War Dogs | DVD review - Satirical comedy revels in its anti-heroes' hijinks

(Image credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture)

Larky comedy War Dogs tells the outrageous but true tale of the twentysomething duo who became arms dealers at the height of the Iraq War.

How could a pair of bong-addled stoners in their early 20s transform themselves into swaggering gunrunners at the height of the Iraq War and land a $300 million arms deal with the Pentagon to supply the Afghan army? Outrageous but true tale War Dogs forms the basis of this dark comedy, whose gobsmacking revelations will have you seesawing between tears of laughter, incredulity and rage. Jonah Hill and Miles Teller play the broadly-sketched duo while Hangover director Todd Phillips plays fast and loose with the facts, clearly more awed than appalled by his heroes’ deeds. War Dogs does land some glancing satirical blows, but is far more interested in revelling in the boys’ larky hijinks than in skewering war profiteering and the arms trade.

Certificate 15. Runtime 109 mins. Director Todd Phillips

War Dogs is available on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD & Digital Download from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

4K & Blu-ray special features:

General Phillips: Boots on the Ground
War Dogs: Access Granted
Pentagon Pie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwh9c_E3dJk

A film critic for over 25 years, Jason admits the job can occasionally be glamorous – sitting on a film festival jury in Portugal; hanging out with Baz Luhrmann at the Chateau Marmont; chatting with Sigourney Weaver about The Archers – but he mostly spends his time in darkened rooms watching films. He’s also written theatre and opera reviews, two guide books on Rome, and competed in a race for Yachting World, whose great wheeze it was to send a seasick film critic to write about his time on the ocean waves. But Jason is happiest on dry land with a classic screwball comedy or Hitchcock thriller.