WAR MACHINE

I’ll be the first to admit it: I usually avoid military movies. If the poster features a guy in camo looking stoically at a sunset, I’m probably scrolling past it. But then Netflix dropped War Machine, and two things changed my mind. One: It stars Alan Ritchson. Two: There are aliens.

Soldiers fighting ET? Fine, Netflix, you win this round.

From the opening frame, I was hooked. Ritchson plays a soldier named “81," a man so deeply “Army" that he probably bleeds olive drab. He’s pushing for Ranger status and is clearly the apex predator on the field, but what surprised me was the depth. Usually, these characters are as one-dimensional as a cardboard cutout, but 81 is legitimately troubled.

The writing manages to tie his current battlefield heroics to his past in a way that feels graceful - not like the typical “clunky flashback" trauma we’re used to. For a guy who looks like he could punch a hole through a mountain, Ritchson brings a vulnerability here that actually made me feel something. I went from energized during the action to genuinely scared for these guys. Not because it’s a horror movie, but because the stakes felt heavy and real.

The plot moves at a clip, leading 81 and his team on what is supposed to be a training exercise, turned suicide mission to take down a single alien ship. They pull it off, and for a second, you’re ready to cheer and go make a sandwich. Then comes the gut punch: that ship was just one of thousands currently crashing into Earth like cosmic confetti.

The movie ends on a bleak note - humanity is basically a “1 out of 10" on the survival scale - but Ritchson saves it with a powerhouse speech back at the base. It’s the kind of monologue that makes you want to go out and fight a Martian yourself. It gives just enough hope to keep you from turning off the TV and staring blankly at the wall.

I cannot write this review without saying what we were all thinking: Alan Ritchson IS Batman. Watching him lead, fight, and balance that “troubled but brilliant" persona convinced me. If he isn't cast as Bruce Wayne at some point, the casting directors of the world have officially failed us. He’s got the jawline, the presence, and the “I’ll haunt your nightmares" energy down to a science.

Final Verdict: Is it good or does it suck?

It’s actually great. Even if you aren't into “army stuff”. The sci-fi twist and Ritchson’s performance make this a must-watch. It’s tight, well-written, and engaging from start to finish. I’d watch 81 fight an alien army any day of the week. Now, someone get this man a cape and a cowl.