The film tells the story of the rise of general Manuel Antonio Noriega from utter poverty to military dictator of Panama. It chronicles his involvement with drug cartels as well as the U.S. government during the Iran–Contra affair.
Reviews were generally positive. Anita Gates of The New York Times wrote, "If I had seen Bob Hoskins play Manuel Antonio Noriega earlier, I would have paid a lot more attention to the American invasion of Panama."[1] Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times wrote that Bob Hoskins "captures best the contradictions of a man at once endearing and despicable."[2] One reviewer wrote that "the hair-raising career of deposed Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega surpassed even the surreal creations of many Latin American novelists, thus making him a natural movie subject".[3] Hoskins was nominated for a Satellite Award for his role in the film.[4]
