Movie Review: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Anyone going to see this movie should know in advance that this is not a comedy just because Tina Fey is in it. This is Fey's first dramatic role and as an actor she does a good job overall. The problem is that this movie does not really have a story but just a series of events that happen to a reporter in Afghanistan. This movie reminds me of the recent Sandra Bullock movie "Our Brand is Crisis", which also co-stars Billy Bob Thornton about a political operative in a South American country who is trying to get some politician elected. This movie also had no real story and only a series of disconnected and mostly boring scenes that lead nowhere. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is slightly better than Our Brand is Crisis but certainly not good enough to recommend. The dialogue in this movie was highly unusual in certain areas and seemed to jump around at times and make no sense. I was also very disappointed to see another very unnecessary smoking scene and the only good news there was there was only stupid smoking scene in this movie. Once again the producers of movies in Hollywood take money from tobacco companies to finance the production and this practice should be banned immediately.

This movie should have been about one thing. The insanity of allowing any reporter/civilian into any dangerous war zone just to report on a war. This stupid practice has killed hundreds of members of the press over the years and if any common sense existed within either the military or the press over the decades then this would have stopped probably after World War I. Members of the press have no business being in a war zone, putting themselves in harms way with no weapon and no training of any kind. With modern technology all we need is some cameras on some military equipment, a tank or an SUV and an email from a soldier out in the field and that would be more than enough "press coverage". In this movie Tina Fey's character jumps of SUV under attack just to make a video of some firefight with the enemy even though she was ordered to stay in the truck. One remembers the NBC reporter David Bloom who was killed in 2003 because he insisted on being on the front lines. The insanity of putting civilians in any war situation is ridiculous and should be stopped, but it probably never will be. Reporters out in the field not only put themselves in grave danger but also the soldiers that are trying to protect them. I for one do not need a reporter standing by a tank as bombs go off to understand or appreciate a story more. Ultimately this movie does show some of this danger and insanity but not nearly enough to recommend it as a significant movie.

I cannot recommend this movie because when your finished watching it, you wonder what was the point of the whole two hours in the first place.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot - IMDB