War Dogs

If Jordan Belfort was the wolf of Wall Street, then perhaps the co-conspirators in War Dogs could be nicknamed the beasts of Baghdad for their efforts to become black-market weapons contractors for American troops in the Middle East.

Despite some intriguing true-life source material, this cynical examination of the economics of war from director Todd Phillips (The Hangover) fails to make a deeper impression in part because its smug characters are so unsympathetic.

David (Miles Teller) is a fledgling massage therapist in Miami whose encounter with a former classmate, Efraim (Jonah Hill), presents a potentially lucrative opportunity. Efraim is looking to expand his business as a grassroots government contractor on small defense projects.

But David and his pregnant girlfriend (Ana de Armas) are against the Iraq War. “This isn’t about being pro-war,” Efraim explains. “This is about being pro-money.”

As they chase bigger contracts, however, they encounter a variety of legal hurdles and dangerous trips overseas. The resulting lavish lifestyle clouds their collective judgment. Then comes their biggest scam, involving an underground supplier (Bradley Cooper) whose ties to Albanian terrorist groups make him a target for government scrutiny.

It’s difficult to root for David and Efraim, both glorified frat-boy stoners who are arrogant, abrasive, insensitive and unapologetic. Even if you respect their moxie and ambition, their unscrupulous dealings personify the worst qualifies of capitalism in their efforts to exploit the military and game the government.

Likewise, it’s hard to side with the U.S. defense department, whose procurement loopholes invite such shenanigans. At least the film steers clear of overt political posturing.

Regardless, the off-putting protagonists do make fascinating figures in a film that manages some scattered big laughs but doesn’t juggle its shifts from comedy to drama with much sensitivity. The screenplay, based on a Rolling Stone article, attempts to satirize Bush-era foreign policy and outrageous defense spending with mixed results.

Although the absurdities in the original story have some built-in comic potential, the second half settles into a more predictable pattern with less humor to lighten the mood, as the men navigate their inevitable downfall, comeuppance and ethical epiphanies.

War Dogs succeeds best at providing a glimpse into this broader cycle of greed and betrayal in an age of economic uncertainty, offering a cautionary tale through the eyes of a couple of goofballs in over their heads.

Rated R, 114 minutes.