By Chris Smith / March 9, 2026
Chris's Critical Corner: War Machine (2026)
I was intrigued by War Machine (2026), mostly because it starred Alan Ritchson (Reacher, Blue Mountain State), even though the trailer made it seem like a very generic “Army versus Aliens” premise. Sadly, Richtson was the only true highlight of the entire movie.
The film starts off in the desert, with Ritchson encountering his younger brother, before an ambush leaves on Ritchson alive and able to walk away.
Fast forward a few years, Ritchson is completing RASP (Ranger Assessment and Selection Program) to fulfill a promise to his deceased brother. Despite being the most physically impressive and capable of all the applicants, Ritchson doesn’t bond with his other candidates and declines opportunities for leadership, though it’s not really explained why (he wasn’t the one leading the group that got ambushed at the beginning of the movie, he was there to repair their broken down humvee).
Eventually, he makes it into the final group and they are sent out on a Death March to determine who will become Army Rangers. During the first night on their mission, the group experience a strange shockwave and see something large fly right overhead. Despite being some of the best the Army has to offer, they think it’s just their command playing games with them and decide to just proceed with their mission.
I won’t spoil the rest of the film, other than to say there are too many moments where the suspension of belief is destroyed as things are way beyond believable, and it moves along a very familiar and expected plot line. Oh, and the conclusion and really unsatisfying.
Overall: Thad’ll Do, Pig
