Review: 'War Dogs' resonates with all entrepreneurs
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 114 minutes (~2 hours)
“War Dogs” is a crime dramedy that’s based on the exploits of arms dealers Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz as they exploit the military procurement system of the US. It stars Johan Hill (Efraim Diveroli), Miles Teller (David Packouz), Ana de Armas (Iz), J.B. Blanc (Bashkim), and Bradley Cooper (Henry Girard). It is rated M-18.
“War Dogs” is for anyone who’s ever been in a start-up and used GEBiz (Government Electronic Business) for government contracts. The similarities between the American military procurement system and GEBiz are striking (then again, perhaps all government procurement systems are equally similar) and so is the system for choosing bids (ie, costing trumps all other factors when it comes to determining the winning bid). It’s the story of a pair of opportunistic young men who get in over their heads, and will resonate with all business owners.
Highlights
The entrepreneurial aspect
What makes “War Dogs” so endearing is the sheer enthusiasm and gung-ho exhibited by the two main characters. Their youth and excitement at being able to punch above their weight class is infectious, and their palpable exuberance is what drives the show forward. Their personal struggles, their bravery in going into literal unfamiliar territory, and their increasing inability to handle the size of their business is a story for all entrepreneurs to heed.
The war dogs are underdogs
The titular “War Dogs” (a term for bottom feeders of the military procurement system of America) are also underdogs, since they’re operating on laptops out of a shady office. But because they’re so earnest in their business, we can’t help empathising with them as they beat out larger corporations for bigger and better jobs. They might fail at any time thanks to a multitude of factors, and their raw eagerness is what pushes them through to success. Though what they’re doing is illegal, we can forgive that when we see their sincerity (or at least, forgive it for David, Miles Teller’s character).
Honour among arms dealers
There’s a sense of honour among thieves in the film. This may be the world of semi-illegal arms dealers, but when it comes to paying debts and doing what’s right by the people who have helped you, most will come through. The film ends on a bittersweet note, showing us that there is, indeed, honour among arms dealers.
Dark humour
Ephraim (Jonah Hill) and David are in a harsh, unforgiving trade, but the film has them take it in their stride, lightly mocking the sometimes life-threatening situations they find themselves in. They make their money off war, but not once do you feel that they’re profiteering off misery. It’s this casual, light-hearted tone that makes their devious industry palatable to the audience, resulting in a darkly humorous tone for the film.
Letdowns
A transparent villain
Unfortunately, the bad guy of the piece does his heel face turn rather abruptly, necessitating on the nose dialogue to fill in the exposition for his motivation. He seems like a rather cliched choice to have as the final antagonist of the movie, and he ends up being the weakest link in the film.
“War Dogs” is a fantastic film that will most likely be one of the underdogs of 2016.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes!
Should you watch this more than once? Nah.
Score: 4.0/5
“War Dogs” opens in cinemas:
- 1 September, 2016 (Singapore)
- 24 August, 2016 (Philipppines)
Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. He Tweets/Instagrams at Optimarcus and writes at marcusgohmarcusgoh.com. The views expressed are his own.
