Exceeded my expectations

Rating: 8/10 (5 January 2017)

I wasn't too sure what to expect going in to 'War Dogs'. I had put off seeing it for a while. The trailers hadn't really done a lot for me. I'm a huge Jonah Hill fan, but Miles Teller I could take or leave. Todd Phillips in the director's chair is almost always a sign of quality though, so I knew I'd get around to seeing it eventually. I finally got around to it tonight and now I regret waiting so long. What a great movie.
Firstly, it finds the perfect balance between comedy and drama. If anything it probably leans more towards the dramatic side of things, however there are plenty of laughs, mostly thanks to Hill's terrific comedic timing. Secondly, what I had feared might be a bit of a bland story actually works very well. It's simple enough to appreciate and never strain your brain over, yet complex enough to be fascinating due to it being based on a true story. It reminded me a lot of 'The Wolf of Wall Street', simply minus all the sexuality that film contained.
I can see the argument being put forward that none of the characters were likable, but it's not a film that's ever trying to make them likable either. The film doesn't need us to root for them, it simply wants to take us on their journey. Other than that I can't see a lot of areas that you could poke holes in this film. It's well-directed, well-acted, well-written and just an all around fun time to be had.