As director’s release more and more films people begin to try and correlate all of a director’s movies in order to draw comparisons. While this is a good indicator at times, it should not be the sole indicator. I found myself predetermining “War Dogs” as a “The Hangover” type comedy before even walking into the theater, and that takes away from the credit that Todd Phillips, the director, deserves. While “The Hangover” was a crazy ride of unexpected turns, raunchy jokes, and lost personal belongings, “War Dogs” is an informative dramedy about the inner workings of military contracting in the US. For “War Dogs” there is only a hint of comedy as opposed to “The Hangover” where I found myself continuously laughing throughout the film. “War Dogs” draws its appeal more from the content of its story rather than the comedic value that is presented throughout trailers.

To start off, I had absolutely no idea how military contracts worked or even the slightest understanding of the process, but this movie certainly helps to simply inform people who don’t or didn’t know about how the Iraq War was funded and equipped. I went into the theater expecting new comedic lines to spew with my friends, but I left a little more informed on military contracts instead. The back story to this movie is interesting as it is about the true story of two friends, Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill) and David Packouz, (Miles Teller) who exploit government military contract opportunities in order to financially prosper, but their eyes are bigger than their stomachs when they land a larger than life deal that gets them involved with the wrong people. In a nutshell, “War Dogs” is a significantly lesser version of “The Big Short” with its intentions. “The Big Short” is a film about the 2008 world market crash right before the US Government bailed out the big banks. What helps “The Big Short” (I highly recommend it) be a great film is the fact that it takes a topic that many people do not or did not understand completely and presents it in a language that everyone will be able to comprehend. “War Dogs” does not delve as deeply as “The Big Short” does, but it presents the viewer with a slightly less convoluted way of informing you. The sole purpose of “The Big Short” is to teach the audience about an economic crisis and why it happened, but “War Dogs” focuses more on the story rather than the information. It presents just enough to keep you interested throughout the film.

“War Dogs” presents itself as a comedy, but I felt a lack of comedic value while watching this film. However, that does not take away from the enjoyment of the movie at all. Jonah Hill and Miles Teller put on great performances that will remind you that they both still have the acting chops to make it in Hollywood. The best way to describe Jonah Hill’s character in “War Dogs” is that he is almost identical to Jonah Hill in “This is the End”; an inconsiderate asshole who presents himself with different personas around certain people. Efraim Diveroli is nothing short of that, and Jonah Hill gives life to his character. Plus, he gives this awkward and forced laugh that you will not forget for a bit. Miles Teller has suffered from a few career hiccups in “The Fantastic Four” remake and the “Divergent” movie series. To be fair, the Divergent series has done commercially and financially well, but did not receive the acclaim that it thought it would (I mean…they are going from theatrical releases to a TV movie finale, so that should tell you just how well this film series did). Despite those career snafus, “War Dogs” will remind people that Miles Teller possesses the acting chops to survive in Hollywood. The rest of the cast fits in well with the movie and leading actors as the acting flows naturally in many scenes. There are many actors whom I would never cast into certain roles, but Bradley Cooper does a good job as international arms dealer Henry Girard. His screen time is limited, but you get the perfect amount of “Henry Girard” you need for the film. Since the film is mainly about Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz, you will find yourself forgetting about the other characters until they reenter a scene.

Movies would not be the same without the music to back it up, whether it is a fresh symphonic soundtrack or a collection of various artists, music gives life to the movie. The music soundtrack for this film is great for the movie itself. The track artists range from Dean Martin to Pink Floyd to House of Pain to Beastie Boys to 50 Cent to Justice and etc. It is an eclectic list of different artists that fit well into the scenes they play in.

The film is an enjoyable one, but it feels a little slow at times, and that may largely have to do with its “Pulp Fiction” like chapter structure. I understand this movie is one that spans over a few years, and that the chapter cuts are meant to indicate an imminent turn of events, but that structure is a factor in making the movie feel longer that it should. For “Pulp Fiction,” the story is told out of order, and the chapter cuts indicate a different perspective, but it fits well because every element of the story is needed in order for the viewer to piece together everything at the end of the film. “War Dogs” is not a film that needs that type of structure. Almost every scene in the film is one that is needed for the story to progress, but the chapter cuts hinder the movie from progressing as smoothly as it should. Personally, I think the simple fact that you have to read a black screen with a quote is what slows the movie down. If the movie presented the quotes in the overlapping scene before any speaking began, then I feel like the movie would have felt much smoother for me. Those black screen chapter cuts in this movie feels like when you drive on a local road and then are forced to abruptly brake at a red light.

Overall, the film stands well on its own. The content will draw you and the acting is done well enough to not take away from the movie. Rotten Tomatoes rates this movie at 58 percent (critics) and 74 percent (audiences), and I believe those ratings fit well. This movie is not what I thought it would be, but that never takes away from the film as a whole. The comedic moments that you would hope for are not entirely there (I chuckled more than I laughed), but, like I said, the story will be interesting enough for you to watch it all the way through. This isn’t really a priority movie, but another one you will enjoy if you do watch it.

Was it worth the money I paid? I guess so…you’ll get your money’s worth in matinee, but will still enjoy it if you pay regular price.