Directed by: John Michael McDonagh
Stars: Alexander Skarsgard, Michael Pena, Theo James and Tessa Thompson
What’s it all about?
Two corrupt cops in New Mexico set out to blackmail and frame every criminal unfortunate enough to cross their path. Things take a sinister turn however when they threaten somebody who is more dangerous than they are. Or is he?
What are my thoughts?
I last saw Alexander Skarsgard swinging from vine to vine in one of this year’s lacklustre summer entries The Legend of Tarzan. I last saw Michael Pena helping Matt Damon get home in last year’s The Martian, but perhaps most notably in his show stealing turn as Luis also last year in Marvel’s Ant-Man. When you think of casting two actors for a new buddy cop comedy, I wouldn’t have thought of pairing these two actors together in a million years.
Happily though it does work, and that and their chemistry is by far the best thing of this movie. Skarsgard is the loner who befriends Tessa Thompson a girlfriend of a former suspect. Pena though is a family guy and this dichotomy is at the heart of their relationship. They are both “bent” cops though and make no secret of this, having to be constantly kept in check by their chief as they tail Brit Theo James a plays a big time crook. As for Theo James he continues to be as flat as he was in the Divergent movies. (Albeit with a beard and native British accent).
As I say the chemistry between the lead stars is the movie is the best part and it features some funny dialogue between the two, although at no time is it on the same level as The Nice Guys earlier this year with Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling.
Pena is more at home with the comedy, but Skarsgard has some good lines and his 6ft 4’ hulking well built frame sits at home with the heavy of the police duo. He’s cut from the same cloth as Russell Crowe in The Nice Guys – hit first, ask questions later.
My issue with the movie is there is just not much too it, it's too light weight. It's running joke is too cops who revel in being bent, that's all. The plot itself is very thin.
The comedy is very dark and it doesn’t pull it’s punches when it comes to violence. It’s a strong 15 for language, some sex and bloody violence. The movie looks good and has some nice fades between scenes and some nice tunes in the soundtrack, it was definitely going for The Nice Guys vibe but just couldn't get there.
That’s all I’ve got to say on this one, you don’t need to check this out at the cinema, just wait for it on stream.
War on Everyone is released from today in their UK.
Movie Review by Carleton Rutter
http://www.moviemanuk.net
