My fondness for this film is partly due to my college years coinciding with the Cold War—a time filled with acronyms like PBSUCCESS, MKULTRA, JMWAVE, PAPERCLIP, COLDFEET, MKOFTEN, The Phoenix Program, ARTICHOKE, and Midnight Climax being part of everyday conversation. Therefore, a comedic take on Air America felt particularly valuable. I’m not overly concerned with historical accuracy, so I can simply enjoy it as long as the story isn't completely fabricated. Hollywood is free to adjust events for dramatic effect; at least now more people will be aware of Air America. Truthfully, when you study the Cold War, mentioning things like PBSUCCESS or stories about Russians using radiation poisoning and umbrella guns to assassinate people tends to draw some odd looks. So, a film like this is welcome because it helps me avoid being compared to someone like Alex Jones. It also includes a song by The Seeds—something any serious punk fan will appreciate—along with one of the more memorable soundtracks from the Vietnam era. The music alone makes it worthwhile. Mel Gibson delivers a performance that's intentionally over-the-top, resembling a slightly less unhinged version of his character in *Lethal Weapon*, though surprisingly nonviolent. And Robert Downey Jr., recently out of rehab, demonstrates he’s capable of being a truly great actor when he’s sober. Essentially, it's an action film with minimal violence, set within a war zone and inspired by one of the country’s intelligence failures—but presented in a way that isn’t overly serious or pretentious, avoids any lecturing, tells a diverting story, and effectively conveys its message without resorting to Alan Alda at his most irritating. It's a film about clandestine operations that steers clear of the high-octane action found in *Mission: Impossible* or James Bond movies. It’s almost like a spy movie done correctly…and then transformed into a comedy.

Source on TMDB