War Dogs

It is alright to look at, but War Dags is still a terribly pointless film. The humour is surprisingly absent (given the comedy director) and doesn’t have anything else to offer in other aspects. In order to be the next Wolf of Wall Street or the next The Big Short (which have a similar premise, about cunts who become rich thanks to to being cunts), this film would need more interesting characters, a more surprising and original script, and a more polished style. (09/11/2016)

The film is reflecting the time it was made in and carries in a similar vein like Pain and Gain or The Wolf of Wall Street. There is action, there is drama, some American themes, they drop in a joke here and there and overall, the camera is pretty good, so it doesn’t let you get bored for even a minute and at the same time you are fully aware of the fact that you are not watching a cheap blockbuster, but rather a very good and effective American drama. The duo Miles Teller and Jonah Hill are a great fit in this one. While I have rather liked Miles as a person since the beginning of his career, I’m still not there with Jonah. But both of them have heavenly acting skills and the whole thing is under the patronage of Bradley Cooper, who has over the years evolved into the producer of this kind of films and into an actor who often plays supporting but important characters. He was once again flawless. Just a glimpse of him and every scene had a stamp of quality that significantly improved the whole film. (25/07/2018)

A decent comedy that turns into a drama and works. Now I know what to do when my girlfriend gets pregnant. The rather slow introduction and a few quiet sequences are a shame. If it wasn’t for Hill, the movie would be half-baked. The annoying, put-on laughter alone is Oscar standard. A good soundtrack. Screw the American taxpayer. (02/12/2016)

Pleasant one-off. Too politically correct and a bit simplistic, but as a sequence of funny scenes with the great acting tandem of Miles Teller and Jonah Hill, it's fine. If you don't see it, you're not missing out on anything groundbreaking, but as light entertainment that so peripherally winks at the absurdities of war conflicts, the fact that it's money laundering, and shows the "beauty" of Albania (and the fact that there are good businessmen there too), it's OK. (03/12/2022)

I am no longer surprised that Todd Phillips made Joker in the style of a Scorsese film, because he already has a similar take on War Dogs, and I have no problem imagining Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci playing the leads instead of Miles Teller and Jonah Hill in some other universe. It’s a fine film. Nothing groundbreaking, but fine. (19/09/2022)

If I were to run a percentage analysis of all the important formal elements, it would look something like this: originality: 20%; screenplay: 70%; direction: 70%; actors: 60%; soundtrack: 120%, and you can easily guess the result. You can still watch it with the same glee with which a hirsute bum looks at a leftover sandwich in a trash can, and some of the scenes are downright schmaltzy (the Kalashnikov test to the accompaniment of “Wish You Were Here”, for example), but this film should have been made fifteen years ago so as not to give the overpowering impression that all its key ingredients have already been used many times elsewhere. Despite the great criticism of the global arms industry and the war business, War Dogs is, first and foremost, just another film about the steep rise and subsequent fall of two ambitious young men, whose relationship is not analysed in much detail and is more or less for effect; unlike Lord of War, which was much more tightly focused and, after all, more formally interesting. Strong three stars should do. (10/02/2017)

This film was a nice surprise. I was expecting some sort of a slog which would end with a disgustingly melodramatic scene. Thankfully, it failed to deliver in this regard. I’m still shaking my head in disbelief at such a rare phenomenon. The film confirmed two well-established facts. Wars are fought for money, and secret service agents wouldn’t find anything even if it was staring them in the face. I was entertained throughout. (10/01/2017)

Jonah Hill is pretty fat in this one, but he's also pretty good. Miles isn't bad, but Jonah stands out. The story is interesting, among other things, because it actually happened. But it also shows what is possible in today's world. The question arises: is it even worth wanting so much money at any cost, or would simply being a masseur be enough? (09/01/2017)