WAR MACHINE (NETFLIX) (2026)

SYNOPSIS: During the final stage of U.S. Army Ranger selection, an elite team’s training exercise turns into a fight for survival against an unimaginable threat. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

This War Machine has nothing to do with Marvel, nor is it a sequel to the 2017 Netflix drama of the same name starring Brad Pitt. Instead, this sci-fi actioner is written and directed by Patrick Hughes (The Hitman’s Bodyguard, The Expendables 3) and stars Alan Ritchson. No offence, but it turns out to be far better than what you might expect from a typical Hughes outing.

Ritchson plays 81, a combat engineer who lost his brother in an ambush and decides to join the Ranger program in his honour. While his physique is impressive, his PTSD and fragile mental state worry his superiors, Sergeant Major Sheridan (Dennis Quaid) and First Sergeant Torres (Esai Morales). They come up with a plan: if 81 and his fellow recruits can pass the final simulated test, they will be accepted into the regiment.

War Machine starts out as a straightforward action movie. In fact, the first half plays like a conventional military drama, filled with realistic and relentless Ranger training sequences. The less you know about the movie going in, the better, as Hughes introduces a mysterious alien machine-like craft halfway through the story. What initially appears to be a training simulation soon turns into something far more dangerous — a deadly alien threat targeting 81 and his platoon.

Technically speaking, War Machine boasts impressive CGI effects combined with breathtaking on-location shooting in New Zealand. The film delivers plenty of large-scale sci-fi action, featuring brutal battles between humans and alien machine and it doesn’t shy away from bloody violence. Amid all the explosions and chaos, Ritchson stands out as 81 — a flawed soldier who rises above the turmoil to become a heroic leader for his squad.

Fans of Reacher will certainly enjoy Ritchson’s performance here. Unfortunately, the rest of the supporting cast is mostly forgettable and serves mainly as cannon fodder. You’ll probably only remember a few archetypes: the comic relief (Blake Richardson), the lone woman in the squad (Alex King), and 81’s dependable second-in-command (Stephan James).

War Machine is far from the most original sci-fi film ever made. It borrows heavily from movies like Predator, Transformers (even the soundtrack sounds eerily similar) and Battle: Los Angeles. Still, despite its familiar elements, it remains an undeniably entertaining ride especially for diehard action fans.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee