Thanks to the internet age, it’s now easier than ever for an average person to get mixed up in big business, as long as they know what websites and online stats to look for. THE WOLF OF WALL STREET told the story of Jordan Belfort, who found a way to cheat the stock market system by trading on junk stocks in bulk, making millions by moving around pennies. The new movie WAR DOGS deals with another real life story that’s not much different, in which two young men become arms dealers by swooping in on the overlooked smaller items the United States military still pays top dollar for. Instead of penny stocks, it’s bullets and guns instead of tanks and vehicles… there’s some easy comparisons between the two films, outside of the very obvious fact that Jonah Hill stars in both.

Set about ten years ago, the story opens introducing us through voiceover to David Packouz (Miles Teller), a failed entrepreneur who invested his life savings in comfortable blankets he can’t sell, so he’s settled for being a massage therapist for rich folks in order to make ends meet. His significant other Iz (Ana De Armas) also happens to be newly pregnant, and David realizes his current job isn’t going to cut it. While attending the funeral of a friend, he runs into his childhood buddy Efraim Diveroli (Hill), and the two spend some time catching up. Efraim informs David he’s in the business of dealing under the radar supplies to the U.S. military, and is making good money doing so. He offers David a chance to be a partner, which is tricky since Iz wouldn’t approve of this line of work based on personal reasons. But with a baby on the way, Packouz eventually gives in and quickly finds himself deep in the arms race. As the two young men find more and more success, they also find themselves taking bigger risks, and David starts to feel like he alone is dealing with the most dangerous side of it.

WAR DOGS is directed by Todd Phillips, who is most famous for THE HANGOVER trilogy. The end result is an interesting mix of shocking comedy with Martin Scorsese-like drama, all while handling material we know should be more disturbing than entertaining. It’s a fascinating sort of experiment as a movie, since the protagonists are anything but heroes or even admirable men, though Teller’s role tries to find elements of redemption. With stories like these, it’s a given that things probably aren’t going to end well for the leads, so the draw is the journey that gets them to the final moments. Ultimately the film is quite engaging and well told, although at times it feels longer than it actually is. Jonah Hill draws on other characters he’s played to find a nice balance of humorous buddy and disgusting loser in playing Efraim Diveroli. He’s not a likable guy at all, but there’s still qualities about him that make you understand how he could become an unlikely friend or business partner. Teller shines as Packouz, the sort of hapless everyman who finds himself unwittingly getting dragged down further and further, all while hoping things won’t continue to get out of control. We can see ourselves as him, doing what we have to just to get by, perhaps not considering the consequences of those actions in the moment. And while Hill may be the biggest thing on the poster and most prominent in the trailers, this is very much Teller’s movie, as he has the most screen time and biggest presence in the script – his running voiceover alone gives him the most dialogue. Ana De Armas turns in a standout performance as Iz, David’s put upon wife who keeps trying to be the voice of reason, and never seems to want or need the sudden success her man has achieved in order to maintain her love for him. Bradley Cooper has a small but spread out role as a big dog arms dealer who shows up later in the film to assist our two leads in a seemingly impossible deal. It’s a slimy and dark turn for the seasoned actor, and while it works and fits nicely in the production one can’t help but wonder if it was written for a bigger and perhaps older name (like a Robert De Niro or someone similar). There’s also a nice supporting performance from Kevin Pollak, who is a welcome face in a production like this.

Movies like WAR DOGS come along every few years, and they usually play out in such similar fashion you can almost guess the next scene before it happens. LORD OF WAR, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, PAIN & GAIN, those types of films all have that same sort of structure… but if the story is told well you can overlook the repetitive nature of the proceedings. It’s safe to say this is Todd Phillips’ most mature movie to date, even if at times if feels like he’s trying a little too hard to channel Scorsese or Brian De Palma (which fits, since SCARFACE is referenced a lot in the story). It also seems like the studio is trying to sell this as a comedy, likely because of Phillips and THE HANGOVER connection, but while there are funny elements it’s really not that amusing of a story to be told. Overall it’s still one of the more entertaining films to hit this year, even if you’ll spend most of it gritting your teeth at what these guys were able to get away with.

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