Director Joshua Seftel’s humourless attempt at war satire WAR, INC should learn a lesson or two from the highly successful Mike Nichol’s 1972 film CATCH 22 based on the best selling novel by Joseph Heller.  Nichols assembled a great comedic cast while Seftel opted for non comedians like John Cusack and Ben Kingsley in his film. 

No doubt both films are not that funny (except one line in WAR, INC about the massage with a happy ending), but at least CATCH 22 was bewilderingly absurd in its execution of the horrors of war.  WAR, INC instead goes from one situation to the next without much basis and finally reduces its antics to meaningless slapstick.  The foul language in the dialogue does not help.

The acting is horrendous from the non-comedians right down to John’s sister, Joan Cusack who seems to have graduated from the facial school of acting.  She was similarly annoying in the siblings other flop MARTIAN CHILD.  John Cusack tries really hard here though and it (unfortunately) shows.  The actors play the Turaqistanis as clowns.

The story concerns the U.S. ex-Vice-President (Dan Aykroyd) hiring hit-man with a conscience, John Cusack to kill a Middle Eastern oil minister.  Following is a ridiculous sub-plot involving the minister’s marriage with pop-star Yonica (Hillary Duff) that takes away the focus of the satire.

The film is a complete miss and an annoying waste of time.  Seftel tries too hard from the quirky ‘boo mug’ prop at the film’s start to the Blue Danube soundtrack heard during a fight sequence.  Make a Joan Cusack face and leave the cinema!