War Inc A Protest Film Of A Different Sort
By Yahoo! Shopping User Oct 27, 2008
Pros: The movie does have plenty of comedy throughout.
Cons: The material being dated, this is another in a long list of war themed movies that will fade into the annals of film history.
John Cusack has never been known for doing big time, major name blockbusters. That applies even to his rom-com's. War, Inc. is no different. Cusack made it almost painfully clear what he was doing in both producing and helping write this story. I...t is a satire that pokes fun at Dick Cheney, Haliburton and the general conflict in Iraq. It's no coincidence that Hauser (Cusack) goes to a country called Turaqistan to kill one of the country's most infamous men. It's also no coincidence that this movie came out in a time of political strife. What is ironic is that while it came out in a time of political strife, it hit theaters--and now DVD--with very little fanfare. That could be chalked up to any number of reasons. Perhaps the studio was wary of the potential reaction it would get, and the potential for backlash against Cusack, considering the level of respect he has earned in his career. The primary storyline aside, there are at least two more storylines in this movie. One of them is the ever-present, underlying romance subplot. This time, Cusack's leading lady is played by Marisa Tomei. Tomei plays a very strong willed journalist who has made her name by railing against the occupation, Westernization, and corporitization of Turaqistan. She believes Hauser to be all for everything going on in the country. That is before she discovers that his identity in question is just a cover. Along with Tomei's character, is that of Yonica Babyyeah (Hillary Duff). Yes, that's actually her name. Yonica is made out to be a Middle Eastern pop star a la Britney Spears. When she, Hauser, and Hauser's love interest get together, this develops a third storyline in itself that actually manages to weave itself successfully into the rest of the movie. One could probably guess what happens with the trio. But for those who want to see this movie, and haven't seen it yet, that won't be revealed. This movie is obviously dated, what with the references to the Middle East conflict, Haliburton, and Cheney. That is going to hurt the movie in the long run. Maybe that is another reason that the movie received so little publicity. It is another movie that, while it is funny, will fade into the annals of film history because it is dated. It will be just another number in John Cusack's body of work. Because of that, the enjoyment may fade over time unlike many of his other works. War, Inc. is not the first entertainment outlet that protests everything going on in the Middle East. It could have received so little publicity for any number of reasons. Maybe it was to protect Cusack's reputation. Maybe it was just because the studio knew that if people saw a trailer in theaters for another protest movie, they wouldn't want to see it. That could be becaue they believe people are burned out on all the news about the war. Either way, perhaps it is best that this movie received so little publicity. In doing so, it has managed to be successful, while staying under the radar, much like so many of John Cusack's movies despite knowing it will likely be forgotten in time as just another modern war film. Read more Less
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