes again but instead has created a really solid mob-type buddy comedy. The movie also features Famke Jansen (who's always great) as Favreau's stripper girlfriend, Sean "Puffy" Combs (surprisingly really good) as a mobster, and even a funny cameo from Dustin Diamond (Screech). The movie starts to feel a little long towards the end but I gladly sat through the rest of it waiting for the outcome. I wish Jon Favreau would start to write movies more frequently because good comedies like these are sorely missed at the megaplexes.

Made is a very funny movie about two "stooges" who are trying to make it in the Mob. Jon Favreau plays the straight man, and Vince Vaughn is a terrific funny-man. He is the Oscar to Favreau's Felix, and they certainly do make an odd couple. The film starts in Los Angeles, and takes them to New York where they are on a seemingly simple assignment, but Vaughn makes sure to get them in trouble at every turn. Sean Combs (P-Diddy) also stars as a Mob middle man with whom they are working. He gives a surprisingly good performance, reprimanding Favreau and Vaughn as they fumble their way through the film. The great chemistry (Swingers) is apparent, and Vaughn's delivery of a well-written script is sure to make you laugh.

"Made" is the story of two misfit boxers who are best buddies (even though they're always arguing and fighting). Bobby is dating a dancer and doesn't like what her job entails, so he's hoping that he can find something that will solve their money problems so she won't have to dance anymore. Ricky is a fast-talking and always outspoken character who thinks he's all that when in reality he doesn't have a clue. The two friends are offered a gig by a mob boss that offers a big payoff. It's their chance to live the life of the gangsters that they grew up watching in movies. However, they're about to learn how different real life is from the movies... and how horrible they are at being gangsters.

This isn't the type of comedy that offers the obvious laughs or a "wacky" finale. There are no "zany" gimmicks or an over-the-top plot. The movie relies on the tone, which is very subtle and has great timing. The characters are real because they are written that way. While it may be hard to believe that any mob boss would give these two guys a job, we're able to buy it because it's written and structured in a very realistic manner. This is probably why the film isn't overly popular with many folks, but that's fine by me. I really enjoyed myself when I watched this, and even had a better time watching it the second time. Jon Favreau is great in his role, as he knows that he's not the showstopper and has to make sure that he's subtle and mostly quiet--that is, unless he's arguing with his buddy. Vince Vaughn is the definite showstopper, and you can tell that he has a lot of fun with the role. He plays it perfectly, and I'm convinced that nobody else could pull off such a stunt. We also must not forget the very funny Peter Falk, and it must be said that Sean Combs ("Puffy") does a very good job with his part as well.

I must warn you that the movie has TONS of profanities in it. It even outdoes "The Big Lebowski" in the F-Bomb department, believe it or not. If you're not a fan of non-stop vulgar language, then you better stay clear from this. I think the language works because the movie is trying to play like a "Goodfellas" gone completely wrong. The DVD has some really great special features. The picture looks really good, and the sound isn't bad either. Some of the extras include commentary, deleted scenes, outtakes, a scene edit workshop, documentaries and much, much more. Plenty of goodies to play around with.

"Made" is a movie that really worked for me. I think it's an extremely clever comedy that is character-driven all the way. It's entertainingly written and very well directed. Keep in mind that you will be taking a chance on this one if you decide to check it out. People have mixed feelings about it. With that in mind, I would suggest that you rent it first before you decide to purchase, just to be on the safe side. It's a short movie so it won't take up much of your life should you end up not liking it. If you're looking for a funny comedy that doesn't rely on the usual gags, then this is something that is worth checking out. -Michael Crane

Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn are together again in "Made". We first saw them together in Swingers. This time around, there is a much different plot, although the dynamic between them doesn't change all that much. Favreau is still the voice of reason, while Vaughn is the life of the party.

The characters they play this time are far worse off. Bobby and Ricky have it rough and so they decide to take a job for a mob boss (played wonderfully by Peter Falk). It's amusing to see characters like Bobby and Ricky in this situation - as they don't quite fit the mold of mob "muscle". Ricky is constantly putting his foot in his mouth and he comes close to blowing everything a few times, but Bobby is always there to reel him back in and handle the situation. Ricky does come up big for everyone in the end, though.

This is a funny movie. I love the interplay between Favreau and Vaughn. That is probably the sole reason why the movie works so well. If Favreau had written the script for any other actors, it is possible that we may never have heard of it. But, as it is, this is a very entertaining movie and I recommend it to those who enjoyed Swingers. You will want this movie in your collection, as well.

Made was done so for less than $5 million and penny for penny has more laughs and character than most of the slop Hollywood is famous for. Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau are back together again. The first time since Swingers. Vince and Jon are A perfect comedy team that ranks up there with Mathau and Lemmon, Martin and Lewis, and Pryor and Wilder. Vince Vaughn polarized his smooth talking character Trent who stole several scenes in Swingers and made a catch phrase out of the word "money."

Jon Favreau wrote the script and directed the movie with an eye for detail. Both seem more interested with character development rather than plot but that in no way harms the movie. Extras include a couple short documetaires, and a bunch or deleted scenes and outtakes that are worth price of admission alone. The commentary track is a gem with Jon and Vince having a video chalkboard discussion of the film with the executive producer Peter Billingsly "sitting on the couch."

As a fan of the Vince and Jon duo, I was going to enjoy this film no matter what. The way that they play off of one another is hysterical. I would relate their roles in Made to the roles that Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker have in Rush Hour 2. Favreau is the quiet-serious type like Chan while Vaughn resembles the motor mouthed Tucker. Vaughn comes off as annoying in this movie because he is suppose to be that way. He thinks and believes he is a hotshot mob type. Instead, he is that ridiculous friend that always says the wrong thing at the wrong time. Vaughn is able to play the Sopranos wanna-be to perfection. Favreau is the classic "oh no not again" kind of guy. The scene with Favreau and Vaughn riding with the motorcycle gang is absolutely hilarious! P. Diddy does a good job of being himself in the film. There isn't any slow in chemistry when he enters the mayhem. Cmon, who is more mafioso than Vincent Pastore? The various cameos (one in particular from a Saved by the Bell castmember) are funny as well. Favreau and Vaughn are normal guys entering a world that they have no experience with. They represent those of us that are not associated with the mob in any way. We would probably do the same thing as these two "amateurs" if put in the same position. "Well I saw them do this on the Sopranos once..." Funny movie for us regular people. This movie is not suppose to be another Snatch like one reviewer said. The people in that film were not regular people with regular lives. Furthermore, this is not Swingers 2. Enjoy the film for what it is, a regular guy meets Tony Soprano comedy. Plus a comedic duo of this kind is hard to find.

After reading alot of these reviews I just wanted to clear up a few misconceptions about this movie. First, the entertainment value of MADE has nothing to do with it being a mob movie, or even a spoof of one. The name itself is kind of misused. So if you go into this movie hoping to see a Goodfellas/Casino/Sopranos type of plot, you will be disapointed.

My second point is that the entertainment value of this movie for that matter is created by the chemistry between Favreau and Vaughn. However, it is NOT the same type of chemistry they had in SWINGERS, except in the blackjack scene when they are bickering about how much to bet. Vaugh's character Ricky is extremely annoying at times. If it is uncomfortable for you to watch someone make a completely ass out of themselves, then you probably will not find him funny.

In 1996 writer / director / actor John Favreau made a quirky comedy that spoofed the LA lifestyle. It was called Swingers, and it became a cult classic. In Made, his new movie, he again takes comedic aim, this time at petty criminals and gangsters. The results are quite funny, not because of the rather slim story, but because of the incredible rapport between Favreau and costar Vince Vaughn, whom he also acted with in Swingers. They make quite a pair, and one would hope that their appearing together in movies becomes a tradition over the years.

Bobby [Favreau] has a messed up life. He's a professional boxer, but he isn't a very good one. To support himself, he's a driver for his live-in girlfriend, Jessica Famke Jenssen]. She's an exotic dancer, and he's the jealous type. That's not a good combination. After Bobby slugs a customer he thinks got too close to Jessica, he finds himself in trouble with his and Jessica's boss, Max [Peter Falk], a sort of minor league mob boss in LA. At home Bobby, who at heart is a good guy, must deal with Jessica's sensitive little girl. He's much more of a father to her than Jessica is a mother. Sensibly, Max relieves Bobby of his job of protecting Jessica by offering him something else. He wants him to see that a mysterious package is safely delivered to a British mobster in New York. Bobby agrees, but only if he can take his best friend, Ricky [Vaughn], along. It's an understatement to say that the trip does not go smoothly.

The story may not sound like much. It certainly isn't original. Favreau wrote the screenplay, and this is a good example of success not in what you say, but how you say it. He also throws in this idea: Bobby and Ricky have been best friends since childhood. They have shared nearly everything. Now comes a great opportunity Bobby naturally wants to share with his friend. The problem is that Ricky is an idiot. He always messes up whatever he touches. He doesn't know how to shut up, he doesn't know when to keep the truth to himself, he thinks he's always right, and he can make life's simplest choices extremely complicated.

I can relate to this comic setup. I think a lot of us can. Don't many of us have a friend or close relative who's not working with a full deck? I don't say this to be unkind. It's just a fact. And out of loyalty, compassion, habit and/or even out of love, don't we sometimes include that person in our affairs, even though common sense tells us not to? Such people may be a mess, but they can also inadvertantly make our lives somehow richer.

Favreau's character is the central one, but, as a director, he choses to highlight Vaughn's Ricky. This works because Vaughn is such a remarkable actor. To be sure, he has a lot of idiosyncrasies which have played against him when he has tried to be a leading man in other projects. There is a wildness about him and just a touch of menace, but it's more of a menacing humorousness than an evil aura. Give him an oddball character like Ricky, and he's in his element. His genius lies in his ability to take such a goof ball and make him real and endearing. A lesser actor would have made Ricky so obnoxious we never could have related to him. That, in turn, would have ruined the movie.

By the same creative team that brought the 1996 cult 'Swingers', both Jon Favreau and buddy Vince Vaughn lay down another classic and artful black comedy on a limited budget.

Writer/Director/Star Jon Favreau brings us the tale of two average guys trying to make ends meet in Los Angeles. Bobby (Favreau) is construction by day, boxer by night, and driver to his stripper girlfriend after that just to make enough to pay the rent. His buddy Ricky (Vaughn), sans any steady girlfriend, is in the same boat. Wanting to better their lives, if only just slightly, they agree to do a 'mobster' type job for off-and-on again shady boss Max (Peter Falk).

This brings our amateur mobsters to New York. Armed only with a pager, a cell phone, $3,000 between them, and no directions they are on a whirlwind adventure through the Big Apple trying to figure out what they are supposed to do. It seems that the underworld of drugs and money are always one step ahead of our bumbling duo, who are trying to keep their wits and piece the puzzle together. But that's not easy when Ricky, who never had this kind of money before (or responsibility for that matter) wants to treat their assignment as a vacation. Money for drinks, parties, clubs, food. His hi-jinks almost cost them their lives on more than occasion. A modern day Abbott and Costello.

The cast of characters they meet up with are pretty funny on their own. There's their driver Jimmy (... from the Soprano's), black drug lord who likes Italian food (Puff Daddy) and his overweight body guard Horace (who needs an inhaler). Famke Jannsen plays Bobby's girlfriend. The scene back in Ricky's hotel room after a night of partying is classic (don't miss the extended version in the extra's section where Vince Vaughn ad-libs for 10 minutes).

There are many ingredients that make this a great movie: Strong characterization, a fresh story (not your typical mob movie), many cameo's (you'll recognize a few people from the Sopranos and more), great music, and most importantly Vince Vaughn's improvisation and ad-libs of many of his key scenes.

I really don't want to give the entire story or ending away here in this review, but it is very refreshing, satisfying, and not exactly what one would expect.

Now the DVD:
While the movie is only 94 minutes long, there are tons of extra's which really surprises me for a film that wasn't considered a block buster. All second-tier DVD's should have this many extra's at this price. It is a GREAT value!

Extras:
- Alternate scenes and endings (quite a few here).
- Outtakes (25+min. This is worth the DVD alone. See Vince Vaughn do multiple version of many of his key scenes in total improv. No two takes are the same, and you'll die laughing (as apparent by onscreen buddy Jon who can't keep a straight face) and wonder where does Vince come up with this stuff!!!)
- Deleted scenes (at least 20 minutes worth and they are funny).
- Commentary with Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau.
- Actors filmographies and bios.
- 3 documentaries (about 45 minutes total), The making of 'Made', the music of 'Made', the creative process.
- Both used and unused music cue's. (Very novel idea, the first I've seen on DVD and now wonder why other don't have this?)
- Scene selection.
- Interactive editing game/demonstration. (Kinda cool)
- Production notes.

Please don't assume you're getting another Swingers just because of the Favreau/Vaughn combo. What you are getting is perfect chemistry between two great actors, hilarious ad-libs, dialogue and movement that plays so natural you feel like a peeping tom instead of an audience. This movie has great tension that isn't ruined by the comedic moments, and it bears repeated viewing, because you can only truly appreciate the comedy once the tension is broken. Vince Vaughn will make you cringe as a bumbling would-be mobster. You're sure that he is going to get himself or both men killed with his big mouth. Amazingly, at the end of it all, is a moment between Favreau's character Bobby and the little girl Chloe that brings me to tears every time I see it. Jon Favreau is a brilliant writer and director and the chemistry between him and Vince Vaughn is unbeatable. Buy this movie, watch it, and watch it again. And again.