War Dogs is a good film that has some storytelling flaws, though all of them are very forgivable. It certainly brings about some much needed dialogue in regards to government spending and who the government is in bed with, but as a movie it entertains thanks to great main characters and good flow. Try this one out and go into it with an open, inquisitive mind.
It could have been obnoxious, obscene and nuts, but War Dogs was played safe. It worked much better.
Official Synopsis
Based on a true story, “War Dogs” follows two friends in their early 20s (Hill and Teller) living in Miami Beach during the Iraq War who exploit a little-known government initiative that allows small businesses to bid on U.S. Military contracts. Starting small, they begin raking in big money and are living the high life. But the pair gets in over their heads when they land a 300 million dollar deal to arm the Afghan Military—a deal that puts them in business with some very shady people, not the least of which turns out to be the U.S. Government.
Before we get into the review let me just say this, who knew it was so easy to get into bed with the United States military and government? I certainly didn’t, but this movie is a frightful tale of a whole bunch of things that we as citizens don’t know about our government and its actions. After watching this film, I’m sure as hell interested with how our taxpayer money is being spent.
Okay, off my soapbox, let’s dig into the review of War Dogs.
Director Todd Phillips has a knack for balancing humor and human when it comes to storytelling. This means that the man can keep the mood and humor light, but tell a good story at the same time that is impactful and serious. He doesn’t use over-the-top material, most times, to get a good chuckle or a good sentiment out of his audience. Don’t get me wrong, there are occasional dick jokes, but nothing as wild as what you would see in something like a Farrelly brothers’ film. Anyway, Phillips took a serious true story about two men trying to scam the military system by winning an insane arms dealer contract and made it something humorous, scary and endearing. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its flaws, but it’s more positive than negative.
The first act introduces us to our main players. David Packouz (Miles Teller) is a down and out massage therapist that spends the better part of his afternoons messaging perverted rich men. He hates his job, but has to make money in some form to help with the impending birth of his first child. He even goes as far as to try to sell high-quality sheets to retirement homes, which no one buys. Just as things are getting to their worst, Packouz runs into an old friend, Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill), who wants to rekindle a long-lost friendship by offering Packouz a job in arms dealing. Desperate and money hungry, Packouz accepts.
The first act does a good job of laying things out there, though doesn’t do a good job of explaining Diveroli’s business, AEY, and how it was incepted. We get some minor details of maybe how it all started, but nothing solid. I want to know how AEY got off the ground and how it got so deep into the military’s pockets so quickly. The process is either incredibly easy or Phillips simply didn’t feel like getting into it. Regardless, I wish a bit of time had been spent on how it was formed and established so quickly. Hell, a flashback montage would have done the trick.
Now, having said that, I did enjoy how each character was quickly and properly developed through more actions than words. There is a scene with Diveroli purchasing weed and then scaring the hell out of the dealer because the dealer to welch on the transaction. This one scenes was a great piece of groundwork for Diveroli’s character development. It really showed his irresponsibility, toughness and his ability to think on his feet, which becomes AEY and ultimately his friendship with Packouz undoing. Packouz’s development was equally as impressive. We get through his actions with his wife that his family means more to him than anything else and that he works hard to provide for them. Both characters were drawn up through actions and a small bit of dialogue in act one. Phillips is fantastic at such things.
Act two starts off fast and furious. AEY goes through some quick growing process through several minor military contracts that lead up to the major one that is the crux of the story, which is millions of bullets sold to the military for allies in Afghanistan. While short in substance, act two does establish how dangerous the job can get for the duo through their first big sale of guns to the army in Iraq. Packouz and Diveroli have to go deliver guns to Iraq before they get blacklisted from doing business with the military. This moment in act two is long, but worth it because it does establish the danger of being an arms dealer and what risks the duo is taking to make their mark and money. As act two starts to wrap, AEY gets big quick and the pair find themselves as owners of a 300 million dollar contract and involved in a raw deal to obtain a lot of Chinese bullets from the Albanian government to fulfill that contract. It’s a pretty intense deal with multiple facets of failure than could and do occur.
Act two was well done. It felt like it was proper growth for the characters and the business, though it was a bit quick for my storytelling taste. Phillips and crew did a great job of showing how money can and will change things in regards to relationships, both personal and business, as well as giving a good indicator on how Packouz and Diveroli were in over their head. The second act also does a decent job of separating Packouz and Diveroli’s friendship, which leads into act three. There is a lot of uncertainty and distrust in the second act, especially when creepy Henry Girard (Bradley Cooper) shows up to help broker the Afghanistan deal with the boys. Loved that about the second act, as it felt right for paranoia to set in a bit with the main players as things get too big, too quick for them.
In true Digitalchumps.com fashion I will not be discussing how the third act resolves itself. I will say that I expected a bigger and better bang for the situation that act two sets up, but what comes out of it is anti-climactic at best. I do understand that this is a true story and not every story told ends with a crescendo-esque disaster, but I wanted just a bit more intensity out of it. C’mon, Hollywood! Hollywood it up!
Overall, War Dogs is a good film that has some storytelling flaws, though all of them are very forgivable. It certainly brings about some much needed dialogue in regards to government spending and who the government is in bed with, but as a movie it entertains thanks to great main characters and good flow. Try this one out and go into it with an open, inquisitive mind.
In regards to special features, here’s what you’re looking at:
– General Phillips: Boots on the Ground
– War Dogs: Access Granted
– Pentagon Pie
Interesting stuff, but nothing groundbreaking. It does add some substance to the film, though, but not a tremendous amount.
