Made (2001)

The stars of Doug Liman's buoyant male bonding comedy Swingers return for this similarly engaging Mob effort, this time under the surprisingly astute direction of first-timer Jon Favreau. In the age of The Sopranos, any film making comic light of the Mafia seems to have its work cut out for it, but this breezy, funny, appealingly cast feature still manages to seem fresh. Vince Vaughn strains for effect on occasion, but is well-matched with Favreau; the two play off each other with the ease of Laurel and Hardy in their heyday. Nearly everyone onscreen makes the most of their brief roles (save for Sean Combs, who fails to escape his notorious persona with a rather weak performance), especially Peter Falk, blessedly returning to a scene-stealing character role. Made isn't much food for thought, but it's a fun ride, filled with nicely idiosyncratic dialogue exchanges and an enviable energy that proves Favreau's talents might extend further than many would have ever predicted. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide