Dogs of War

Rating: Null/10 (5 June 2017)

Two childhood friends discover that there is money to be made as illegal arms dealers, but an atmosphere of distrust, basic human greed and the dangers of the Middle East get in the way in this vibrant comedy from Todd Phillips. The film is based on the experiences of two actual amateur arms dealers and with voice-over narration plus the presence of Jonah Hill, it is unsurprising that the film has been compared to 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. What made the Scorsese film such a ride though was the narration by a very charismatic Leonardio DiCaprio. Here though it is Jonah Hill, not Miles Teller, who is the charismatic one, and it is hard not to feel that 'War Dogs' would have flowed better with the deeply flawed Hill rather than the moralistic Teller narrating the tale. Tension also peters out somewhat towards the midway point, but the introductory scenes are great and the final 40 minutes are excellent as the plot takes a 'Social Network'-like turn with memorable quips like "you're just playing the part of my best friend". This final section of the film is in fact so strong, with the friendship between the pair really tested with so much money on stake, that it almost makes up for all other shortcomings. This is an unquestionably bumpy ride, but excellent chapter headings help pace the material well and Teller certainly holds his own even if Hill dominates every scene he is in.