Read More @HJ Reviews: How to Run a Covert War Darrel Manson Previews: Video Clips, Trailers, Interviews, Bios, Synopsis, Production Notes David Bruce, Webmaster

"I was bored." That statement matter-of-factly summed up one person's opinion of Charlie Wilson's War, which I must admit surprised me. I had to stop a moment to make sure we both watched the exact same movie. Yep, Charlie Wilson's War. That's what it says on the box, and I'm pretty sure that we both were in the same room and that we weren't using different DVD players. So, yes, we both watched the same movie, which again left me puzzled. While I certainly didn't think it was the greatest movie of all time, I didn't really think it was boring. As I pondered whether or not the film was boring, however, I eventually realized that, depending on a certain point of view, I could see how someone would feel that way. So there it is. Charlie Wilson's War will either interest you or bore you, and there seems to be no middle ground.

Interestingly enough, Tom Hanks admits that this material was difficult to adapt in the first place. Having read the book the movie is based on by George Crile, Hanks found the story itself quite fascinating. However, he admits in one of the DVD's (very few) extras that making it into a movie that people would be interested in was a difficult prospect. The history of the story is quite fascinating, focusing on one of the few turning points of world history. What would the world be like had Charlie Wilson not waged his war is a question that will never be answered; probably for the better. Because of Wilson's efforts, the mighty Red Army was defeated by Afghan rebels on mules, horseback, and the Afghanis' own two feet. How could such a thing have happened? Well, if you're really curious, watch the DVD. If it doesn't really matter to you, don't bother.

The short version: through the efforts of Charlie Wilson and a few co-horts, the U.S. was able to covertly lend the necessary aid to the Afghanis in order for them to fight and, yes, defeat the mighty Soviet miliatry machine. While that sounds pretty exciting, the truth is many of the details were actually very mundane.

The biggest success of this film isn't necessarily its ability to take a fascinating moment in history and turn it into an interesting movie, but rather the strength of the performances of its stars. Had not Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Philip Seymour Hoffman put in solid, entertaining performances, the entire movie would have fallen flat. This cast ably brings to life some unique and quirky people who banded together in order to pull off one of the largest covert operations in history. Tom Hanks is at his charming, witty best and his two co-stars also bring a wonderful life and energy to their roles. Of course it helps that the screenplay by Aaron Sorkin is tightly written with sharp diaglogue and some extremely witty, funny lines. It successfully balances both the quirkiness of the characters and the gravity of exactly what they were trying to do.

Still, there are some flaws here. At times it can be difficult to keep track of all the auxiliary characters that Wilson wheels and deals with in order to accomplish his goal (which certainly lends to the possibility that one would find this movie boring). Also, almost the entire film is people talking, which if one doesn't have a strong script (and I feel this film does), can make it difficult for a viewer to remain interested. One of the biggest problems was the opening scene. I understand that Charlie Wilson was no saint, but surely that could be established without the gratuitous naked-women-in-a-hot-tub-scene. Also, there's a lot of foul language in this film, and while playing Halo 3 has revealed to me that there are indeed people who talk that way, I still wonder if it was really as common as this film makes it seem.

The fact that an unknown congressman was able to run what amounted to his own private war against the Soviet Union right under the nose of Ronald Reagan and the rest of the U.S. government is one of those stories that fits the description of "fact is stranger than fiction." You may be interested to know, however, that we are all engaged in our own war with an enemy far more powerful than the USSR.

Just as many in the U.S. did during the time of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, some prefer to ignore that there's even a war going on and some would rather just let someone else fight for them. Whether you acknowledge that fact that this spiritual war is happening or not, it is very real, and the stakes are higher than any of us can afford: us. The enemy would like to see us destoyed for all eternity: to suffer and die and to never know anything else but death for all eternity. The good news, however, is that we don't have to fight this war alone.

In fact, someone has already fought the most important battle for us and won. When Jesus Christ came to this earth as God in the flesh, he came to pay the price for us. He paid that price by dying on the cross for us and then rising from the dead. He did this so that, instead of the defeat of death, we could know the victory of life, eternal life. Basically, when we enlist in this army, when we choose to serve with Christ, we're guaranteed the victory. That doesn't mean there aren't still battles to fight; indeed there are, and we're given the tools to fight those battles. Better yet, we know how it will all turn out in the end. So our choice is basically between the losing side and the winning side, between life and death. And if you say that you haven't made a choice, well then just as doing nothing would have basically conceded victory to the Soviets, so doing nothing in this battle is chosing a side: the losing side.

If you want to learn more about the war I was just talking about, you can talk to me or check your local Bible. If you want to learn more about Charlie Wilson's war, well... that may prove a bit more difficult. This DVD doesn't exactly come packed with features. You can see a short, thirty-minute documentary on the real Charlie Wilson which, although interesting, doesn't really go into a lot of detail. There is a short, fairly standard making-of feature which has some interesting tidbits, but for the most part is a standard fluff piece one would find in an EPK. Considering all the fascinating history this story is based on, it's disappointing that there isn't more background information on what really happened and the real people who were involved.

So Charlie Wilson's War has some strong performances by likable actors, and it retells a little-known but crucial period in world history. The problem is it shows us a little too much of Charlie Wilson's character flaws. It's also difficult to make what amounts to a bunch of people making under-the-table promises through a series of dialogues interesting. If you have some interest in this period of history, or have any interest in history in general, you'll probably find this an interesting film. On the flip side, if this type of subject doesn't interest you initially, although you may enjoy a few of the witty exchanges and the strong performances of the stars, there won't be much else here to hold your attention. As I said, you'll either be bored or intrigued, but you'll probably know that before you decide whether or not to watch.