Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 119 Ratings

  • Starring: Jared Leto, Nicolas Cage
  • Summary: The film, based on fact, follows the globetrotting exploits of arms dealer Yuri Orlov (Cage). Through some of the deadliest war zones, Yuri struggles to stay one step ahead of a relentless Interpol agent (Hawke), his business rivals, even some of his customers who include many of the world’s™s most notorious dictators. Finally, Yuri must also face his own conscience. (Lions Gate) Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 31
  2. Negative: 1 out of 31
  1. 88
    A bleak comedy, funny in a "Catch-22" sort of way, and at the same time an angry outcry against the gun traffic.
  2. Reviewed by: Kim Newman
    60
    It would like to be "Traffic" with guns, but comes out more like "Blow" with bullets.
  3. The result is a dead pile of information in search of a movie.

See all 31 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 56
  2. Negative: 14 out of 56
  1. jayk.
    10
    Gives you information, insight with entertainment.
  2. 8
    I liked the opening of the movie, they used a very good soundtrack. Interesting movie, gives you an idea how illegal arms dealing goes. To sum up, good cast, storyline, characters. Especially I liked the characters. Worth watching. Expand
  3. Although its pacing can be a bit wonky, "Lord Of War" still features a very cleverly penned screenplay and an unquestionably magnetic performance from Nicolas Cage. Expand
  4. ApocalypseB.
    4
    The subject matter was something I have a great interest in, pity it was badly let down by some one dimensional acting and third rate directing. Firstly the acting: Cage is a decent actor in the right role, Family Man, The Rock or Snake Eyes. But that is his limit, as the main character in the film needed an actor who could accurately display the inner ambition/turmoil which was Yuri. But Cage wasn't the only guilty one, all the actors bar Yuri brother and Ethan Hawke were so badly portrayed it rubbished the moral issues entirely, leaving me the viewer totally disconnected with any feeling towards them. Which leads to the directing: A good director should first engage the mind, then challenge it along with the heart. After half an hour my mind was fed up of cursing how scenes were recklessly stitched together, I switched off completely. You can not have such a good idea throw onto screen with no consideration towards the overall point, coupled with the silliest ending I ever seen the film fails on every front. My last point is a poster who remarked about anti-Semitic something, well that's rich considering the film portrayed every ethnic race in a dark light expect Jews! Paranoia and just pure blindness L.Mayr, maybe if you talked about the dis-proportionate black and black on screen violence I would of had a bit more respect and sympathy! Expand

See all 56 User Reviews

Trailers