generally entertaining, but overly familiar territory...

Rating: 6/10 (19 February 2006)

If it were the only film of its kind, "Lord of War" would probably play out a lot better than it does; not to say it's a bad film--not in the least. The semi-factual story is suspenseful, engaging, dramatically convincing, and occasionally witty. Writer-director Andrew Niccol's tale revolves around Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage), a Ukranian who emigrates to America only to discover his true calling lies in supplying arms to third-world countries; Jared Leto plays his coke-addict brother, who provides an occasional assist; Bridget Moynihan is Yuri's trophy wife; the underutilized Ian Holm is a fellow dealer; and Ethan Hawke enters periodically as a persistent Interpol agent out to apprehend Orlov. With a fine cast and a lot of stunning visual ingenuity, Niccol has a seemingly infallible formula for success. Unfortunately, "Lord of War" quickly reminds us that we've been down this road before, joining such embellished, voiced-over productions as "Goodfellas" (a young man's rise to Mafia power) and "Blow" (a young man's rise to international cocaine dealing) as a moralistic, 'rags-to-riches-through-illegal-means' story with a script that just isn't distinguished enough. The sentimental material between Orlov and his wife could have easily been excised, as it feels contrived and unnecessary (I would have preferred more time spent with the characters played by Leto and Hawke). As it stands, "Lord of War" is a sleek, interesting thriller with great visual flair and fine performances, but all too quickly becomes self-indulgent as it putters toward the 2-hour mark.