WAR MACHINE -- A Little Grit, Probably Should’ve Quit

Review by Steve Barton II

If you go on Netflix and search the title “War Machine”, you’ll find yourself at a confusing crossroads. Not only has Netflix released an original title under the same name back in 2017, they also both deal with military operations and star handsome men. While one stars Brad Pitt and takes a more satirical route and criticizes government operations, 2026’s War Machine feels much more like praise rather than criticism. War Machine stars Alan Ritchson (Blue Mountain State) as 81, an unnamed soldier who lost his brother in an attack while on duty and applies to become an Army Ranger in his honor. While on a simulated mission toward the end of his training, the entire battalion is attacked by an unknown machine, hellbent on total destruction. It’s up to 81 and the surviving members of his team to defeat the alien enemy and make their way back to base. 

Alan Ritchson has come a long way from being a side character who often stole the show as Thad Castle on Blue Mountain State, to now leading movies and shows like Reacher. As 81, Alan had to dig into some emotions to depict a realistic portrayal of PTSD and how it affects your emotional and physical health. The supporting cast around Alan was fine, but none of them truly standout or have any memorable qualities. With the characters being assigned numbers, while it makes it a little unique, it also makes it even more difficult to connect with them. Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk) does his best with what he’s given, but he’s playing the role of 81’s moral compass and guides him through his journey of overcoming grief. The most emotional moment between Stephan and Alan works, but it’s due to their acting abilities rather than the content of the dialogue or story.

While War Machine has some decent visual effects and harsh moments that were more violent than expected, the story is completely hollow. It draws heavy inspiration from films like War of the Worlds (2005), Cloverfield, Predator and countless other sci-fi/action benchmarks, while also playing out quite similarly to the classic tale of Moby-Dick. The main character encounters a dangerous evil and makes it their life’s mission to defeat it, while also overcoming their own internal battles like addiction and/or grief. This, paired with the dialogue fully crafted out of the finest cheese, made War Machine feel unoriginal and a bit boring with its predictability. 

In the end, War Machine is a serviceable sci-fi/action thriller that fans of the genre will devour without hesitation. The decent action sequences and goofy dialogue deliver the familiar hallmarks of other monster/alien invasion films, but nothing about War Machine is memorable in the slightest. If this aired as a SyFy channel original movie, this might be a hit like Sharknado! Alan Ritchson is a strong leading man and it’d be great to see him in another action franchise with more creative minds behind it. While it does feel like they’ve laid the bedrock for the War Machine franchise to begin, it may be time to hit the evacuation button for Netflix. 

War Machine invades your homes on Netflix starting March 6th! 

Rating: 2.5/5