War Machine is a Netflix sci-fi military thriller directed by Patrick Hughes, who co-wrote the script with James Beaufort. The movie had a theatrical debut in Australia thanks to Roadshow Films.
An Army Staff Sergeant (Alan Ritchson) enters Ranger training as 81 after promising his brother (Jai Courtney) that he would do it before his sibling passes away. While he impresses Sergeant Major Sheridan (Dennis Quaid) with his physical prowess, it is clear that 81 suffers from PTSD. Sheridan tests him by making him the leader of a test mission with other trainees. When the trainees enter the mountains for their mission, they discover a deadly robot that seems to have one objective: kill them. 81 must lead his team through tough terrain so they can survive and make it back home.
Ritchson is getting a lot of screentime lately, and it is not a puzzle as to why. He is good at these tough-as-nails protagonists struggling with personal issues. He does that here and does it well. Sure, he is a bit muted in his performance, but it works for this particular role.
The rest of the cast is not very fleshed out. They are just there to react to Ritchson’s character. This includes Quaid, who is always fun to see, even with smaller roles like this one. He is never a bad call. Esai Morales also has a small but noticeable role, and I like it.
As for the plot, it does take a bit too long to get to the main objective, surviving a brutal robot that only wants to kill. While it is teased during the first act, it needed just a tad bit more to get you ready for the big reveal.
Outside of that, I did not hate it and, in fact, had a good time watching it. Our protagonist has to deal with his personal traumas while trying to help his team survive a threat they do not fully understand. From this perspective, it was a solid thriller with a lot of brutal action sequences and surprises along the way. I can say that it is not perfect, but it is still entertaining with its themes, plot, and characters.
I also liked how the sound engineering was done. With a movie like this, the component can be overlooked, but I felt that the sounds are what build the tension as 81’s unit tries to survive the robotic threat. And boy, does this robot feel like a threat, especially when you learn its origins.
Bottom line, War Machine is a military thriller with sci-fi vibes. Ritchson does a good job as the protagonist, and it has plenty of thrills.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Brutal violence, Some blood and gore, Strong foul language
FAVORITE QUOTES: You jam it hard enough, it chokes.
Check out the trailer below:
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