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Some people take war very seriously—whether they’re fully supportive of a specific war or they’re actively protesting it. But to the two young characters in War Dogs, the only thing that’s really serious about the war in Iraq is the amount of money they’re making from it.
War Dogs tells the true story of a couple of twenty-something gun runners who find themselves in way over their heads. At 22, David Packouz (Miles Teller) is working as a massage therapist, trying to sell luxury bed sheets to retirement homes. But then his childhood friend, Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill), offers him a business proposition. Efraim is making a fortune selling military supplies to the Pentagon, and he wants David to join him. And what starts out as a small but incredibly lucrative operation quickly turns deadly.
If you’ve seen the trailer for War Dogs—and you’ve noticed that it was directed by Todd Phillips, the guy who made the Hangover trilogy—you probably expect War Dogs to be an outrageous comedy about a couple of twenty-something misfits who bite off more than they can chew as amateur arms dealers. But all of that is a little misleading. Though the idea behind the story is so ridiculous that it’s pretty comical, the film itself isn’t necessarily hilarious. The humor tends to focus on Efraim’s loud, rude, and often excessively foul-mouthed behavior—as well as on the trouble that he and David get into because of their inexperience and overconfidence.
Their story, meanwhile, takes a while to build. The film takes its time in introducing the characters, growing their business, and setting up the action. It’s certainly a fascinating (and truly unbelievable) story, offering an interesting perspective on war—but it’s not as action-packed and outrageous as you might think.
Hill is as obnoxious as ever as the gun-running mastermind. Efraim is that fast-talking friend who has a strange ability to talk anyone into anything. And Hill plays it up to extremes, making Efraim an entirely cringe-worthy character. Fortunately, there are plenty of other interesting (and likable) characters around him. And Teller gives the film a little bit of humanity in his role as David, the wide-eyed everyman who’s appropriately shocked and amazed and horrified by the things he experiences. So while isn’t nearly as wildly entertaining as it could be, it’s still an amusing journey through a different side of war.
If you’re expecting an over-the-top Hangover-like romp through Middle Eastern war zones, you won’t be entirely satisfied by this comic misadventure. But War Dogs is still good for some late-summer laughs.
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