Displaying items by tag: War Machine movie/ 2025

WAR MACHINE

Australia/US, 2026, 106 minutes, Colour.

Alan Ritchson, Stephan James, Blake Richardson, Dennis Quaid, Esai Morales, Jai Courtney, Alex King, Keinan Lonsdale, James Beaufort.

Directed by Patrick Hughes.

This adventure works quite well – and has a surprising development in the plot.

The film was written by the director, Australian Patrick Hughes, in collaboration with actor, James Beaufort, who appears in this film as 23. Hughes made an impact with his first film, an action drama, Red Hill. In Hollywood he has been successful with Expendables 3, and the entertaining blend of action and comedy in The Hitman’s Wife and The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, featuring Ryan Reynolds, added action film, The Man from Toronto with Woody Harrelson.

This is an American/Australian coproduction, filmed in Australia. And the star is Alan Ritchson, who has successfully embodied Lee Child’s hero, Reacher, in the television series. This film offers him more of the same kind of character.

The action opens in Afghanistan, coming to the help of his brother, Jai Courtney, bombing, death, one brother carrying the other to safety and winning a medal, the ambition to become Rangers. At the training camp, headed by Dennis Quaid and Esai Morales, the select group is put through all kinds of training tests, elimination so that only the best remain. And they are all called by numerals, the hero becoming 81. The other sympathetic character is 7, played by Stephan James.

And, then the film changes, science fiction with the appearance of an impregnable is war machine which stalks the squad out on a training mission, 81 as leader. A great deal of combat, disaster for the trip, the pursuit by the war machine through all kinds of rain, the elimination of the trip, 81 and 7 remaining. And 81 discovering a limitation of the war machine and how it might be destroyed – and, on return to camp, the discovery that there has been an invasion from space, the beginning of a war of the worlds.

1. Audience expectations, the title, the action films of the director, the presence of action star, Reacher, Alan Ritchson?
2. The opening, the reality of war in Afghanistan, American troops, the Taliban, attacks? The transition to the rangers training, the officers, selection of men, the detailed exercises and tests? Transition from reality to science fiction, extraterrestrials, confrontations? The war of the worlds and the future?
3. Afghanistan, the two brothers, their bonding, coming to help, the Taliban attack, the brother killed, the other wounded, carrying him on his back? Hospital, medals? His feelings about the alleged heroism when he had collapsed?
4. The two brothers, the ambition to be Rangers? The older brother, joining, the interviews with the authorities, acceptance, 81, the others known by numerals? The details of the training, the issue of underwater and his potential drowning, a loner, not relating well with the other men, and the woman candidate?
5. The squad, the tests, the limits, eliminations, the reading out of numbers? The remainder? Proving themselves?
6. Sheridan and Torres, officers, their expectations, interviews with the men, the eliminations, the confrontations with 81? The discussions, the motivations, his being allowed to stay?
7. The setting up of the mission, 81 as leader, the various members of the squad, 7 and his character, interactions with 81? The different qualities of the other members of the troop? Leadership, talents, subordinate roles?
8. The test going wrong, the death of the backup troops, the weapons and blanks, dilemmas, leadership questions, particular talents, deaths?
9. The war machine, impenetrable, relentless, the attempts to disarmament, the continued efforts on the troop, the pursuits, 81, 7 and his wounds, carrying him, the pursuit down the river?
10. 81, his abilities, tough, discerning, the confrontations with the machine, finding the possibilities for destruction, the rocks, the system?
11. Eventually returning, with 7, 7 as personable, knowing the story about 81 and his brother?
12. The authorities, the world situation, the attack, some confidence with knowing how it was possible to destroy the war machines?