Fair, and barely that

Rating: 6/10 (23 January 2006)

This is the kind of film that makes me not think much of Nicolas Cage. The film has such promise, but in the end it just comes up very short. The basic story is fine (and, at the end, the credits state that it's based on true events). It's Nicolas's acting that gets in the way. He just isn't cut out for this type of part. In this film, he sells guns, but doesn't use them. And that's all wrong for Nick. The rest of the cast is pretty decent so it's Cage that's holding it back. Cage becomes very successful at selling arms and staying just one tiny (sometimes comically so) step ahead of the Feds. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are very interested in his dealings. The film actually tries to show that most of these weapons end up in the hands of villagers or warlords who then slaughter villagers. It shows that the arms dealer, who sees some of the violence wrought by his wares, is able to distance himself from it. The one decent thing that this film has going for it is that fact that, at the end of the film, Yuri still hasn't seen the error of his ways and is still in business. Had this film starred someone other than Nicolas, I probably would have liked it much better. I gave it a 6.