Review of War Dogs (2016) by Ryan C — 06 Jan 2018

War Dogs, like many true story films, revolves around an interesting plot but is executed questionably. Narration, in general, is hit or miss for me but, then again, it's hard to say what a better alternative would be for relaying all of the necessary information.

Narration aside, the editing was constantly bogging the movie down. Freeze frames, slow motion, and montages were used in abundance. Also, most annoyingly, there were chapter titles(?) that would appear before each act that just consisted of a sentence a character would say in that act.

At least 70% of the movie seemed to be one of these forms of editing. The other 30% was Scarface references. I'm pretty sure a portrait of Scarface has as much screen time as Bradley Cooper. While I liked the homage as an influence on Jonah Hill's character, I feel like the director was borrowing a little too much from Scarface and Goodfellas, instead of just being inspired by them.

Classic rock was shoe-horned into scenes as shoddily as Suicide Squad and no one wants to be reminded of that sewage. Besides the editing choices, the film's story is so fascinating that it's hard not to be a little entertained or invested.

Plus, while Miles Teller does fine, Jonah Hill really brings life to his character and gives a good performance. So, story and performances keep the movie just interesting enough for viewers while fans of slow motion get a little more bang for their buck.