Lord of War (2005)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Candy R

  
  Nicolas Cage is an arms dealer who is at the top of his profession but when he wants to give it up, but it's not that easy.

• Chris W

  
  One of my friends told me that this film had one of (if not THE) best/coolest opening credits sequence ever. He wasn't kidding. It's awesome. So is the rest of the movie. Taking a break from Sci-Fi, the imaginative and brilliant Andrew Niccol directed this biting and… More
  One of my friends told me that this film had one of (if not THE) best/coolest opening credits sequence ever. He wasn't kidding. It's awesome. So is the rest of the movie. Taking a break from Sci-Fi, the imaginative and brilliant Andrew Niccol directed this biting and sardonic satire concerning the life and career of an arms dealer who makes his living selling weapons used for not nice things. A great thing about it is how the film is complex, well balanced, and is never overly preachey (or preachey period) in a general way or for either side of the issues being displayed here. It [resents both sides in a fair and balanced way, and does so in an entertaining and smart manner that blends a strong script, tons of wittiness, sharp direction, great music, intelligence, and lots of creativity. Oh yeah, it's also got a great cast who give excellent performances. Nicolas Cage may not always be in good moivies, but his peformances are a different story. Some of his work may not be as good sometimes, but he's never been bad. This is one of his best, and that's saying something given the movies and roles he's had. He brigns depth, charm, weariness, and that craziness we've come to expect from him. Leto is quite good as Cage'sscrewup brother with tons of demons. Despite the limited nature of her role, Moynahan is pretty damn good, and although her character is one of the least interesting, she's far from unnecessary. Ethan Hawke is also great, and I enjoyed seeing him work with Niccol again. No matter how you feel about guns and genocide, you owe it to yourself to see tyhis film. It is important, touching, stylish, and just a joy to watch. It does the difficult task of blending technique with importance in an accessible fashion. My only real complaint (and the thing keeping it from getting another half star) is that the film just gets a little draggy in the middle from time to time. Other than that, this is a wild, unique, and very amazing film.

• Jeff "

  
  The Lord Of War focuses on a man who deals in the illegal arms business as he dodges the authorities bullets left and right to sell arms at the four corners of the world. Yuri Orlov is an opportunistic arms dealer, and he seems at the top of his game. Nicholas Cage gives a splendid… More
  The Lord Of War focuses on a man who deals in the illegal arms business as he dodges the authorities bullets left and right to sell arms at the four corners of the world. Yuri Orlov is an opportunistic arms dealer, and he seems at the top of his game. Nicholas Cage gives a splendid performance as Yuri Orlov. Cage is at the the top of his game, and he proves that he still has some decent enough acting in him. Lord Of War follows Orlov played by Cage as he rises to be one of the best illegal arms dealer in the world. He acquires wealth, a beautiful wife, his own planes, but all at a cost. His brother also his ex business partner is now a bonafide cocaine addict due to a sale where the customers paid in cocaine, he constantly juggles the authorities and he constantly lies to his wife. Whats very interesting about this film is that we are given a candid look into this business, and the damage it does to others (civilians, refugees, etc). One thing that Lord Of War does so well is painting a portrait of both sides, the arms dealer and dictators. The film doesn't pick one side over the other, it shows the ugliiness of both sides and makes the dictators just as guilty as the arms dealers. Andrew Niccol's film is a film that should be seen by everyone because this is what happens in some countries. People are providing other people the means to killing each other. But no one cares because most of this happens in the poorest countries on Earth. Nicolas Cage definitely gives his all as Yuri Orlov and he really does make light up the screen. What I found interesting about the character is at times he almost seemed unrepentant in how he was conducting his business and loosing everything afterwards. Lord Of War is one powerful film that tackles an all too important subject that shouldn't be ignored. Hopefully this film has shed some light on illegal arms trading. Lord Of War is a great film with a terrific cast and will definitely make you think about some of things thats going in third world countries.

• Dan S

  
  An interesting although flawed look at an arms dealer and the life he makes for himself. If anyone besides Nicolas Cage starred as the lead character, this might have made for a compelling story. Cage's performance is strictly average however, and as a result, so is the film.… More
  An interesting although flawed look at an arms dealer and the life he makes for himself. If anyone besides Nicolas Cage starred as the lead character, this might have made for a compelling story. Cage's performance is strictly average however, and as a result, so is the film. Despite an energetic turn by Jared Leto, the movie's attempts at humanizing its character prove futile too often. When it sticks to its satirical style of the industry, its golden, but when it focuses on Cage's personal life, its messy.

• Jeremy S

  
  This film borders on the completely ridiculous. A dumbing down, trivialisation, Hollywood take on a very grave issue, arm deals to the developing world. Nicholas Cage is unconvincing and irritating as Uri, confirming my dislike of him.

• Manu G

  
  This wasn't the first time I had seen it but this time I could apreciate it more and actually like it more this time. The acting I thought was fantastic from Cage and Leto. Great Movie!!! In the 1980s in Little Odessa, the Ukrainian immigrant Yuri Orlov decides to change his… More
  This wasn't the first time I had seen it but this time I could apreciate it more and actually like it more this time. The acting I thought was fantastic from Cage and Leto. Great Movie!!! In the 1980s in Little Odessa, the Ukrainian immigrant Yuri Orlov decides to change his economical life and becomes an arm dealer with his brother Vitaly Orlov. His business of gunrunner supplying illegal weapons in disturbed areas of the planet increases with the end of the Cold War, and Yuri bribes a Russian general to sell most of his arsenal. Meanwhile, he becomes a millionaire and uses his money to seduce the beautiful Ava Fontaine and they get married, having a son. The detective Jack Valentine chases Yuri trying to put him in jail, but in the end he understands that Yuri is a necessary evil for the interest of his nation.

• Conner R

  
  A better movie than I think anyone was expecting. Nicolas Cage either gives great or terrible performances, but this was definitely one of his best. I loved the message of the movie because it wasn't just anti-war, it was much more than that. There were some great performances… More
  A better movie than I think anyone was expecting. Nicolas Cage either gives great or terrible performances, but this was definitely one of his best. I loved the message of the movie because it wasn't just anti-war, it was much more than that. There were some great performances from Jared Leto and Ethan Hawke as well.

• Anthony L

  
  An impressive an unbiased look at the arms trade, although I?m not sure Cage would have been my first choice to play the lead role.

• Film C

  
  wow this is a great movie well writeen and well acted and depicted really worth a watch !

• Jens S

  
  Nicolas Cage is the perfect choice for a large scale arms dealer, dodging the arms of justice and juggling a luxurious private life at the same time. His tale is a bit predictable, especially the character of his brother, and the episodic flow isn't exactly full of exciting… More
  Nicolas Cage is the perfect choice for a large scale arms dealer, dodging the arms of justice and juggling a luxurious private life at the same time. His tale is a bit predictable, especially the character of his brother, and the episodic flow isn't exactly full of exciting highlights. Instead it is giving a realistic, yet satirically exaggerated image of this business no one knows about yet still manages to have its say in the big conflicts of the world. The almost documentary, yet beautifully filmed , style makes the movie feel a bit anti climatic, but the final scene between cage and Ethan Hawke and the conclusion is heavy stuff. Entertaining and interesting, but could have dug even deeper than it did.

• Daniel P

  
  The first time through this one, already a couple of years ago, I wasn't really paying attention, and I don't even think I got to the end. That was a mistake: this is a really good movie. Incredibly believable and evocative of realist film, right down to the narrator with… More
  The first time through this one, already a couple of years ago, I wasn't really paying attention, and I don't even think I got to the end. That was a mistake: this is a really good movie. Incredibly believable and evocative of realist film, right down to the narrator with whom you'd sympathize if only you thought he'd be interested in sympathy. Nicholas Cage - an actor I don't generally like watching - is the perfect actor to play this role, and Jared Leto shows that he just keeps getting better... tell me again why he'd rather start a rock band that sounds like everything else on the radio...? Anyway... good movie, glad I went back to it.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"The first and most important rule of gun-running is: never get shot with your own merchandise."</i> One man demonstrates how to get rich selling warring nations the tools of their deadly trade in this dark comedy drama. Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) is an… More
  <i>"The first and most important rule of gun-running is: never get shot with your own merchandise."</i> One man demonstrates how to get rich selling warring nations the tools of their deadly trade in this dark comedy drama. Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) is an opportunistic businessman who stumbled into a gold mine after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Huge caches of Soviet weapons became available at bargain prices (and even for free if one wasn't above stealing), and as literally billions of dollars' worth of Soviet military technology disappeared, it began finding its way into the hands of weapons dealers eager to sell it to the highest bidder. Orlov was one such dealer who found plenty of buyers for guns and military gear in unstable Third World nations, who paid cash and didn't appreciate too many questions. Orlov's exploits in the arms business quickly made him a very rich man, but they've also led to some unwanted attention from Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke), an Interpol agent who is convinced Orlov isn't playing by the rules. Inspired by a true story, Lord of War also features Jared Leto, Ian Holm, Bridget Moynahan, and Donald Sutherland. <u><b>Review</b></u> A film that makes you feel small and insignificant. That makes you think of your problems as trifling and of you as.. just a man, who cannot change a thing in this world. What amazed me was the fact that such films exist and still, we continue to follow the same path of destruction, wars, and self-eradication. I am sure that this theory will fill your head after the end of the movie, especially after reading the last lines. Of course, I cannot miss mentioning the brilliant play of Cage and Leto. They with no doubt contribute to the message of the film and make it painfully realistic.

• Leigh R

  
  Who does this? I couldn't imagine being part of that world. Although what he says in the movie makes sense, so I can see where he is coming from. Dang!

• Luke B

  
  A fantastic story of the more than likely true world of gun running. The films opening that details the life of a bullet is one of cinemas great uses of CGI. It also sums up exactly what this film is all about, as does the sound effects of cash registers as guns are fired. Cage is… More
  A fantastic story of the more than likely true world of gun running. The films opening that details the life of a bullet is one of cinemas great uses of CGI. It also sums up exactly what this film is all about, as does the sound effects of cash registers as guns are fired. Cage is very accessible as a believable family man and morally bankrupt individual. Unfortnately the film tries to cover a lot of ground and a lot of chaarcters some of which does drift in and out of proceedings. Leto goes from younger naive brother, to coked up madman and then to a moralistic martyr with no natural progression. Moynahan also has little to do and Hawke and Holmes are also wasted as a government agent and a rival arms dealer. The films pacing is also slightly off and I found some moments that Cage narrates should have been shown on screen. It's a very engaging film and a wonderful subject, though I'd much rather see a documentary on the issue.

• Gordon A

  
  Super smart script from Niccol anchors this but Cage is wrongly cast and fails to convince.

• xGary X

  
  Lord Of War stars Nicolas Cage as an arms dealer who happily supplies any and everyone in the world without thought to moral implications; he sees himself purely as a businessman supplying to meet a demand. This initially intriguing premise could've been a biting political satire… More
  Lord Of War stars Nicolas Cage as an arms dealer who happily supplies any and everyone in the world without thought to moral implications; he sees himself purely as a businessman supplying to meet a demand. This initially intriguing premise could've been a biting political satire and comment on the role of the west in the seemingly never-ending military conflicts that flare up around the world. Instead it's a rather half-hearted affair in which there seems to be little in the way of character development, depth of plot or even moral message; the result is a film that resembles a cross between The Last King Of Scotland and Sgt. Bilko. The only attempt to give these factors context on the world stage is a line of text at the end of the film that proclaims that the 5 permanent members of the UN security council are the biggest arms manufacturers in the world. Well, um, duh...But does the film actually explore this fact at all? No, it doesn't. In fact it just contains a few superficially realised characters and an attitude to military hardware that has more in common with The Fast And The Furious than Doctor Strangelove; more often than not it looks like a guns & ammo fetishist's wet dream. It's glossily entertaining for it's duration, but the pay off I was expecting where things turn around and it explores the consequences of his actions never materialises; he just gets shit-faced and stumbles around for a while and then carries on as normal. A reasonable but vacuous way to spend a couple of hours, but I doubt it will stand up to repeat viewing.

• Ginny  

  
  Okay, what?! Donald Sutherland was in this?? How come I never spotted him while I was watching it? I liked a lot of lines on this one. The intro was somewhat winded, but it was an interesting angle shot anyway. (At the start where they show the "life" of a bullet).… More
  Okay, what?! Donald Sutherland was in this?? How come I never spotted him while I was watching it? I liked a lot of lines on this one. The intro was somewhat winded, but it was an interesting angle shot anyway. (At the start where they show the "life" of a bullet). Cage did a great job, I think if they had gotten someone else it wouldnt have had that certain touch which only Cage can give. Hawkes lines were pretty good too, but.. something was sort of a miss with his character and I dont really know what it is. It bothers me a bit that they had to put a small amout of drug use on this tho. But I guess without the "bram-bram" and the coke sniffing this wouldnt have turned out as good. Meh, maybe Im just trying to look for a MOD movie that doesnt have anything to do with the other. (is that too much to ask? Is that impossible???) Hmmm.. anyway.. dammit who was Sutherland in here? How the heck did I miss that?!! --- Okay.. he only did the voice of one of the characters.

• Aaron N

  
  Yuri Orlov: The first and most important rule of gun-running is: Never get shot with your own merchandise. What's cool about Nic Cage is that he is in early stages of Walkinisms, where he can give the same type of performance, but it is still entertaining to see anytime. This… More
  Yuri Orlov: The first and most important rule of gun-running is: Never get shot with your own merchandise. What's cool about Nic Cage is that he is in early stages of Walkinisms, where he can give the same type of performance, but it is still entertaining to see anytime. This movie is a very dark comedy that is filled with humor and interesting visual touches. It's also very informative about a topic that probably isn't to delved into by many. Gunrunning is a very real industry, and watching this movie, the best part is knowing that all the information presented is true. Not the characters of course, but what is shown and how the trade is portrayed, all of that is real. Yuri Orlov: The second rule of gun-running is always ensure you have a foolproof way of getting paid. The story revolves around Yuri Orlov, a Ukranian man who moved to America as a boy and grew up to become a gunrunner. The film depicts about twenty years of his life, with his narration backing up all of the activities, people, and guns he must deal with. The supporting actors also do a good job, including Jared Leto as Cage's coke addicted brother, Bridget Moynahan as his trophy wife who learns more than she wants to, Eamonn Walker as an African Dictator and Ethan Hawke as an honest cop trying to legally take Cage down. Jack Valentine: Do you know why I do what I do? I mean, there are more prestigeous assignments. Keeping track of nuclear arsenels - you'd think that be more critical to world security. But it's not. No, nine out of ten war victims today are killed with assault rifles and small arms - like yours. Those nuclear weapons sit in their silos. Your AK-47, that's the real weapon of mass destruction. Yuri Orlov: I don't put a gun to anyones head and make them shoot.A shooting war is better for business but id rather them shoot and miss just as long as their firing. As mentioned, Nic Cage does his thing here. But opposed to the half of his films that are aimed at blockbuster audiences, this is the the type of character role that he sinks right into at works wonderfully. His character's morality is a wonderful aspect to play off of. Also helpful is Andrew Niccol's direction. Just as in Gattaca, mixing with his intriguing story is his wonderful visual tricks. The movie is full of juxtaposed imagery and satirical jabs depicting the state of the world and the role of Yuri's business. This is a movie that becomes better and better as I watch it. It has a good soundtrack, doesn't bull shit the facts, doesn't promote Cage's business as anything but how it is, and it maintains it's tone as a real depiction of a dark business... with jokes. Yuri Orlov: There are two types of tragedies in life. One is not getting what you want, the other is getting it.

• Al S

  
  Nicolas Cage is at his very best, his best and most intelligent performance in years. One of his greatest roles. Ethan Hawke is teriffic. Spectacular and heart-pounding. A riveting and powerful thriller. Slick, stylish, wickedly funny and very entertaining. Mad house fun with plenty… More
  Nicolas Cage is at his very best, his best and most intelligent performance in years. One of his greatest roles. Ethan Hawke is teriffic. Spectacular and heart-pounding. A riveting and powerful thriller. Slick, stylish, wickedly funny and very entertaining. Mad house fun with plenty of great and dark moments. One of the best crime dramas i've seen since Goodfellas. Searing and electrifying. Exciting and exhilerating. A film with a serious message.

• Curtis L

  
  Pretty good. A bit frightening.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings