War, Inc.

I almost skipped this one as a political annoyance until I saw the star power supporting it: Ben Kingsley, Marisa Tomei (a personal favorite), John Cusack, Joan Cusack, and more. That cast simply won't let a movie be bad. They couldn't if they tried.

Despite an apparent attempt to be ordinary entertainment, this one rises above all the usual categories. Do you want a cynical mockumentary of Haliburton-style war profiteering? Got it. Do you want pointed jabs at operations funded by Congress's "black budget?" Check. Do you want satirical assaults on simplistic sloganeering from every possible direction? It's there. Add in a babe like a pre-meltdown Britney but with hotter hotpants and a bucket of slapstick, and you're headed in the right direction. For example, a major character's name is "Uckmee Fay." Speakers of pig-Latin, please take note.

They set the tone from the very first scene. Chevy Chase delivers a "Mission Impossible" style of assignment to a high-class assassin, via video, while seated on American Standard's finest. Later, Joan Cusack shows up in the role that she has perfected - the prim, cheery, and murderous psychopath. There's a lot more, too. I laughed all through, even (maybe especially) when I knew that outrage would have been the "appropriate" response.

This one really grows on me the more I think about it. It doesn't whap you upside the head with humor, politics, or even its sappy moments. Instead, it tickles you with not-quite-too-much of social commentary, current events, goofy jokes, visual gags, and enough more to hold it all together. I liked it more a few hours later than when I walked out the door, and lots of movies have the opposite effect on me.

-- wiredweird, reviewing the theatrical release

PS: See it some time soon. The topical humor in this one might age badly unless the The Powers That Be keep providing background to preserve its freshness.

War Inc has an all star cast that includes John Cusack as Hauser a troubled assassin who has accepted a job of bumping off the figure head of a rival nation. To do this he must pose as a trade show coordinator hosting a Tamerlane Brand USA Expo in recently "liberated" country Turaqistan. On top of all this and with the help of his assistant (Joan Cusack) he has to juggle a headstrong reporter (Marisa Tomei) and the impending wedding of pop superstar Yonika BabyYea (Hilary Duff). War Inc is a film that will entertain a number of different audiences. On the surface the film plays much like a guy with girl troubles film but its the underlying theme that really makes it shine. Writers Mark Leyner, Jeremy Pikser and John Cusack weave a story that draws many parallels between what is happening on screen and in America today. One could easily view these larger than life characters as allegorical representations of the American Public, Capitalism, Big Business, Government, The Media...and so on. There is of course a good bit of the absurd, including but not limited to: fighting, licking and hotsauce drinking. Overall this film is ahead of its time for its candid statements about the geo political climate and its fun enough that you can still eat popcorn too. I hope you enjoy!

I've seen this when released and I would disagree with many of the reviewers who complain of the "disjointed" script. This movie is not confusing. It is extremely fast paced and can be watched several times to get all the jokes. The special effects are brutally effective and the underlying message very disturbing. The dark humor is right on, especially the bit where the Cusack's only friend is his Northstar roadside assistance system. The only complaint of the movie is how they fit Hillary Duff into the movie. It's a bit corny, but hey, it's Hollywood.

I came upon this movie by accident while I was visiting friends in Colorado (because, naturally, such a film won't be shown in ultra-conservative Georgia). I immediately fell in love with the dark humor and political satire as my favorite actor battled against his conscience, his bosses, and his hot sauce addiction. This movie is a fun watch for all, but particularly relevant to those of us who oppose the war. John Cusack hits it out of the park by finally saying what everyone's been too afraid to say. "War, Inc." is a MUST SEE!

As a fan of Cusack's since Gross Pointe Blank, I am glad to see him back as a kick-butting hit man. This time he's taken his comedic touch up a notch in my opinion, plus the message is so pertinent, that you just can't go wrong. Like most American's I too thought the war was a necessary move but due to mismanagement and bad leadership it has turned into an utter failure. Cusack uses this political satire to show audiences how we are exploiting the middle east and profiteering from this illegal war. A classic Cusack performance spliced wit hard-hitting political satire make this movie truly provocative, a controversial masterpiece.

I loved it. Take John Cusack, add 1 part Brazil and pour over Starship Troopers, and you've got a hilariously bizaare commentary on geopolitics and the industrial war machine.

Its dark, and I mean, almost navy. Its only downfall is its heaviness, and sometimes it and the metaphors are jammed down your throat a little too often, but the ensemble cast is actually phenomenal, with Ben Kingsley and even Hillary Duff doing a great job (I can't believe I typed that).

You will laugh, if you have a dark sense of humor and like smart comedy. This movie is very timely, with the rise of the military farming out their work to private security (who are portrayed to be the craziest of all the crazies in the movie). Its small wonder it tanked in the box office, but if you have a proclivity towards movies like Dr. Strangelove, you'll find this to be one of the better movies you watched this year.

WAR, INC. tries very hard to be a film of consequence - as though no one in this country has a clue of just how absurdly grotesque our military/corporate presence affects the countries we attack to help. The position is taken that corporate greed and manifold insanity is (surprise!) capable of taking over demolished countries and changing them into profitable adventures. That may be funny to some, but it has been written about and filmed and satirized so often that it is really yesterday's lunch.

Joshua Seftel directs this mélange with a semi-spacey, overly active pyrotechnics team and relies on a script by the oh-so-obvious committee quality pasted together by producer/writer/actor John Cusack and Mark Leyner and Jeremy Pikser. Despite all the noise and kitschy bleeps in taste the cast manages to keep our attention merely because they are as good as they are as actors: John Cusack with his ever-present drink of Tabasco sauce, Joan Cusack playing Joan Cusack very well, Marisa Tomei as probably the most convincing character despite the script, Dan Aykroyd as a stand in for Dick Cheney, and Hilary Duff in a surprisingly good potty-mouthed central role.

The jokes are old, the situation is not novel, the précis is sad - and if that makes for entertainment for you, then have at it. For this viewer it is one of the poorest scripts to be filmed in a long time. Grady Harp, October 08

This move is not funny in the least. It just goes to show you that famous names without a script or good story still leaves you with a WTF? feeling. Better yet Sam L. Jackson said it best "Just Cause you pour syrup on S_IT don't make it Pancakes" And that is what this is syrupy S_IT that they tried to feed our eyes and ears in the form of a movie. The action was below average even by low budget standards. The comedy was absent. The acting is an all time low save Ms. Tomie. Your are left with the feeling of somebody screwed you but forgot to include the fun part of the act. The story(if it can be called such a thing)is dumb as all outdoors. I have seen Bonus disc with more to offer than this feature film.I could have been doing something that offered me a chance at having more fun and excitement, like changing dirty diapers on an upset adult gorilla 2hrs after feeding, Or powerwalk a few miles in you "I LOVE U.S.A".in Afghanistan or Iraq. I guess you get the picture, just don't get this picture. It's the worst.

I have in the past really enjoyed John Cusack, but this movie was so vapid. The attempts at humor were predictable and droll, and the characters were just a reflection of John Cusack's image of them - very stereotypical. Obviously, not much thought went into this movie. Don't waste your money, go wash your hair or clean out your belly button, either would be more entertaining.

This 2008 film is a try at political satire that fails miserably. The premise is that an American Corporation runs the world. John Cusack is cast in the role of an assassin who follows the orders of his boss, an American ex-vice president played by Dan Aykroyd. After an opening scene which shows Cusack murdering three men in an Alaska bar, he is sent on his next mission, which is to assassinate a Middle Eastern oil minister. The country is a stereotype and there is never a dull moment because there are explosions everywhere. Hillary Duff is cast as a local superstar, Marisa Tomei is cast as an American reporter fighting for justice, and Ben Kingsley is one of the bad guys. Action is continuous but I just didn't care. And in spite of good performances by the cast I was bored throughout. Frankly I hated the film. It gets absolutely no recommendation from me whatsoever.