Made Men is a violent, twist-laden thriller which, though made for TV, has about it the feel of a theatrical release. The countless explosions and gunfights, plus the big-name cast, hint at a big budget production. Even the opening titles sequence is quirky.
The story tells of Bill Manucci (Belushi), an informant on the witness protection programme who has been relocated in a quiet, rural corner of America with his wife (Angel). He receives a mysterious tip-off warning him that he has been tracked down by some old associates, so he packs his wife off to L.A and prepares to face them. When the team of heavies arrive, Manucci leads them a merry dance, constantly lying, bluffing and provoking them as they put the squeeze on him to reveal where he's stashed $12 million that he stole from their boss. Later in the picture, other unpleasant types get in on the hunt for the money, like Steve Railsback's gun-toting hillbilly and Timothy Dalton's corrupt cop.
Dalton actually has the juiciest role in the film, delivering his dirty cop routine with lip-smacking relish. Belushi's character is quite hard to root for, since his tendency to lie-and-moan, lie-and-moan, lie-and-moan becomes irritating and repetitious. Michael Beach does well, though, as one of the heavies who may or may not be something other than what he claims.
Beyond the enjoyable performances, however, the film is somewhat ordinary. The snapping and snarling that passes for dialogue is uninspiring, the action scenes feel old-hat, and the plot twists aren't really as unexpected as they think they are. In fact, the film is familiar to the point of predictability. It's worth catching, I suppose, but it won't ever find its way onto anybody's top 100 list.
