This movie is a hagiography of President Reagan, and whether you like it or not may depend largely upon your political inclinations. The film is a Cliff Notes' version of Reagan's life, but given the scope of his life, there seems no way around that in a movie of conventional length.
The acting is generally impressive. Though he doesn't look much like Reagan, Dennis Quaid captured his voice accurately and gave an inspired performance, and Penelope Ann Miller also created a believable portrait of Nancy Reagan. The film relies heavily on Reagan's actual speeches and is a good reminder of the power of language in politics. As Kennedy said about Churchill, "He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle." The movie suggests that Reagan helped to win the Cold War with his rhetoric and his powerful delivery. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
Setting aside politics, it's an entertaining movie and a good, albeit one-sided, history lesson about the 40th president of the United States. I liked it.
