I have said before that it is absolutely possible for a film to be both smart and entertaining; two things can be true at the same time. However, I should clarify that when I say a movie can be “smart,” I don’t necessarily mean it has to be entirely intellectual (although that doesn’t hurt either.) For me, a “smart” movie is one that retains the necessary elements for a compelling narrative (sympathetic characters, an overarching theme worth investing in, a clever and insightful story, etc.) rather than relying upon spectacle and awesome presentations. Some prime examples include films like Robocop and Demolition Man: movies that have all the desired goods for invigorating entertainment, while containing all the required elements for proper storytelling, and offering at least a little bit of intellectual stimulation with clever commentary and insightful ideas.
Todays subject, Netflix’s War Machine, is a film that might have joined the pantheon of other smart movie classics, were it not for its seemingly laser-focused desire to be less like of a narrative film, and more like a military recruiting video that happens to resemble a proper movie. While I do, and always shall have, the utmost respect and admiration for the armed forces, I cannot, in good conscience, give a pass to what feels like aggressive propaganda, no matter how fantastical the presentation. Even the parts that do technically work and deserve proper recognition do not overshadow the overall disappointment that is Netflix’s War Machine!
The story follows recruit #81 (Alan Ritchson), going through the intense training regiment for becoming an Army Ranger and, in the process, hopes to find closure for an unfortunate past incident. The final test for recruitment plops him and his fellow potentials on a simulated mission, wherein they must destroy a downed aircraft, rescue a hostage, and return to base. Things take a sharp turn when they stumble upon what they assume is their target, only to discover that it is a highly advanced bipedal alien tank, which begins mercilessly slaughtering all living things it can find. Now in a fight for their very survival, #81 must take on the leadership role he had been avoiding to guide his fellow recruits to safety, and warn others of this impending threat. That is, of course, assuming they can survive against a heavily armed alien tank with no weapons of their own and severely limited resources.
The greatest problem with this film is that it spends too much time beating its chest with uber macho military bravado, while only providing the absolute minimum of necessary narrative navigation. Sure, the protagonists troubled past is sympathetic, and the attempts at building a character arc are there, but none of it is executed well enough, nor given proper time for development to have any kind of significant impact. Not to mention, at least some of the narratives issues could have easily been fixed if some of the events were depicted in a different order.
The only saving grace for the film is the leading man, Alan Ritchson, who apparently did many of his own stunts and successfully pushed himself as hard as possible to deliver the best kind of performance expected for a movie like this. While I have no doubt that Mr. Ritchson has talent and potential, I genuinely hope to see him in something that doesn’t spend more time taking advantage of his gladiator-like physique, and actually allows him to play a character. The roles he has had up to this point have served his known abilities well enough, but I want to see this guy do something outside of military-oriented stuff. He’s got charisma; he needs a worthwhile story to tell.
Netflix’s War Machine is predictable, unimaginative, one sided, and offers nothing substantial to its genre, nor the talents of its leading man. While there are some decent moments scattered throughout the film, they are few and far in between, and only serve to highlight all of the films inexcusable flaws. If you must watch a movie that showcases what being in the armed services can mean and why it’s worthy of appreciation, go watch Act of Valor from 2012. It may have all the clichés of most military movies, but it utilizes them in a significantly better way. Plus, it stars actually active (at least at the time) Navy Seals.
Skip this one entirely!
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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