When it comes to war...America means business
A political satire set in Turaqistan, a country occupied by an American private corporation run by a former US Vice-President. In an effort to monopolize the opportunities the war-torn nation offers, the corporation's CEO hires a troubled hit man, to kill a Middle East oil minister. Now, struggling with his own growing demons, the assassin must pose as the corporation's Trade Show Producer in order to pull off this latest hit, while maintaining his cover by organizing the high-profile wedding of Yonica Babyyeah an outrageous Middle Eastern pop star, and keeping a sexy left wing reporter in check.
Genre(s): Action, Comedy, Thriller, War
Runtime: 107 minutes
Rating: 5.8/10 (9,939 votes)
Release Date: 28 April 2008
Country: USA
Languages: English, Hungarian
Company: New Crime Productions
Sound: Dolby Digital
MPAA: Rated R for violence, language and brief sexual material.
Director(s): Joshua Seftel
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Producer(s):
John Cusack - producer
Vic David - line producer: nyc
Doug Dearth - co-producer
Danny Lerner - producer
Grace Loh - producer
Mark Roper - associate producer
Les Weldon - producer
Katsuhiko Yoshida - co-producer
Writer(s):
Mark Leyner - (written by) &
Jeremy Pikser - (written by) &
John Cusack - (written by)
Cast:
John Cusack - Brand Hauser
Hilary Duff - Yonica Babyyeah
Marisa Tomei - Natalie Hegalhuzen
Joan Cusack - Marsha Dillon
Dan Aykroyd - Mr. Vice President
Sergej Trifunovic - Ooq-Mi-Fay Taqnufmini
Ned Bellamy - Ooq-Yu-Fay Taqnufmini / Zubleh
John McLaughlin - Himself
Montel Williams - GuideStar Voice (voice)
Ben Kingsley - Walken / The Viceroy
Music: David Robbins
John Cusack - producer
Vic David - line producer: nyc
Doug Dearth - co-producer
Danny Lerner - producer
Grace Loh - producer
Mark Roper - associate producer
Les Weldon - producer
Katsuhiko Yoshida - co-producer
Writer(s):
Mark Leyner - (written by) &
Jeremy Pikser - (written by) &
John Cusack - (written by)
Cast:
John Cusack - Brand Hauser
Hilary Duff - Yonica Babyyeah
Marisa Tomei - Natalie Hegalhuzen
Joan Cusack - Marsha Dillon
Dan Aykroyd - Mr. Vice President
Sergej Trifunovic - Ooq-Mi-Fay Taqnufmini
Ned Bellamy - Ooq-Yu-Fay Taqnufmini / Zubleh
John McLaughlin - Himself
Montel Williams - GuideStar Voice (voice)
Ben Kingsley - Walken / The Viceroy
Music: David Robbins
Posted on: May 4, 2008
November 22nd, 2008
John Cusack, co-produced, wrote, and starred in this black-comedy thatusing some hard edged dialogue, scenes with dark twisted humor thatmakes a strong statement about business and war. Besides one ludicrousand oddly dumbly idiotic scene of John Cusack's character running in abunker, the movie on the whole decently holds together in the face of arather risky script that boldly uses both drama and wry, intellectualhumor. John Cusack, sister Joan Cusack, Marisa Tomei, Hillary Duff, andBen Kingsley, Dan Aykroyd put together a commentary that easily couldhave blown up, but their sometimes weird, crazy characters along withwhat could be a more realistic stylized presentation of contemporarymilitary war conditions allows the audience to become immerse in boththe irony, hypocrisy at both the multi-national and personal individuallevel. Mr. Cusack has been able to capture the awful politicalovertones of military-industrial culture while allowing the humanelement to burn brightly (thanks to hot sauce). 8/10.
November 23rd, 2008
I wanted to see an action comedy with a satirical twist (as this filmwas touted) but this one failed me miserably. For me, the plot was abit confusing to follow and I rapidly lost interest. I feel so sorryfor John Cusack, Joan Cusack, Ben Kingsley, Marisa Tomei and HillaryDuff for getting involved with this movie. I'll remain a fan of all ofthem but only time can heal my feeling over this one. The one thing Ican say positively about the film is that Hillary played Yonica'scharacter so well that I didn't even recognize Hillary; it took me afew scenes to realize that it was her. Luckily I rented it for $1through Red Box; had I paid to see it in on the big screen, I would bereally fuming!!
November 28th, 2008
Quite possibly the worst movie that I have ever seen. When hasHollywood ever made a successful movie that attacked Republicans? Whydon't they learn. The Dixie chicks haven't. These Lefties live in theirown elite bubble interacting among themselves; oblivious to the factthat most of America is much further right than they are.
The best Hollywood productions are not partisan and are rarelypolitical at all.
Dan Akroyd's imitation of Cheney was bad.
I would have thought Cussack could have landed better movies.
It wasn't funny.
November 29th, 2008
With this cast and budget you will expect more.
John Cusack has made a number movies that border on the strange, yetstill work. Neither he, his sister, nor Sir Ben could do anything tosave this travesty of trite poorly written garbage.
The movie is nothing more than a series of sight gags and poor ones atthat. The plot goes nowhere, the writing is contrived, senseless andthe characters paper thin. If you think of a movie as being threedimensional where the story and characters bring a depth to theimagery, this stinker comes across as flat as steamboat mickey.
Dan Akroyd's appearance in this brought back memories of another trulyawful movie, 1991's Nothing but Trouble. Frankly this movie is the typeof project that kills careers and gets agents fired.
December 4th, 2008
By all accounts, "War, Inc." is an allegory for the current state ofthe world. Set in a fictional Middle Eastern country (a representationof Iraq) occupied…not by the US army, but by a private security firm(an obvious allusion to Blackwater). John Cusack is the star, but JoanCusack's character is the best in the movie.
Bill O'Reilly called this movie propaganda. He knows a thing or twoabout propaganda; he's the master of it. While the movie does have astrong political bend, it's taking a serious inspection of what's goingon in the world. Throughout the movie, the tanks and weapons areemblazoned with advertisements.
So I certainly recommend this movie. It's a real look at what war hasbecome. Also starring Marisa Tomei, Hilary Duff, Dan Aykroyd and BenKingsley.
December 6th, 2008
Haven't laughed this hard since TEAM America. Though it comes a littlelate in the day, as it were, WAR, INC. is well worth a look. (Andthere's always the possibility- keep them fingers crossed, kids- thatwe'll be bogged down in another pointless, bloody foreign war, 'foretoo much longer.) John and Joan Cusak both shine (her close-up tiradeinto a video screen has to be seen to be fully appreciated) and thewriting and the direction are likewise spot on. The sad part is thatthis movie makes more sense than the war itself (which, thanks tothings like the government imposed news blackouts that forbade even theshowing of the flag-draped coffins of American casualties, had mostpeople convinced there was, in fact, no war going on at all) (or hadthem thinking that the war was, in the words of both George Bush andSarah "Six Pack" Palin, "a Holy War"). Want to know what theRepublicans don't want you to know? Check out WAR, INC; it's as good aplace to start as any. (In this theocracy, anyway.)
December 27th, 2008
War, Inc. – Corporations take over war in the future and use a loneassassin Brand Hauser (John Cusack) to do their wet-work against rivalCEOs. A dark comedy satirizing the military and corporations alike. Itwas often difficult to figure out what exactly was going on. I keptwaiting for things to make sense. There's no reason or method to themadness.
It's considered by Cusack to be the "spiritual successor" to GrossePoint Blank. I.e., War is more or less a knock-off. We again see Cusackas an assassin protecting *spoiler* the person he's supposed to kill ashe grips with his conscience. To be fair, John Cusack looks kind ofcredible taking out half a dozen guys with relative ease. The brieffights look good. The rest of the film does not. It's all quirky oftenbordering on bizarre. War Inc's not funny enough to be a parody, andtoo buoyant for anyone to even think about whatever the film's messagemight be, which I suppose might be the heartless ways thatcorporations, like war factions compete and scheme without a drop ofconsideration given to how they affect average citizens. Interesting,but the satire just doesn't work because it's not funny and at itsheart the film has no heart. We're supposed to give a damn about howwar affects Cusack's shell of a character rather than the millions oflives torn apart by war.
John Cusack gives a decent performance. His character chugs shots ofhot sauce and drives the tiniest private plane but quirks are meant toreplace character traits. Marisa Tomei is slumming as the romanticsidekick journalist. There really isn't a lot of chemistry betweenthem. Hilary Duff tries a Russian accent and doesn't make a fool ofherself. Joan Cusack just screams and whines and wigs out. Blech. BenKingsley might have to return the Oscar if he doesn't start doling outa decent performance now and again. Pathetic.
It's not a terrible movie, but in the end you gotta ask "War, what isit good for?" Absolutely nothing. C-
January 3rd, 2009
Even the first 10 minutes of this movie were horrific. It's hard tobelieve that anybody other than John Cusack would have put money intothis. With a string of anti-military/anti-war movies already beingdestroyed at the box office, it's almost inconceivable that a studio ofany kind would want itself associated with this script.
At first, it may have seemed like some kind of politically motivatedderivative of Grosse Point Blank with Akroyd and Cusack(s) all overagain. But only about 90 seconds into the movie, it becomes obviousthat this is a talentless attempt at DR STRANGELOVE.
I liked so many of Cusacks movies that I thought I would risk seeingthe DVD of this one. I have to say that I don't know if Cusack is saneenough for me to even watch another feature starring him again unlesssomebody else can vouch for it. Cusack seems to be so irreparablydamaged by his hatred for George Bush and the Iraq war that he iswilling to commit career suicide. Tom Cruise was never close to beingthis far gone. Not even close.