Motss in turn mobilizes a group of publicity wizards including a pop songwriter, a costume designer, and a marketing genius. While we may feel fairly certain that the footage from the Gulf War wasn't actually filmed in a soundstage in Burbank, it's true that the press was given such limited and controlled access that the government effectively shaped the news coverage. But after the first half hour, the story moves from a fertile level of comedy to a less politically astute, less-sharpened form of satire. After a while it seems that what's being poked fun at isn't so much Washington as Hollywood, a slower moving and more heavily pocked target. A song is written.
Information is leaked.
By the end, the movie abandons its early promise and turns out to be obvious and predictable. It turns out that Wag the Dog is pretty simple itself. Tucson Weekly . Info Booth .