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Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson's War Image
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Metascore
69 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 88 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tom Hanks
  • Summary: Charlie Wilson's War is the true story of how a playboy congressman, a renegade CIA agent, and a beautiful Houston socialite joined forces to lead the largest and most successful covert operation in history. Their efforts contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, with consequences that reverberate throughout the world today. (Universal Studios)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 39
  3. Negative: 1 out of 39
  1. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Rick Kisonak
    90
    The two actors (Hanks/Seymour Hoffman) have terrific chemistry and riff off one another like partners in a veteran comedy team.
  2. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    50
    It is well made as far as it goes. I wish it went beyond its own carefully prescribed limits of the commercially acceptable.
  3. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    30
    As creator and head writer of "The West Wing," Aaron Sorkin had a gift for making policy debate seem sexy, but what worked in the context of that liberal fantasy founders badly amid the realpolitik of this cold war drama.

See all 39 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 46
  3. Negative: 1 out of 46
  1. TimH
    10
    Anyone who doesn't give this movie an 8, 9, or 10 must not have gone to the movies lately. This movie is funny, intelligent and the acting goes from very good (Hanks and Roberts) to great (Hoffman). It also is about real life important events that have been shot as an entertaining story that never lets the pace slow down. I just wish I had seen ot on the big screen rather than on a DVD, it probably would have been even better.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. TonyB.
    5
    I wasn't bored, but I could hardly believe much of it. even though we're told the basic facts are true. Tom Hanks is out of his element, and Julia Roberts is seriously miscast. It's no surprise that the great Phillip Seymour Hoffman steals the show. The film ends too quickly with an almost casual brush off of the significance of the consequences of Charlie's adventure. Mike Nichols did much better with "Primary Colors."… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. EricB.
    0
    This movie takes complex historical events and simplifies them to the point of idiocy. It's pretense to historical reality is garbage. Its basically well produced piece of junk from people who get their history from comic books. Don't waste your money; nothing going for this film that was neither "rational" nor "inspirational", but rather demonstrates the problems with people who are specialists in acting thinking that they actually understand international politics. Don't waste your money.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 46 User Reviews

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