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List Price: $28.98 | | Label: FIRST LOOK PICTURES
Salesrank: 2449
Released: October 14, 2008 |
| Our Price: $13.00 |
| Used Price: $5.90 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Recreating his role as a hitman, John Cusack gives a hilarious performance in War, Inc., a political satire set in Turaqistan, a Country occupied by an American private corporation run by a former U.S. Vice President (Dan Aykroyd). In an effort to monopolize the opportunities the war-torn nation offers, the corporation's CEO hires Hauser (Cusack) to kill a Middle Eastern 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 (Hilary Duff), an outrageous Central Asian pop star, and keeping a sexy left-wing reporter (Marisa Tomei) in check.
Description of War, Inc.:
A wobbly mix of violence and sentiment, War, Inc. takes up where Grosse Pointe Blank left off. A conscience-stricken killer in the previous film, producer/co-writer Cusack now plays an international assassin. In Joshua Seftel's political satire, corporations operate like governments. In the volatile nation of Turaqistan, Cusack's hot sauce-addicted Brand Hauser sets his sights on Omar Sharif--the oil baron, not the actor (it's never clear why this is meant to be funny). As a cover, Hauser passes as the producer for an economic trade show with fellow operative Marsha (Joan Cusack) acting as his assistant. Trained by Southern smoothie Walken (Ben Kingsley) in his CIA days (depicted though flashbacks), Hauser now takes orders from an oily CEO (Grosse Pointe co-star Dan Aykroyd). Offing Sharif, however, turns out to be harder than expected. Hauser's obstacles include left-wing journalist Natalie Hegalhuzen (Marisa Tomei) and foul-mouthed pop tart Yonica Babyyeah (Hilary Duff, erasing innocent images of Lizzy McGuire). Cusack and his crew come up with a few clever ideas, but too many crass gags blunt their thesis about military contractors run amok. Pitched somewhere between Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove and Mike Judge’s Idiocracy, War, Inc. registers as more of a miss than a hit. On the plus side, Cusack and Tomei have a snappy rapport; it's the more over-the-top performers who look out of place, especially Ms. Cusack and Kingsley, though the latter's deft turn as a boozy hit man in the overlooked You Kill Me almost makes up for this misfire. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
War, Inc. Reviews:
Not Funny and Not "Smart" 
2008-12-01 - Ok, just because this movie bashes the Bush administation doesn't make this a "smart" movie.
This is a "bad" movie.
it reminded me of a mix between the awful "Southland Tales" and the horrible "Home of the Brave" - except worse, because I had to shut this off not even half way through.
You'll Love It or Hate It: Grosse Point Goes to Iraq on LSD 
2008-11-17 - Most people will NOT enjoy this movie, but a select few will find it provocatively funny. War, Inc. is an almost surreal blend of Dr. Strangelove, Grosse Point Blank, Fargo, Apocalypse Now, and a cerebral National Lampoon movie (if such a contradiction in terms were possible... imagine Animal House Goes to Iraq). Don't bother if you're annoyed by convoluted subplots backfilled by indiscriminate flashback scenes, or looking for a good laugh in a light romantic comedy.
Despite an all-star cast (John Cusack, Marisa Tomei, Hilary Duff, Joan Cusack, Ben Kingsley and Dan Akroyd), War, Inc. will fall flat for most people. Set in a fictional third-world Islamic country, this satire of the American military-industrial complex is a blatant backdrop for further jabs at the Cheney/Halliburton/Blackwater junta. John Cusack's ability to write some of the cleverest dialogue in modern cinema allows his character to be interesting and sometimes brilliant, (especially when interacting with Marisa Tomei and Hilary Duff). Good acting and interesting dialogue will not be enough for the average viewer to enjoy this film. Offensively hilarious scenes (a chorus line of local war amputees on prosthetic legs) will either leave the viewer rolling on the floor or slack-jawed in revulsion.
There's something reminiscent in War, Inc. of the failed 1983 film, Deal of the Century, another satire of the military industrial complex with a great cast (Chevy Chase, Sigourney Weaver and Gregory Hines). Unlike the mediocre Deal of the Century, Cusacks' newest film is more like Fargo in the sense you'll either love or hate it; but unlike Fargo, I think the vast majority of viewers will fall on the wrong side of getting the punch line. Like a Big Mac, this film blends a lot of different ingredients together (perhaps too many), and like a Big Mac, you'll either be delighted or disgusted... which is why I gave it 3 stars, because you'll give it either 1 or 5.
You'll like this movie if:
You prefer watching Dr. Strangelove or Grosse Point Blank after a six pack or some mind-altering substance.
You'll dislike this movie if:
You want a straightforward laugh, are looking forward to Hilary Duff reprising her usual rolls, can't stand political satire, or are expecting a repeat of Grosse Point Blank.
Worst Cusack movie ever
2008-11-12 - You get the point 5 minutes in. Zero funny, 100% boring. A very painful movie.
Funny in a different way 
2008-11-07 - This is not so much a laugh out loud movie as it is a smirk and giggle movie. It is thoroughly entertaining if you accept it for what it is, a parody or satire. I always like John Cusak as a hit man for some reason, Hillary Duff making fun of popstars is somehow fitting and for the first time, I found myself wanting to smack something other than her face. She really is FINE in this movie and funny to boot. I am a contractor myself and making fun of the way we are privatizing war and companys like Halliburtan is always good fun! I bought it, you may want to rent it first.
If you want to think and laugh, too...try watching this.
2008-11-07 - This film was awakening, so I must give them a thumb up for trying so hard to be a part of the War in Iraq and the presidential elections, while really being a political satire moving into the mainstream of comedy in the media by challenging reality with metaphorical drama. If there were a sequel, I think that John (Brand Hauser) and Marisa should have a baby so that Hilary (Kara)can have a sibling since not everyone likes being an only child. Either way, I think John Cusack is learning more about what he can do in film and how people react to him. He also made a record by not paying for advertising or marketing and using almost only MySpace. You can read from him and his brother William Cusack online at Huffington Post about political views.
