304 reviews
- CANpatbuck3664
- Sep 2, 2016
- Permalink
Hangover/Due Date director Todd Philipps makes a film base on the true story of young, entrepreneur gun-runners David Parkouz and Efraim Diveroli who managed to secure a ridiculous contract to supply arms to the afghan army via the pentagon.
Miles Teller plays the struggling and ambitious David who bumps into his childhood buddy Efraim played by Jonah Hill who is somewhat of the opposite, a loose cannon, fearless and a little trigger-happy. Now, Efraim has found himself a little niche in the market, the market of arms dealing and strikes up small deals with the US military. David needs a job to support his expecting girlfriend, the stunning Ana de Armas who looks a little like Penelope Cruz only more beautiful and has one of those exotic accents. Efraim sees an opportunity for David and the two team up to what leads to the deal of the century for all parties involved.
Now, the film has plenty of other film references most notably Scarface, even one of the promotional posters is a respectful nod to the DePalma/Pacino's film. But it's actually Lord of War Efraim is a huge fan of in real-life and it's probably more like Lord of War than Scarface, yet it has tinge of Pain & Gain, another crazy true story movie. Maybe it's Miami? But it has that vibrant and funny yet serious storytelling style that makes the film almost unbelievable and shocking.
The rest of the cast does include Bradley Cooper who also produced the film, playing the harden, borderline war-criminal, pretty much the Branson of the arms market and someone you don't really want to be messing with. There's Kevin Pollack playing the bankroll and an awesome cameo of venture capitalist playboy millionaire Dan Bilzerian.
It's accompanied by a great soundtrack with tracks from 50cent, Beastie Boys, Iggy Pop, UB40 and CCR but the awesome score threw me completely thinking it was Harry Gregson-Williams or Steve Jablonski, no, it was Cliff Martinez with those ambient sounds.
The film is highly entertaining, funny in parts but this is not a comedy; its perfectly paced with some great scenes like the duo gun-running across the triangle of death and some nice camera work. However it's not to epic portions, not that it should put anyone off watching this, it's still a very watchable and enjoyable film and I don't think they could have done it any better.
Running Time: 8 The Cast: 8 Performance: 8 Direction: 8 Story: 8 Script: 8 Creativity: 8 Soundtrack: 9 Job Description: 8 The Extra Bonus Points: 5 for a slick story, good editing and a great score/soundtrack to boot.
78% 8/10
Miles Teller plays the struggling and ambitious David who bumps into his childhood buddy Efraim played by Jonah Hill who is somewhat of the opposite, a loose cannon, fearless and a little trigger-happy. Now, Efraim has found himself a little niche in the market, the market of arms dealing and strikes up small deals with the US military. David needs a job to support his expecting girlfriend, the stunning Ana de Armas who looks a little like Penelope Cruz only more beautiful and has one of those exotic accents. Efraim sees an opportunity for David and the two team up to what leads to the deal of the century for all parties involved.
Now, the film has plenty of other film references most notably Scarface, even one of the promotional posters is a respectful nod to the DePalma/Pacino's film. But it's actually Lord of War Efraim is a huge fan of in real-life and it's probably more like Lord of War than Scarface, yet it has tinge of Pain & Gain, another crazy true story movie. Maybe it's Miami? But it has that vibrant and funny yet serious storytelling style that makes the film almost unbelievable and shocking.
The rest of the cast does include Bradley Cooper who also produced the film, playing the harden, borderline war-criminal, pretty much the Branson of the arms market and someone you don't really want to be messing with. There's Kevin Pollack playing the bankroll and an awesome cameo of venture capitalist playboy millionaire Dan Bilzerian.
It's accompanied by a great soundtrack with tracks from 50cent, Beastie Boys, Iggy Pop, UB40 and CCR but the awesome score threw me completely thinking it was Harry Gregson-Williams or Steve Jablonski, no, it was Cliff Martinez with those ambient sounds.
The film is highly entertaining, funny in parts but this is not a comedy; its perfectly paced with some great scenes like the duo gun-running across the triangle of death and some nice camera work. However it's not to epic portions, not that it should put anyone off watching this, it's still a very watchable and enjoyable film and I don't think they could have done it any better.
Running Time: 8 The Cast: 8 Performance: 8 Direction: 8 Story: 8 Script: 8 Creativity: 8 Soundtrack: 9 Job Description: 8 The Extra Bonus Points: 5 for a slick story, good editing and a great score/soundtrack to boot.
78% 8/10
- SpoilerAlertReviews
- Aug 31, 2016
- Permalink
Right off the bat the best part of this movie is the acting: Teller and Hill have great chemistry on screen. Jonah does a particularly good job at playing the "guy you love to hate". I can't attest to the faithfulness of their portrayal of the real life people since I don't know anything about them. The rest of the cast does a great job as well.
The marketing for this movie was, unfortunately, deceitful: the trailer made it out to be this upbeat, funny, over the top comedy - which it's not. In reality the movie has a much slower pace, not a lot of situational humor and is certainly not filled with hilarious quips (the bulk of which are in the trailer). This is not to say that the movie was bad or not at all funny, it just wasn't what I expected (and I am sure I'm not alone).
My final critique will go unnoticed for the majority of viewers but I found it personally offensive so I have to report it: some of the movie takes place in Albania, only the set for Albania is actually Romania. Which is fine, I understand that they probably did this for practical reasons and as a Romanian movie goer I just have to accept it (we all recognized it immediately though). However, at some point in the movie an "Albanian" woman says something, only she says it in Romanian. This may not seem like much but it totally took me out of the movie and ruined the experience for me. I find it completely unacceptable that they could not hire an Albanian to say those few lines. The two languages might seem interchangeable to the rest of the world, I am sure, but that was very much NOT the case for me and everyone else in the theater.
I am a paying movie goer as well and I expect to be just as entertained as everyone else. This is, of course, not the first time that I've seen this in a film. But when a producer does something like this it shows me that they don't respect their movie, so they can't expect me to.
My rating, however, is not based on this final bit of criticism. I gave it a 7/10 for slow pacing and lack of humor, which is the opposite of what I expected.
I'd still recommend it, just don't expect to be blown away.
After watching it for a second time I decided to change my original rating from 7/10 to 8/10, mainly because the acting is just great and I respect the fact that the movie made me think about it and made me want to see it again.
The marketing for this movie was, unfortunately, deceitful: the trailer made it out to be this upbeat, funny, over the top comedy - which it's not. In reality the movie has a much slower pace, not a lot of situational humor and is certainly not filled with hilarious quips (the bulk of which are in the trailer). This is not to say that the movie was bad or not at all funny, it just wasn't what I expected (and I am sure I'm not alone).
My final critique will go unnoticed for the majority of viewers but I found it personally offensive so I have to report it: some of the movie takes place in Albania, only the set for Albania is actually Romania. Which is fine, I understand that they probably did this for practical reasons and as a Romanian movie goer I just have to accept it (we all recognized it immediately though). However, at some point in the movie an "Albanian" woman says something, only she says it in Romanian. This may not seem like much but it totally took me out of the movie and ruined the experience for me. I find it completely unacceptable that they could not hire an Albanian to say those few lines. The two languages might seem interchangeable to the rest of the world, I am sure, but that was very much NOT the case for me and everyone else in the theater.
I am a paying movie goer as well and I expect to be just as entertained as everyone else. This is, of course, not the first time that I've seen this in a film. But when a producer does something like this it shows me that they don't respect their movie, so they can't expect me to.
My rating, however, is not based on this final bit of criticism. I gave it a 7/10 for slow pacing and lack of humor, which is the opposite of what I expected.
I'd still recommend it, just don't expect to be blown away.
After watching it for a second time I decided to change my original rating from 7/10 to 8/10, mainly because the acting is just great and I respect the fact that the movie made me think about it and made me want to see it again.
I don't know enough about the original story to determine the accuracy of Todd Phillips's "War Dogs", but it's an enjoyable movie. The tricks pulled by David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli just go to show that the people in the business of weapons have no principles (even violating arms embargoes). They're out to make money by any means necessary. To be certain, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq proved quite profitable for weapons manufacturers. The mistake that Packouz and Diveroli made was getting caught.
It's not a masterpiece, but it does a respectable job showing the degrees to which these types go to enrich themselves. A very slimy world indeed.
It's not a masterpiece, but it does a respectable job showing the degrees to which these types go to enrich themselves. A very slimy world indeed.
- lee_eisenberg
- Nov 29, 2016
- Permalink
War Dogs is based on a true story where two twenty somethings sell arms back to the US government. Jonah Hill and Mills Teller put up a great performance, they made the story very appealing. The storyline had plenty of connections with Scarface, from locations to tag lines. It was a good movie with a great cast. Definitely worth watching.
There were many shocking and quite unbelievable stories to emerge from the U.S. during the Bush/Cheney administration, but none were quite as fantastical as the overwhelming position 20-something minor-league arms dealers Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz found themselves in. Their tale is utterly preposterous, but entirely true, although events naturally have been dramatised for the film. Like something straight out of a culture-clash comedy from the 1980s, Diveroli and Packouz landed a $298 million Pentagon contract involving over a hundred million rounds of ammunition. The mishandling of the deal and the pair's subsequent falling out was covered in a Rolling Stone article by Guy Lawson, and later in a book by Lawson entitled Arms and the Dudes.
David Packouz (Miles Teller) is a pot-smoking massage therapist working in Miami, Florida, dividing his spare time between his girlfriend Iz (Ana de Armas) and trying, somewhat unsuccessfully, to flog the high-quality Egyptian bed-sheets that he has invested in to retirement homes. At a funeral, he encounters his old best friend Efraim (Jonah Hill), who has made a success in Los Angeles trading in arms on eBay. They rekindle their friendship, despite Efraim proving himself to be a unpredictable loose-cannon, and David eventually joins his chum at his new business venture AEY. With the war raging in Iraq, the government has set up a website offering contracts for weapons and military equipment. David's job is to pick up the crumbs; those small orders the big companies ignore.
There are, as Efraim informs David, a hell of a lot of crumbs, and the two are soon making their fortunes while Efraim indulges in everything from prostitutes to copious amounts of cocaine. The two grew up loving Brian De Palma's Scarface (1983), and imagery from the film adorns AEY's office walls. The same unquenchable greed that possessed Al Pacino's character seems to drive Efraim also, and it isn't long before you can see the inevitable downfall on the horizon. Director Todd Phillips, on the back of those terrible The Hangover sequels, seems to be intent on making a semi-serious film, and wisely takes inspiration from some of America's great dark-side- of-the-American-dream cinematic works, such as De Palma's aforementioned drug-lord saga and Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990). But, unlike Adam McKay's The Big Short from last year, Phillips doesn't have the nerve to go all the way.
Where McKay exquisitely balanced comedy, drama and satire to dazzling effect, Phillips seems too intent on focusing on the goofball antics of its hapless anti-heroes to deliver any real bite. This is a story that highlights many things from the government's irresponsible approach to warfare, the dangerous practice of allowing just anybody to legally deal in arms, and the devastating effects of blind ambition, but these themes are only touched upon. Packouz is essentially our lead character, but he feels like little more than an exposition tool, with de Armas getting the thankless role of the boring partner who must warn her hubby whenever his actions lead him into the dark side. Thankfully, Jonah Hill is a tour de force, cranking his loathsome character up to 11 without ever feeling unbelievable, proving once again what a versatile actor he is becoming. If you're looking for an intelligent satire of a fascinating recent event, then you probably won't find it here, but as a piece of entertainment, it certainly delivers.
David Packouz (Miles Teller) is a pot-smoking massage therapist working in Miami, Florida, dividing his spare time between his girlfriend Iz (Ana de Armas) and trying, somewhat unsuccessfully, to flog the high-quality Egyptian bed-sheets that he has invested in to retirement homes. At a funeral, he encounters his old best friend Efraim (Jonah Hill), who has made a success in Los Angeles trading in arms on eBay. They rekindle their friendship, despite Efraim proving himself to be a unpredictable loose-cannon, and David eventually joins his chum at his new business venture AEY. With the war raging in Iraq, the government has set up a website offering contracts for weapons and military equipment. David's job is to pick up the crumbs; those small orders the big companies ignore.
There are, as Efraim informs David, a hell of a lot of crumbs, and the two are soon making their fortunes while Efraim indulges in everything from prostitutes to copious amounts of cocaine. The two grew up loving Brian De Palma's Scarface (1983), and imagery from the film adorns AEY's office walls. The same unquenchable greed that possessed Al Pacino's character seems to drive Efraim also, and it isn't long before you can see the inevitable downfall on the horizon. Director Todd Phillips, on the back of those terrible The Hangover sequels, seems to be intent on making a semi-serious film, and wisely takes inspiration from some of America's great dark-side- of-the-American-dream cinematic works, such as De Palma's aforementioned drug-lord saga and Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990). But, unlike Adam McKay's The Big Short from last year, Phillips doesn't have the nerve to go all the way.
Where McKay exquisitely balanced comedy, drama and satire to dazzling effect, Phillips seems too intent on focusing on the goofball antics of its hapless anti-heroes to deliver any real bite. This is a story that highlights many things from the government's irresponsible approach to warfare, the dangerous practice of allowing just anybody to legally deal in arms, and the devastating effects of blind ambition, but these themes are only touched upon. Packouz is essentially our lead character, but he feels like little more than an exposition tool, with de Armas getting the thankless role of the boring partner who must warn her hubby whenever his actions lead him into the dark side. Thankfully, Jonah Hill is a tour de force, cranking his loathsome character up to 11 without ever feeling unbelievable, proving once again what a versatile actor he is becoming. If you're looking for an intelligent satire of a fascinating recent event, then you probably won't find it here, but as a piece of entertainment, it certainly delivers.
- tomgillespie2002
- Dec 2, 2016
- Permalink
Similar tone to Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, It was a lot more serious than what I expected after seeing the trailer. It's not the first time I've seen either Miles Teller or Jonah Hill in something more dramatic, I just may have assumed their first real outing together in a movie would be more of a straight up comedy.
Semi based on a true story of two young guys from Miami who became arms dealers, Miles Teller narrates the story of how David Packouz teamed up with this best friend from the tenth grade, Efraim Diveroli and got in too over his head.
I was expecting more comedy from the two rather than just two young stars being entertaining. The movie is not disappointing with the team of Teller and Hill. If you are a fan of either one of these guys you are going to love the film.
Jonah Hill gives a performance that seem to be something between what he did in 21 Jump Street and the Wolf of Wall Street. The part just fits him so well as he plays a con man who tries to be everyone to everything on the outside but is really evil in the inside, and no matter how much you discover about his evil, Hill still makes the character likable.
But the likability is more met for Miles Teller, who Hill is supporting with greatness. Teller plays the sympathetic role of a man whose lost in his life at a time when his girl is about to have a baby, and he needs the money.
Director, Todd Phillips weaves a story about how people have profited from the war, and done bad things to profit from a bad war. It's almost like the Big Short, with it's explanation about how the arms game really works, but I always felt that the actual story was getting overshadow by the personalities of the two stars worthy of watching.
But overall, It is a very funny film and very entertaining, thanks to the Hill, Teller combo
http://cinemagardens.com
Semi based on a true story of two young guys from Miami who became arms dealers, Miles Teller narrates the story of how David Packouz teamed up with this best friend from the tenth grade, Efraim Diveroli and got in too over his head.
I was expecting more comedy from the two rather than just two young stars being entertaining. The movie is not disappointing with the team of Teller and Hill. If you are a fan of either one of these guys you are going to love the film.
Jonah Hill gives a performance that seem to be something between what he did in 21 Jump Street and the Wolf of Wall Street. The part just fits him so well as he plays a con man who tries to be everyone to everything on the outside but is really evil in the inside, and no matter how much you discover about his evil, Hill still makes the character likable.
But the likability is more met for Miles Teller, who Hill is supporting with greatness. Teller plays the sympathetic role of a man whose lost in his life at a time when his girl is about to have a baby, and he needs the money.
Director, Todd Phillips weaves a story about how people have profited from the war, and done bad things to profit from a bad war. It's almost like the Big Short, with it's explanation about how the arms game really works, but I always felt that the actual story was getting overshadow by the personalities of the two stars worthy of watching.
But overall, It is a very funny film and very entertaining, thanks to the Hill, Teller combo
http://cinemagardens.com
- subxerogravity
- Aug 18, 2016
- Permalink
It's 2005 Miami. David Packouz (Miles Teller) is struggling as a masseuse. He reconnects with childhood friend Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill). Efraim has been buying guns from police auctions and reselling them online. There is a new government clearing house website for military contracts and he's looking to pick up some of the crumbs. David joins him after getting girlfriend Iz (Ana de Armas) pregnant. With dry cleaner Ralph Slutsky (Kevin Pollak) providing the capital, they start getting some contracts. Eventually, they meet unsavory arms dealer Henry Girard (Bradley Cooper) and get a massive Afghan deal.
This is unlike Todd Phillips' more famed comedic movies. It's not big laughs but it is a lighter look at a darker world. Jonah Hill gets chubbier to fit this character perfectly. He is a douche but he is not a threatening douche. He has just enough crazy but not uncontrolled. His chemistry with Teller is terrific. This is a compelling story told in a compelling and engaging way. It's great all around and an overlooked gem.
This is unlike Todd Phillips' more famed comedic movies. It's not big laughs but it is a lighter look at a darker world. Jonah Hill gets chubbier to fit this character perfectly. He is a douche but he is not a threatening douche. He has just enough crazy but not uncontrolled. His chemistry with Teller is terrific. This is a compelling story told in a compelling and engaging way. It's great all around and an overlooked gem.
- SnoopyStyle
- Mar 24, 2017
- Permalink
War Dogs
One could sum up this movie in a single word, "formulaic."
If you've ever watched any of the movies about West Coast drug-dealing of the 80s (Blow), or any movie with Benicio Del Toro in it (Snatch, Traffic), you will quickly recognize one or more of the stylistic techniques stamped all over this movie:
Oddity
------
Choice of music. The setting for the movie is the early 2000s, and these guys are in their 20s, yet the music is a collection golden oldies from 60s. Is that the music the producers like? Is it aimed at the suspected target audience?
Nitpicks
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The lead character says "Bro" more times than any character in any movie in history. Guess that's a refreshing change from "dude." LOL.
Aside from all that, I still liked the movie, just thought is was hackneyed and formulaic.
One could sum up this movie in a single word, "formulaic."
If you've ever watched any of the movies about West Coast drug-dealing of the 80s (Blow), or any movie with Benicio Del Toro in it (Snatch, Traffic), you will quickly recognize one or more of the stylistic techniques stamped all over this movie:
- Off-camera narration by one of the protagonists talking about how smart or stupid they were at this point in the adventure.
- Wackiness in the face of danger.
- Celebration of the stoner mentality.
- Overhead shots using helicopters or drones.
- Overuse of circular camera dolly around two subjects quibbling to suggest "tension."
- Cool music.
Oddity
------
Choice of music. The setting for the movie is the early 2000s, and these guys are in their 20s, yet the music is a collection golden oldies from 60s. Is that the music the producers like? Is it aimed at the suspected target audience?
Nitpicks
-------
The lead character says "Bro" more times than any character in any movie in history. Guess that's a refreshing change from "dude." LOL.
Aside from all that, I still liked the movie, just thought is was hackneyed and formulaic.
The story is eye opening, relevant and very clearly told with a humorous tone through the serious subject matter. This is based on a true story with some fictionalized elements to make it entertaining. A massage therapist links up with a childhood friend who is a small time arms dealer. Very interesting to get a look at the legal but morally questionable world of arms dealing. I thought this would be a juvenile buddy movie with a bit of war thrown in but it isn't.
Jonah Hill has some funny lines and he does a great job with the over the top character but he can be subtly sinister when he needs to be. Miles Teller plays his character sympathetically and I liked him here. Quite different from the rather annoying characters he usually plays. Bradley Cooper who produced the movie and has a small but pivotal role and he is effective as an arms dealer.
Quite a transporting experience as the action takes you from Miami to Jordan and Iraq with some funny situations there and Albania.
Watch this movie. It deserves to do better than it has so far.
Jonah Hill has some funny lines and he does a great job with the over the top character but he can be subtly sinister when he needs to be. Miles Teller plays his character sympathetically and I liked him here. Quite different from the rather annoying characters he usually plays. Bradley Cooper who produced the movie and has a small but pivotal role and he is effective as an arms dealer.
Quite a transporting experience as the action takes you from Miami to Jordan and Iraq with some funny situations there and Albania.
Watch this movie. It deserves to do better than it has so far.
- phd_travel
- Aug 31, 2016
- Permalink
Ever seen Lord of War or Wolf of Wall Street or maybe even both? This film was quite enjoyable at the most basic level. There were some interesting ways the story was told as well which certainly spiced something's up and had you caring about the characters in the movie. Obviously the point. The biggest flaw I have with the movie is I know with certainty it was release after the two films mentioned in the title and it reminded me of one of those two films multiple times in the movie. Not a pure rip off by any means but I don't know that I've ever watched a film and been reminded of two totally unrelated movies ever as much as this experience. Worth a watch but be prepared for Deja vu.
I struggle to find movies that are decent nowadays and put off watching this movie. Regret putting it off for so long because it was great. 10/10 is a super high rating for me but I feel it deserves it based on all the different emotions it gave me throughout the movie. War Dogs had it all, some really funny moments, sad moments and I even felt anxious at times which never happens for me during movies. The fact that it's loosely based off a real story makes it that much better. I will strongly recommend this movie, It was very refreshing.
- jackspiceporter
- May 2, 2022
- Permalink
Miles Teller and Jonah Hill in a movie about international gun runners? Sign me up! Is what I was saying going into the film. Coming out was a different story. As is the story with many movies so far this year, 'War Dogs' is a boring mess of a movie. If you saw 'The infiltrator' or read my review you know I hated that film. And for the same reasons I hate that film, I hate this one. Except this one has the nerve to be nearly identical to the far superior 'Wolf Of Wall Street'. This movie hits all the same beats and story lines that Scorseses near masterpiece does. The difference between the two is that this one is neither funny nor entertaining to watch.
It is quite possibly one of the most dull, lifeless, boring films I have seen this year. Every time something funny or stressful could have happened it just cuts to another scene. Or, even more upsetting, ques up a voice over track from Teller. It blatantly skips over possible character building scenes in favor of out of place, lazy voice overs.
I don't think I would be lying when I say that there is more voice overs here than in 'Knight of Cups'. Which literally had not script. Why the choice was made to do this really comes down to laziness. There is no other reason to explain why it couldn't just let scenes play out. Not only was there countless voice overs that robbed scenes of tension, but it also did chapter kind of things.
Every twenty minutes or so a black screen with a sentence appeared on screen, describing what we were about to see. Just like the voice work, it didn't seem to have a point to it. It just felt like it didn't know how to transfer to the next scene so it threw in these random titles. They came from no where and served literally no purpose other than to tell you what was going to happen before it did.
But what was I expecting? Right from the first few scenes this film has jarring tones that clash with each other from scene to scene. The first shot of the movie is a tense scene involving a kidnapping and it cuts immediately to a stylized, scene with a pop song playing over top. It is a completely jarring tonal shift that is off and on through out the film. And, much like 'Suicide Squad' it has no idea how to place a song in a scene.
The songs it chooses are good on their own but, the scenes they are used in makes me hate them. All but maybe once were they used appropriately. It's sad that films have decided to just throw in pop songs to try and get a bigger audience instead of making a score that works in the film. It never helps the story move forward, they are all just kind of there.
That being said, nothing could have saved this story. As I said, it's exactly like 'Wolf of Wall Street'. But it's not near as fun nor does it have the interesting character study that 'Wall Street' has. It has Jonah Hill and Miles Teller furiously trying to make the dialogue they have sound organic. Yet, it's so poorly written that these Oscar worthy actors come across with little chemistry and sound like morons while doing it.
There isn't much that redeems this film. It's mostly well shot and these two performances aren't to bad. Other than that everything fails. It's poorly written, horribly boring, offers no interesting characters, and fails to deliver any comedic moments. It's one of those movies that thinks it's so much better than it is. It wants to be great and desperately tries to be but falls flat on its face.
It is quite possibly one of the most dull, lifeless, boring films I have seen this year. Every time something funny or stressful could have happened it just cuts to another scene. Or, even more upsetting, ques up a voice over track from Teller. It blatantly skips over possible character building scenes in favor of out of place, lazy voice overs.
I don't think I would be lying when I say that there is more voice overs here than in 'Knight of Cups'. Which literally had not script. Why the choice was made to do this really comes down to laziness. There is no other reason to explain why it couldn't just let scenes play out. Not only was there countless voice overs that robbed scenes of tension, but it also did chapter kind of things.
Every twenty minutes or so a black screen with a sentence appeared on screen, describing what we were about to see. Just like the voice work, it didn't seem to have a point to it. It just felt like it didn't know how to transfer to the next scene so it threw in these random titles. They came from no where and served literally no purpose other than to tell you what was going to happen before it did.
But what was I expecting? Right from the first few scenes this film has jarring tones that clash with each other from scene to scene. The first shot of the movie is a tense scene involving a kidnapping and it cuts immediately to a stylized, scene with a pop song playing over top. It is a completely jarring tonal shift that is off and on through out the film. And, much like 'Suicide Squad' it has no idea how to place a song in a scene.
The songs it chooses are good on their own but, the scenes they are used in makes me hate them. All but maybe once were they used appropriately. It's sad that films have decided to just throw in pop songs to try and get a bigger audience instead of making a score that works in the film. It never helps the story move forward, they are all just kind of there.
That being said, nothing could have saved this story. As I said, it's exactly like 'Wolf of Wall Street'. But it's not near as fun nor does it have the interesting character study that 'Wall Street' has. It has Jonah Hill and Miles Teller furiously trying to make the dialogue they have sound organic. Yet, it's so poorly written that these Oscar worthy actors come across with little chemistry and sound like morons while doing it.
There isn't much that redeems this film. It's mostly well shot and these two performances aren't to bad. Other than that everything fails. It's poorly written, horribly boring, offers no interesting characters, and fails to deliver any comedic moments. It's one of those movies that thinks it's so much better than it is. It wants to be great and desperately tries to be but falls flat on its face.
- Rendanlovell
- Aug 19, 2016
- Permalink
This film tells the story of a message therapist who goes broke because his business venture of selling luxury bed sheets does not work out. He is recruited by his childhood friend to make big money by bidding on military contracts.
"War Dogs" touches on a mysterious aspect of the world which is not often talked about. Therefore, the story is already intriguing, and I want to find out what happens to the two guys. What they do might seem questionable to some, and their subsequent success gives much food for thought. The ending makes you think and reflect on the fine line between right and wrong; and how people can get caught up in their successes. Another god aspect is that despite the subject matter, the story manages to be funny yet still remains dramatic enough to be taken seriously. I enjoyed watching it.
"War Dogs" touches on a mysterious aspect of the world which is not often talked about. Therefore, the story is already intriguing, and I want to find out what happens to the two guys. What they do might seem questionable to some, and their subsequent success gives much food for thought. The ending makes you think and reflect on the fine line between right and wrong; and how people can get caught up in their successes. Another god aspect is that despite the subject matter, the story manages to be funny yet still remains dramatic enough to be taken seriously. I enjoyed watching it.
Not the best film of the year and neither bringing anything new to the Biopic/Drama/comedy genre, but amazingly entertaining with characters that you can identify with, and lots of quotable one-liners. I definitely believe Jonah Hill's performance is going to be nominated for the Golden Globes for Best Comedic Performance. Efraim's unique laugh is practically another character; it's like the role was made for him.
Besides Jonah Hill's performance, Miles Teller doesn't get behind. Both actors have great chemistry between them, making the movie an enjoyable ride. Another thing that I loved was the soundtrack; for real, excellent song choices. Young viewers will find themselves wanting to be this couple of youngsters running for the millionaire contracts, strict viewers may not find anything plausible, but I'm pretty sure they will at least laugh a few times.
FINAL CONSENSUS: Committed performances and entertaining moments help to elevate this mild treatment about concerning real life stories.
Besides Jonah Hill's performance, Miles Teller doesn't get behind. Both actors have great chemistry between them, making the movie an enjoyable ride. Another thing that I loved was the soundtrack; for real, excellent song choices. Young viewers will find themselves wanting to be this couple of youngsters running for the millionaire contracts, strict viewers may not find anything plausible, but I'm pretty sure they will at least laugh a few times.
FINAL CONSENSUS: Committed performances and entertaining moments help to elevate this mild treatment about concerning real life stories.
- rafael_jaramillo_avellan
- Sep 10, 2016
- Permalink
Told in Scorsese-esque fashion, "War Dogs" follows two arms dealers and they go through the trials and tribulations of selling weapons to the U. S government and eventually the black market. This film looks like a modernized "Scarface", with its overaturated color palette and location set mainly in Miami. For starters this film looks quite good, but does have a digital sheen that can easily be noticed. These shots by Lawrence Sheer are hard not to appreciate visually. If you have problems with a film with a modern look, pass on this.
Teller and Hill are awesome and have a great chemistry as friends and business partners. I have to credit Hill for taking what could have been a two dimensional phony and making the character grounded and off kilter in the best of ways. Who can forget that laugh Hill created for the character? That was hysterical...
This is definitely one of those films where the females get side lined, so just go in knowing that you will only see Ana de Armas briefly. The script has times where it really works despite some characters being thrown to the side. Especially with its use of narration which I thought worked and clearly was paying homage to Scorsese's "Goodfellas" and "The Wolf of Wall Street". Todd Phillips knows how to direct comedy, and to be honest, the best bits in this movie are when the black comedy is working on all cylinders. I have to say though, this film leaves you cold intentionally with the central question of whether this whole adventure was even worth it or not by the end. Overall, I'd recommend this film to those who like movies about American greed and the schisms it can create in relationships.
Teller and Hill are awesome and have a great chemistry as friends and business partners. I have to credit Hill for taking what could have been a two dimensional phony and making the character grounded and off kilter in the best of ways. Who can forget that laugh Hill created for the character? That was hysterical...
This is definitely one of those films where the females get side lined, so just go in knowing that you will only see Ana de Armas briefly. The script has times where it really works despite some characters being thrown to the side. Especially with its use of narration which I thought worked and clearly was paying homage to Scorsese's "Goodfellas" and "The Wolf of Wall Street". Todd Phillips knows how to direct comedy, and to be honest, the best bits in this movie are when the black comedy is working on all cylinders. I have to say though, this film leaves you cold intentionally with the central question of whether this whole adventure was even worth it or not by the end. Overall, I'd recommend this film to those who like movies about American greed and the schisms it can create in relationships.
- mohnomachado
- Sep 5, 2023
- Permalink
The movie starts off narrated, interesting and very cohesive. They do a great job of introducing characters and foreshadowing what is later to come. The characters are very well developed and their relationship especially at the start is funny and light hearted. The acting is great if you like films like "superbad" and "neighbour's".
The plot itself is based off a true story and is really interesting from start to finish. The action is great with slight comedy here and there. It has very wolf of wall street vibes and is a thrill ride.
When Bradley Cooper gets involved there is a lot of mystery and suspense. You really don't know whats gonna happen and your interest becomes even greater. The contract part was extremely predictable. The ending was very weird, without spoiling it, someone goes to jail for what seems a really short amount of time considering the crime. Then someone gets given money which is somewhat satisfying. But you really don't get a feeling of revenge or justice.
Summary: Overall I was really surprised at how good this was. Its not just your average comedy. It has great characters, acting, story, and is a blast to watch. Highly recommended.
The plot itself is based off a true story and is really interesting from start to finish. The action is great with slight comedy here and there. It has very wolf of wall street vibes and is a thrill ride.
When Bradley Cooper gets involved there is a lot of mystery and suspense. You really don't know whats gonna happen and your interest becomes even greater. The contract part was extremely predictable. The ending was very weird, without spoiling it, someone goes to jail for what seems a really short amount of time considering the crime. Then someone gets given money which is somewhat satisfying. But you really don't get a feeling of revenge or justice.
Summary: Overall I was really surprised at how good this was. Its not just your average comedy. It has great characters, acting, story, and is a blast to watch. Highly recommended.
- skullhead739
- Jul 20, 2020
- Permalink
Jonah Hill and Miles Teller give great performances in this film based on a true story. Having been best friends in middle school the two meet up again at a funeral several years later. Miles Teller is a masseuse working for direction in life when Jonah Hill shows up in a nice car and a nice suit obviously very successful. he then review tomorrow that he has been working with his uncle purchasing contract and selling guns . At first Miles character A bit skeptical about getting involved but once he sees the money that they can make he quickly joins the team. They are enjoying making a ton of money and living a party lifestyle but once the biggest contract over their allies becomes available they have to do whatever it takes to make sure the deal gets done which involves reviewed the country I'm going to the Middle East . Bradley Cooper also gives a good performance in a small about crucial role . Jonah Hill got a well-deserved Golden Globe nomination, a good mix of action and comedy a must see for anyone who is fans of Jonah Hill or miles Teller.
Although many of the aspects of this movie are fabricated it's still a interesting look into the workings of the government, military, and privatized arms dealers.
- johnsmithjanuary-20081
- Aug 22, 2021
- Permalink
I enjoyed War Dogs. The film has Todd Phillip's visual style throughout that has been displayed in his previous films, which is a professional glossy feel. The acting went from just being OK to good as the film went on. The first act suffered the most, not only story wise but acting wise. As the film got going both aspects started to kick into gear.
The film reminded me a little of Lord of War for obvious story reasons but in tone reasons as well. I like learning about these type of situations and stories that seem to slip through the cracks of our observed society and to learn how these issues actually drastically affect our world society. War Dogs accomplishes this for me. The tone comes with a comedic and light heart-ed "fun" of the subject but it still brings a darker serious side as well, and when I left the theater it kept me thinking of how the world is and operators.
The film reminded me a little of Lord of War for obvious story reasons but in tone reasons as well. I like learning about these type of situations and stories that seem to slip through the cracks of our observed society and to learn how these issues actually drastically affect our world society. War Dogs accomplishes this for me. The tone comes with a comedic and light heart-ed "fun" of the subject but it still brings a darker serious side as well, and when I left the theater it kept me thinking of how the world is and operators.
- derek_hammeke
- Aug 20, 2016
- Permalink
If you like wolf of wall street, I believe you are gonna like this movie too, even though it not have all the funny moments. The plot is similar a nice guy (Teller) find a way to make money doing stuff located on the line of legal and illegal. The music was well chosen for every scene, acting (specially from Hill and Cooper) was outstanding. On the contrary if you though that Wolf.. didn't show enough all the people who suffer from their actions, and that the movie glorifies bad actions and the eternal search for money, you will not like this movie. It all depends in the end of your personal standards of what can be made fun of, and what subjects are too controversial (in this case, war, guns and arms dealers) to have a good time with.
- monismilan06
- Aug 26, 2016
- Permalink
Although this is based on a real story, my only issue is there's a lot of exaggerated Hollywood spins on things. But regardless, it was a fun and entertaining movie thats definitely worth the watch
- RobTheWatcher
- Feb 9, 2021
- Permalink
In 'War Dogs' we follow Miles Teller and Jonah Hill as two young men trying to make money from the war in Iraq by selling weapons to the US army. The movie is directed by Todd Phillips who is better known for the 'The Hangover' trilogy.
Right of the bat the movie tries to seem more clever than it actually is. Via a flash-forward that shows one of the main characters in a predicament the movie tries to create a sense of tension that would otherwise have been non-apparent. This quickly fades as the story is very predictable with characters that are not all that interesting considering their motives are never properly explained and very flimsy. Throughout the movie is some narration paired with title cards indicating different chapters. Most of the times the chapters do not seem any different which made these title cards unnecessary and it is clear they were just added afterwards in as a last ditch effort to make the movie more interesting. Halfway trough the movie almost comes to a grinding halt and from thereon out it never really manages to get the viewer's interest back.
The directing was very bland, considering not one scene was shot in a very interesting fashion. Often times it seemed as if the movie does not really know what it wants to be. Sometimes character's respond to a certain situation in a comedic fashion while other times the tone is shifted to a more serious one. Todd Phillips never really tries to mix in some of his own style and with another director the movie would've probably turned out roughly the same.
The only redeeming factor of the movie are the actors themselves as they did a decent job at portraying their characters, though ultimately not one performance was very memorable. In the end 'War Dogs' joins the 2016 collection of disappointing summer movies.
My rating: 4/10
Right of the bat the movie tries to seem more clever than it actually is. Via a flash-forward that shows one of the main characters in a predicament the movie tries to create a sense of tension that would otherwise have been non-apparent. This quickly fades as the story is very predictable with characters that are not all that interesting considering their motives are never properly explained and very flimsy. Throughout the movie is some narration paired with title cards indicating different chapters. Most of the times the chapters do not seem any different which made these title cards unnecessary and it is clear they were just added afterwards in as a last ditch effort to make the movie more interesting. Halfway trough the movie almost comes to a grinding halt and from thereon out it never really manages to get the viewer's interest back.
The directing was very bland, considering not one scene was shot in a very interesting fashion. Often times it seemed as if the movie does not really know what it wants to be. Sometimes character's respond to a certain situation in a comedic fashion while other times the tone is shifted to a more serious one. Todd Phillips never really tries to mix in some of his own style and with another director the movie would've probably turned out roughly the same.
The only redeeming factor of the movie are the actors themselves as they did a decent job at portraying their characters, though ultimately not one performance was very memorable. In the end 'War Dogs' joins the 2016 collection of disappointing summer movies.
My rating: 4/10