Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Lord of War (2005)

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Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 09-16-2005, 12:54 PM:

I usually like anything and everything with Nic Cage in it. And this was no exception. Its by no means his greatest film but it was interesting none the less. I probably won't go out and buy this one when it hits the DVD shelves, but I'll watch it on HBO when ever its on.

It had some pretty solid supporting roles, Jared Leto does a good job as Yuris coke snorting brother. Toss in a few colorful characters from the cold war era countrys and you've got a rocking good time.

I give it [thumbsup]

out of 5

Posted by William Leland III (Member # 1400) on 09-20-2005, 09:47 AM:

10 beers ouf of a 12 pack [beer]

i really enjoyed this film. i like cage, hawk and the director Andrew Niccol (Gattaca staring ethan hawk). i thought the scripit was great and cage can act with a nobody cast. jared leto was ok, could of been cast by a better actor. i liked the direction. i don't uselly like 3rd world country movies, but this one pulled if off. great gun shots.

go see it.

Posted by Andy Summers (Member # 3207) on 09-20-2005, 12:35 PM:

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME WHY I AM NOT SMART ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A MOVIE REVIEW FORUM AND I SHOULD NOT BABBLE ABOUT STUPID HOME CINEMA CRAP? IN FACT, IF ANY OF YOU ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY CLOSE ENOUGH TO ME, THE ADMINISTRATION OF THIS WEBSITE WOULD APPRECIATE YOU COMING OVER AND GIVING ME A NICE SLAP IN THE FACE TO WAKE ME UP TO THIS. CHEERS.

[ 09-20-2005, 02:34 PM: Message edited by: Brad Miller ]

Posted by Jamie Glossop (Member # 2180) on 09-20-2005, 05:24 PM:

I seen the traiers for this film, sadly its not out in the uk yet [Frown]

, well not in nottingham anways,

But looks good tho!

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 09-20-2005, 10:39 PM:

SEMI SPOILER
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The scene where the Africans tore the plane apart over the course of 24 hours was cool. As far as I could tell they really did it, wether or not it was actually 24 hours or broken in to many different shots, who knows. All I know is that it looked really cool

As well as the opening credits, a very Charlie and the Chocolate factory feel to it, but kinda on the opposite side of the spectrum. [evil]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-22-2005, 11:59 PM:

This movie was decent, but certainly doesn't lend itself to any kind of repeated viewings. It seemed like 3 hours but it was only 2. The sound sucked ass (UA Continental in Denver always has poor sound in every auditorium without exception, UA does not maintain their theaters well). The movie can be summed up in one political statement: Guns are bad and so are people. The movie was made to be a big political statement, with references to the current president on more than one occasion.

There were a couple of morons in the auditorium. I was one of them.

Brad: I saw this in the same auditorium we watched that George Clooney Oh Brother Wherefore Art Though or whatever the fuck it was called. Remember how awesome that place was? Unforgettable. Your theater sucks in comparison.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 09-24-2005, 04:55 PM:

CINEMA: Cinemark Movies 12, Ames, IA
AUDITORIUM: 2
PRESENTATION: Mystery Meat Digital
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: None [Cool]

RATING: Three stars (out of four)

WARNING: Spoilers. It's what's for dinner.

Upon choosing our seats from what was available (which was every seat...nobody else was here), Wife #1 stands up and proclaims the need for snacks. She leaves for the snack bar. Upon returning, she fumbles with the popcorn bag in her lap.

"This bag is possessed!" she exclaims. "The guy at the snack bar dropped it and dumped half the popcorn on the floor."

"Did you call him a bastard?" I asked.

"No, but I did call him a klutz. So did the other guy (working) at the snack bar. We were laughing at him."

This really is a piece of propaganda, but a nicely shot one. Good visuals, in particular the plane dismantling that Kurt noted, and the opening credits following the bullet. The ending was a refreshing change considering I figured it would end up like "Blow".

Posted by Max Einhorn (Member # 3364) on 10-02-2005, 09:42 AM:

Nicholas Cage is one of those actors you can put in any role; the film can be
absolutely terrible but he will always amaze you with his abilities. In the film, Lord
of War, Cage plays an arms dealer who is cool, funny, good and bad all rolled into
one. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing this character with such complexity
and humor.
Cage’s character, Yuri Orlov, his drug addict brother, Vitaly (Jared Leto) and
their parents are Ukraine emigrants, living in Odessa New York. Years of watching
street shootouts and mob action have convinced Yuri that he has what it takes to
make it big in the underworld. And boy is he right – in time, Yuri is a wealthy man
with a thriving business, a beautiful wife and all the luxuries money can buy. He also
has a brother/partner with a conscience and an Interpol agent (Ethan Hawke) on his
tail!
The opening sequence of the film is, in a way, exhilarating. You follow the
birth and death of a bullet, as it is punched out of metal, inspected, shipped,
checked by numerous individuals, and then sent on to its target with all that implies.
The film does not take sides, however, it is merely stating facts and leaving the
audience to make its own individual judgments.
The plot has many twists and turns as it follows a number of years in the
characters’ lives. Although, Cage never actually looks any different as years go by,
he does mature and evolve, adapting his business and his personality to the changing
demands of his increasingly violent world. Lord Of War is a smart, fun gun film,
(there’s two words that I never thought I could rhyme together), it makes you think
about the implications of war and those who are affected by it. It opens a window
into the mind of a strangely likeable monster and lets you make of him what you
will. This isn’t the same film you may be expecting from the trailers, rather it is
darker and more meaningful than it appears on the surface.
Rated R for strong violence, drug use, language and sexuality.
Running time 122 minutes