GRADE: B-
GENRE: Social and Crime Drama
ROARS: 3.75 Out of 5
Rated: NR / Run Time: 1 Hr. 40 Min.
CAST: Peter Gallagher, Victor Rasuk, Brian J. Smith, Benjamin Walker, Micaela Nevarez / DIRECTOR: Ron Daniels
I’m pretty shaken by this flick. In more ways than one, I feel this layered piece stems from our personal differences, the insecurity of others, and their outbursts towards it, and last but least, how we all tend to come around and realize when exactly IS the right time to unleash hidden secrets that may haunt us when giving in. Presented in a simple form of contemporary fear regarding immigration in our country, The War Boys happens to be a film with an interesting premise with writing that could have been tweaked a bit more. With some fine tuning, and having left out a couple of characters which pretty much took up production space, and money, I believe Director, Ron Daniels would have had a pretty sharp film. Perhaps adding to that, casting actors with better chemistry as well… with the exception [Micaela Nevarez] who I enjoyed thoroughly, and really knew her character’s objectives, and relations — the rest were pretty bland. It had nothing to do with bad acting, because there wasn’t any, but more on a chemistry level with each other. It just wasn’t there. Whether friends, or family, there was an it-factor that was missing and it also made me feel for the film. However; on the flip side, again, the premise was interesting, and strong, and trying to figure out what would come next kept my curiosity on its toes, and to a certain degree allowed me to somewhat overlook everything else.
The story follows David (Benjamin Walker), George (Brian J. Smith), and Greg (Victor Rasuk), who have been tight since high school are The War Boys. They used to hang on the US-Mexican border, waiting to spot illegal immigrants who were trying to run into the United States. Sometimes, without a thought for the immigrants, the boys chased them across the wasteland and back across the border – just for fun. It was just one of those games boys played to make themselves feel big. But high school’s over now. David is unexpectedly home from his freshman year of college and the War Boys have been reunited. Now the boys come up with a new plan – they steal a truck from David’s father trucking company, filled with what they believe to be black market televisions. Their plan to sell them, make a quick buck, and move to New York is complicated, however, when the contents of the truck prove to be much more sinister than the boys had thought. Meanwhile new feelings and relationships are forming between them, their friends, and their families. The young vigilantes finally come to realize that they are as vulnerable and as helpless as the immigrants they once chased across the border.
Overall, despite the speed bumps, this intertwining story lays out an aspect of what we’re currently experiencing. In a [literal] sense, the current issue in Arizona couldn’t be any more blunt, and [metaphorically] when reaching from within our mind, body, and soul. Whether we feel our personal outlooks, and feelings may serve as be-all, end-all, it doesn’t dissolve who we are as individuals, and what we represent in this giant marble… the human race. The message couldn’t have been clearer, and for this purpose is why I enjoyed this film.
The War Boys is available now for rental (Netflix / Blockbuster), and also on sale wherever DVDs or Blu-Rays are sold.