Review: War Machine (2026)
If you’re in the mood for an action film with asymmetrical violence and you’re willing to put up with American military propaganda, War Machine (2026) will fit the bill. It doesn’t have much of any substance to say, but is well-made enough to be basically enjoyable. Aside from a couple points scattered throughout and a notable patch at the end, the film mostly avoids the cringe-worthy “badass” moments and flag-shagging that tends to suffuse military action films. Instead, it focuses on the grit and endurance of Alan Ritchson’s titular character, referred to only as 81, or indirectly as War Machine by the pre-credits title card.
To be generous, War Machine is a film following 81’s grief over his brother’s death, his journey to reconnecting with his peers, and his acceptance that he did as much as anybody could to save his brother’s life. It just so happens that the impetus for this emotional journey is the unmatched confrontation between a cohort of US Ranger trainees and an extraterrestrial murder robot. I’ll give the film another point of credit for its consistent usage of setup and payoff: sure, it is far from subtle in this process, but it does work well across the whole of the film’s runtime.
Perhaps War Machine is little more than a candy-bar action flick with the subtlety of a hammer, but it’s a competently made one that is far more enjoyable than many of its peers.