With the
lackluster summer movie season winding down to a close, studios during
mid-August will tend to release at least one last comedy for audiences to feast
on. In the past films like Tropic Thunder and Superbad have thrived in this
period, bringing in lots of laughs and lots of money. Warner Brother hopes that
this summer is no exception to that rule with their new film from the director
of the Hangover, War Dogs. As a film,
this is a bit of a departure from what we have come to expect from director
Todd Phillips. This is not a straight comedy like The Hangover or Old School. This
film is what I imagine would happen if The Wolf of Wall Street, The Big Short, and
Lords of War all had a baby together.
Don’t get
me wrong, this film is frequently hilarious and there are several laughs out
loud moments throughout it. It has those
elements but there is more to it. As I was watching it, it reminded me of
fellow comedic director Adam McKay’s The Big Short. Like The Big Short, War Dogs
is very funny at points but also has a serious message and a point to get
across done in creative and darkly comedic ways. It’s great to see comedic directors expand
not only their filmography but also the type of material they cover. I wish that the film were as great as the
message. War Dogs is a fine film but it’s frustratingly not as good as it could
be.
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| We just came for the coffee and the hookers. |
Acting
wise, Jonah Hill steals the show. He shines as Efraim, a young man who is
willing to do whatever it takes to make money. His character in this film is
very similar to the character he played in Wolf of Wall Street. He is
gloriously despicable and makes for a compelling watch. Miles Teller is fine in the film but isn’t
given much to work with, as his character is not as out there as Jonah Hill. He
does a good job of playing this character but his performance in this doesn’t
have the same drive or humanity that his performances in Whiplash and The
Spectacular Now showed. The supporting cast also does a good job of keeping the
laughs and drama coming.
War Dogs is solid but it is a bit derivative for those who like Scorsese
or the other films I mentioned earlier. Visually, the film has some interesting
shots but doesn’t have a lot of visually variety. It looks like many of the type
of comedies that come out today. I imagine that there are some cool visuals
that could have been used but it seems like it is more focused on the comedic
elements. It also uses
a lot of elements from the Scorsese playbook to varying effects. There is a little
too much voice over usage in this film. It seems like it was tacked on to
explain things that the film does a fine job of explaining. The soundtrack in
this film is mostly good, although there are points where the music choice is a
bit on the nose.
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| That lap band surgery surely didn't work. |
Overall
though, War Dogs pleasantly surprised me. It is probably the best film Todd
Philips has made since the original Hangover. That sounds like faint praise but
I did enjoy this film quite a bit. I think this is a start for something new
for Todd Phillips and I would like to see him step out of his comfort zone
more. With some more polish and some more interesting choices, I think it could
really be a great film. As it is now, War Dogs is just a good comedy that
offers a lot of fun moments but won’t have the impact that the film’s it’s
replicating have had.
Score
-Liam S. O'Connor