War Dogs - directed by Todd Phillips
Screenplay: Stephen Chin, Todd Phillips, Jason Smilovic
Comparisons with "The Wolf of Wall Street" are inevitable here.
Not for the presence of Jonah Hill but for the central plot similarities.
Based on a true story "War Dogs" is the tale of two friends who team up to get rich in the business of arms dealing.
They do so by lying, cheating, forging and taking stupid risks.
The movie starts in 2008 and then winds back a few years to play out the events that lead us there.
So, yes- in many ways this movie is "The Wolf of Wall Street" but with guns instead of stocks and bonds.
But that it where the similarities end and for "War Dogs" that is sad news.
Whereas Scorsese's movie featured several performances of note, at least two comedy classic scenes and a host of outrageous behaviours and events that made me laugh even as I was disgusted that people could be so callous and self centred.
"War Dogs" simply isn't that memorable.
The screenplay for "War Dogs" was based on a Rolling Stone article (and later book) about the real life men David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli.
They formed a company called AEY Inc. and took up US Government arms contracts.
Amazingly anyone could bid on these contracts and deliver weapons to the military forces.
In their early twenties then these two set up deals to provide arms and ammunition.
Much of what happens in the film out and out didn't happen in reality.
There is a lot of invention here.
Most notably the drive to Iraq that is featured heavily in the trailers is pure fiction.
Still- that is what 'BASED on real events' means and that is what this films opening frame announces.
And the main plot point - the purchase of millions of rounds of AK47 ammunition did in fact happen and it happened pretty much as the movie portrays it.
There is certainly enough material here to make an exciting, fun filled movies and the casting is spot on for it.
I wasn't going to highlight the similarities between Wolf and Dogs because in many ways it isn't really fair.
As good as Miles Teller is (in every film) he isn't quite a Leonardo DiCaprio (yet) in terms of his star power and screen charisma.
He is very good in "War Dogs" but there is very little depth to the role.
He is required to be likeable and get the audience on his side.
Teller can do this in his sleep.
As David Packouz you never get any real sense of what this guy is about or how far he will go.
He has a young wife (the stunning Ana de Armas) who is underwritten also.
The relationship is poorly defined and de Armas only has to look beautiful while she disapproves at the goings on.
When trouble arrives and the relationship suffers it is hard to be too invested as a result.
Jonah Hill was so good in "Wolf of Wall Street" largely because he had the right, well written material to enable the performance.
The screenplay for "War Dogs" gives him far less to do.
His character is basically a goofy laughing, impetuous douchebag who you know is going to screw up because it's just who he is (and several characters on several occasion throughout the movie tell us)
I enjoyed Bradley Cooper's performance far more.
He is a producer on this film too but his on screen performance is very interesting.
Cooper plays an arms dealer brought in to assist the two novices in putting together the ammunition contract.
He is super creepy with his blank stare from behind thick lensed glasses.
His appearances is of a man who is either drunk, stoned or both or at least recovering from a hard night of one or the other.
He is quietly intimidating - his intentions never clear.
It's a different role for Cooper and I was disappointed that it wasn't more substantial.
Likewise Kevin Pollak who doesn't remotely get to stretch his legs.
Pollak is great in everything that he touches and this could have been a blast of a role for him.
The main problem that "War Dogs" has then is that several movies have already done this and done it far better.
I would argue that for all of its faults Andrew Niccol's "Lord of War" is more successful in terms of pure entertainment.
There is a predictability to "War Dogs" that does it no favours.
I constantly wished that I was watching a documentary about the events.
The most fascinating story here isn't what happened but how it was allowed to happen.
It blows my mind that private citizens were allowed to be responsible for supplying vital arms and ammunitions to theatres of war.
The film touches on the politics and economics of war but frustratingly forgets these aspects immediately afterwards.
I like this film but I liked it for Teller and Cooper and the typically great scoring from Cliff Martinez.
It is forgettably enjoyable.
RATING: 71 / 100
CONCLUSION: Average but enjoyable this film lives well and truly in the shadow of the likes of "The Wolf Of Wall Street" and even "Lord of War"
Starring: Miles Teller, Jonah Hill, Ana de Armas, Bradley Cooper, Kevin Pollak, Dan Bilzerian, Gabriela Alvarez, Patrick St. Esprit, Jeremy Tardy, JB Blanc, Mosa Omari, Shaun Toub
Screenplay: Stephen Chin, Todd Phillips, Jason Smilovic
Music Score by: Cliff Martinez
Cinematography: Lawrence Sher
Cinematography: Lawrence Sher
Edited by: Jeff Groth
Running Time: 114 minutes
Language: English
Rated: R16 - Mild violence, profanity, drug use
Running Time: 114 minutes
Language: English
Rated: R16 - Mild violence, profanity, drug use
Comparisons with "The Wolf of Wall Street" are inevitable here.
Not for the presence of Jonah Hill but for the central plot similarities.
Based on a true story "War Dogs" is the tale of two friends who team up to get rich in the business of arms dealing.
They do so by lying, cheating, forging and taking stupid risks.
The movie starts in 2008 and then winds back a few years to play out the events that lead us there.
So, yes- in many ways this movie is "The Wolf of Wall Street" but with guns instead of stocks and bonds.
But that it where the similarities end and for "War Dogs" that is sad news.
Whereas Scorsese's movie featured several performances of note, at least two comedy classic scenes and a host of outrageous behaviours and events that made me laugh even as I was disgusted that people could be so callous and self centred.
"War Dogs" simply isn't that memorable.
The screenplay for "War Dogs" was based on a Rolling Stone article (and later book) about the real life men David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli.
They formed a company called AEY Inc. and took up US Government arms contracts.
Amazingly anyone could bid on these contracts and deliver weapons to the military forces.
In their early twenties then these two set up deals to provide arms and ammunition.
Much of what happens in the film out and out didn't happen in reality.
There is a lot of invention here.
Most notably the drive to Iraq that is featured heavily in the trailers is pure fiction.
Still- that is what 'BASED on real events' means and that is what this films opening frame announces.
And the main plot point - the purchase of millions of rounds of AK47 ammunition did in fact happen and it happened pretty much as the movie portrays it.
There is certainly enough material here to make an exciting, fun filled movies and the casting is spot on for it.
 |
| Miles Teller and Jonah Hill..... far right with Shaun Toub |
As good as Miles Teller is (in every film) he isn't quite a Leonardo DiCaprio (yet) in terms of his star power and screen charisma.
He is very good in "War Dogs" but there is very little depth to the role.
He is required to be likeable and get the audience on his side.
Teller can do this in his sleep.
As David Packouz you never get any real sense of what this guy is about or how far he will go.
He has a young wife (the stunning Ana de Armas) who is underwritten also.
The relationship is poorly defined and de Armas only has to look beautiful while she disapproves at the goings on.
When trouble arrives and the relationship suffers it is hard to be too invested as a result.
Jonah Hill was so good in "Wolf of Wall Street" largely because he had the right, well written material to enable the performance.
The screenplay for "War Dogs" gives him far less to do.
His character is basically a goofy laughing, impetuous douchebag who you know is going to screw up because it's just who he is (and several characters on several occasion throughout the movie tell us)
 |
| Bradley Coope and Ana de Armas |
He is a producer on this film too but his on screen performance is very interesting.
Cooper plays an arms dealer brought in to assist the two novices in putting together the ammunition contract.
He is super creepy with his blank stare from behind thick lensed glasses.
His appearances is of a man who is either drunk, stoned or both or at least recovering from a hard night of one or the other.
He is quietly intimidating - his intentions never clear.
It's a different role for Cooper and I was disappointed that it wasn't more substantial.
Likewise Kevin Pollak who doesn't remotely get to stretch his legs.
Pollak is great in everything that he touches and this could have been a blast of a role for him.
 |
| The real David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli - Packouz has a cameo in the movie singing a song |
I would argue that for all of its faults Andrew Niccol's "Lord of War" is more successful in terms of pure entertainment.
There is a predictability to "War Dogs" that does it no favours.
I constantly wished that I was watching a documentary about the events.
The most fascinating story here isn't what happened but how it was allowed to happen.
It blows my mind that private citizens were allowed to be responsible for supplying vital arms and ammunitions to theatres of war.
The film touches on the politics and economics of war but frustratingly forgets these aspects immediately afterwards.
I like this film but I liked it for Teller and Cooper and the typically great scoring from Cliff Martinez.
It is forgettably enjoyable.
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