Netflix’s War Machine Review: Alan Ritchson’s New Action Movie Couldn’t Be More Accurately Named

Filmmaker Patrick Hughes went from the independently financed neo-western thriller Red Hill to the gargantuan action sequel The Expendables 3, and he’s enjoyed a string of moderately budgeted blockbusters ever since. (The Hitman’s Bodyguard, its sequel, and 2022’s romp The Man from Toronto.) The sci-fi-leaning War Machine marks his first return to screenwriting and producing since his debut, and it shows, for better and for worse.

Hughes isn't the Netflix release's biggest draw, though. That distinction belongs to Alan Ritchson, whose Reacher series has cemented his appeal as a hulking action star with charm and brains to spare. War Machine feels crafted specifically to match the actor’s physical talents, but unfortunately fails to highlight his charisma or feature an iota of humor.

Of course, this isn’t the kind of movie one turns on expecting wit-soaked comedy on par with Mel Brooks or Billy Wilder. No, the target audience here includes those who want everything on the screen (actors included) to have at least an 80% chance of exploding at any given moment. Those who share that stance will definitely have more fun here than anyone hoping for more than genre expectations.

If You're Looking For A "Reacher Vs. Giant Robot" Movie: 4 Stars

Alan Ritchson's character — nearly everyone is referred to by assigned numbers rather than names, so he's Staff Sergeant 81 here — joins the Army Rangers in tribute to his brother (Jai Courtney), who's killed by insurgents as the siblings are stationed in Afghanistan. Some time later, 81 is plagued by both grief and guilt over not being able to carry his bro to safety, and that lack of self-worth does go a long way in making a character willing to face off against seemingly indestructible technology.

Despite not bonding with other new recruits (and sporting a general lack of personality), 81 is assigned group leader for what should be a routine training mission to locate and destroy a fallen aircraft. The clever move here is that the soldiers have no guns, so when what they believe to be their target becomes an heavily armed extraterrestrial nightmare worthy of Transformers comparisons, a high body count is inevitable, and all without bullet hell tropes.

To be expected, 81 is the most skilled at just about everything attempted (except for maybe keeping his squad alive), and a lot of the movie does indeed pay off on the "Reacher vs. Robot" promise. The size difference make it so that we don't see Ritchson actually punching the thing in its face (a feature it doesn't even seem to have), but the "man vs. machine" theming gets paid off in full.

If You Want An Action Movie That Prioritizes Real Stunts And Locations Over CGI: 4 Stars

So many action and sci-fi movies tend to share similar aesthetics these days, thanks to The Volume-esque productions that trade out real-world backgrounds and locations for digital add-ins. In a similar vein, many modern productions opt for digital explosions and destruction instead of anything tangible. Thankfully, Patrick Hughes' proven talents with practical stunts and effects were utilized throughout War Machine, and it's felt. We're talking multiple helicopter shots, people.

When 81's unit is either approaching the mysterious attacker-bot or retreating from it, they are very clearly running through a real location with trees and rocky formations as far as the eye can see. As well, scenes incorporate the surroundings in exciting ways, with several harrowing sequences involving a rushing river that seems impossible to cross safely.

As well, when the soldiers are brutally taken down by the giant tech's scary weaponry, there's real viscera and body parts flying around, with more than enough wide shots for audiences to appreciate all the gooey work on display. It's everything one loves about the action movies glut of the '80s and early '90s, just with mostly superior directing and editing techniques.

If You Need Hard Sci-Fi With Deep Themes And Highly Memorable Characters: 1 Star

For all the awesome action sequences and stuntwork on display, War Machine's story and characters are entirely lacking, and the dearth of repeatable one-liners is downright tragic. The entire movie hinges on a mid-feature "twist" (that was more or less spoiled by marketing and early reviews) that doesn't get a worthwhile enough explanation to properly make the final moments as shocking as they should be.

Perhaps that would have risked the mechanical antagonist being more dimensional than Ritchson's forever-brooding 81, who has no character traits beyond his backstory-gleaned gloom. With all due respect to the talented cast, none of their characters' origins would fill the back of a trading card. I'm glad the movie isn't full of rote military banter, but this movie desperately needs some kind of personality-based humor. Stephan James' Staff Sergeant 7 is arguably the most rounded of anyone, and his arc hits a point of ridiculousness that I wouldn't have appreciated with any of the others. So that's something.

If Hughes ever recuts War Machine to replace 5-10 minutes of moody conversations with jovial cameraderie, organic jokes, and a smattering of over-the-top and stress-induced reactions to the titular machine, it'd get at least another star. Until then...