Though funny in parts it is mostly just a plain political movie. great acting all around, especially from Brolin who does a great Bush. the one thing is, is that he can't have made it to the white house being as much of a dufus as he is portrayed throughout the film. while trudging through his shaky politics the movie does, however, respectfully and successfully manage to paint a sympathetic image of the president as well, and these final sequences of the film are (unfortunately) its best.… Expand

While the film was rather dull in it's presentation, I have to give kudos to the actors for having a very strong presence on-screen. I also found myself looking at Mr. Bush in a rather different light. Rather than my usual extreme distaste for him, I almost started feeling....sympathetic. Almost.

The 1985-1986 season of "Saturday Night Live" was highlighted by the appearance of director Francis Ford Coppola. This hallowed institution of sketch comedy, which reacts to the news satirically on a weekly basis, has been sending-up presidents since the show's inception in the mid-seventies, beginning with Chevy Chase's take on Gerald Ford, the klutzy one. W. is the dumb one, and Will Ferrell played this angle to the hilt during the sitting president's first term. Josh Brolin, on the other hand, plays the Bush family's black sheep(shades of Elia Kazan's "East of Eden") as the baffled one. That is what's ultimately disappointing about "W.", because didn't Chris Cooper already corner the market on this characterization in John Sayles' "Silver City"? Some of us, liberals, and more than a few conservatives alike, looked to this filmmaker to provide an outlet for the country's anger at the ongoing war and calamitous financial situation. The last thing we expected, or wanted, was an even-handed portrayal that's counterintuitive to Michael Moore's perception of our current commander-in-chief. It's a well-documented fact that the Bush family is synonymous with oil, and yet, a cabinet meeting that lays out the strategy for the impending invasion of Iraq, presents "W." as a babe in the woods who seems oblivious to the cross purposes of the country's official agenda, which is to liberate the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein. The "weapons of mass destruction" snafu? That's obviously tied to oil interests, a fiction created to line the pockets of industrialists with blood-soaked money, so it follows that W. wasn't part of the conspiracy to break the rules of engagement. Especially during these intelligence briefings, "W." strongly recalls "Saturday Night Live", since all the president's men(and one woman) are all too contemporary and overfamiliar to the people they serve. We need to laugh, so we don't cry, and that's the film's failing. We just stare at them numbly with shock and awe.… Expand

The basic filmmaking is strong enough, I suppose, but, without vituousity, the straight telling of how this small person damaged so many people just made me slump in my seat getting more and more depressed. Maybe Oliver Stone thought because Josh Brolin also has a famous father he could dig in and give a performance, but he's such an exceedingly modest actor the whole thing comes off as if made for TV. Thandie Newton is the only one who does an impersonation, and while it's broad, I'd rather see the movie she belongs in rather than this pointless exercise.… Expand

I went into this movie expecting to see a leftist bashing of Bush but that's just not what happened, it was a surprisingly fair film from Oliver Stone. It wasn't fair and balanced by any means but it was center-left perspective instead of the expected far-left perspective. Oliver Stone Portrays The President as an average Joe of average intellegence who constantly tried, and failed in his W's mind, to live up to his father's expectations. The most surprising thing was Stone's protrayal of Bush's decisions on Iraq, in that it was the intellegence system betraying Bush instead of Bush just trying to one up his dad as most leftists believe. Though the film doesn't protray any of Bushes successes in offic, it critiques his mistakes in a way that is fair to the man who wasn't a bad president in general, just not one of our best. A a centrist myself I see this film as a fair representation of the man an encourage everyone who believes Bush is Evil to see it to get a lesson on the truth: that he was just an under-qualified man doing the best he could. In fact the one man Stone actually portrays as evil in the film is Dick Cheney, answering Powells questions on Iraq by saying, "There is no Exit Stragety, We Stay" The Clif-Hanger style endind will ruin the movie for you but you will still enjoy it for the most part, if you keep an open mind on Bush.… Expand

Good acting but I thought this movie was going to be funny and was extremely disappointed. Who cares what happened in this idiots life, at least give us some laughs after all he's done to us!

I was hooked by the trailer and Director Oliver Stone's reputation. Both disappointed. Though the image was painstakingly crafted to show characters, there was a lack of spirit moving through it. It was basic 'ambulance chasing'..Jerry Springer material. It struck me as low level made-for-TV rather than incisive film making. About an hour into it, I wondered if someone bought off or threatened Stone to do that script, which didn't even begin to scratch the surface of the truths around that family and their politics. Brolin's portrayal was terrific, but the script was so devoid of any real meat, he didn't have enough to work with. Why were W's inner conflicts and demons displayed like dirty laundry without addressing where the dirt came from? This was like a Jerry Springer invites Geo to his show. I imagine there are compelling reasons for Stone to not go beyond painting a sort of distorted Lord's Supper casting W surrounded by his own 'disciples', but I was hoping for something that was less a shallow marionette show of exquisitely crafted puppets for more of HOW this man came to be in that office and WHY. The film was too one-dimensional for me. We are not fully described by our image/presentation--we are also described by the effects we produce, and our relationships. Stone hinted l at the relationships but didn't allow the supporting cast much range to show his reflection-effect in them. Real statements about that vs. constant harping on his mannerisms and weaknesses was the contribution I was looking for...and didn't find.… Expand

While this film doesn't offer the viewer any new information, it does assemble the pieces we have all seen before into an interesting and plausible account of the man who many consider the worst US President in a long list populated with few heroes, numerous mediocrities, and a good bunch of failures. There is something morbidly fascinating about someone who has done so badly in such high office. Stone's timing in bringing out this film has been questioned by some, but one might say that it would have been very interesting to have gotten an account of the captain of the Titanic while standing on the deck of the ship as it slipped lower and lower into the icy ocean. Adding to the dark humor are the performances of several of the supporting players. Let me single out Thandie Newton's stunning interpretation of Condoleezza Rice as a fawning, servile Aunt Jemima, and Richard Dreyfuss as a ferociously intense schemer. Like many, I don't know what, exactly, to make of this film, but it really is a thoughtful piece, and it has some very clever moments. If you're one of the 25% of the populace who still consider the real W's job performance acceptable, then you're not going to enjoy this movie. For the rest of us it's an intriguing and amusing effort by a very good craftsman.… Expand

The premise is far too loaded to have absolutely nothing to say. Time for both Stone and W to retire.

Conflicted but entertaining.

An interesting and somewhat fun movie. Unfortunately, it would have been more successful if it were an all out satire. More humor, and outrageousness, and less drama and exposition would have made this feel more focused. Overall the movie is a great idea that fails to live up to its potential.

Whens there gonna be a good Oscar movie this year? W. Is awful, and I'm letdown by the movie but also by the poor effor great filmakers have been putting into lately.

As a regular Joe Six Pack/plumber, I'm astounded that Oliver "hot-head" Stone would waste his time, my time, and the countries time with this time- wasting waste-of-time. People go to the movies to laugh, and have a good time not to fill their heads with more political clap-trap. Please Mr. Stone. Make a movie about singing chiuahaha's, or something, okay? Or a talking Cow in a skirt that goes to Hawaii. Or another Santa CLause movie or something. Geez.… Expand

Platoon was great! This sucked... Stone, pull your head out of your a--.

Not sure what I expected going into this movie, and still not sure what I got. First, you are not really going to learn anything new about the people or the situations involved if you currently pay any attention to the news. The performances were a mixed bag. I actually thought Brolin was very good. Cromwell just horribly mis-cast...you had to keep reminding yourself that he was supposed to be GHWB. The guy who played Powell also got it wrong I think (too angry). I was amused enough, and the movie never felt like it really dragged or anything, but clear that Stone's best days are behind him as a filmmaker at this point.… Expand

This is an excellent movie with outstanding performances. The reason with certain critics and audiences hate it is obvious and their is no need to say anything else.

This much anticipated film fell flat. The actors were excellent, the father son relationship compelling. Considering the story there was little fire in the direction, at times dull, surely predictable. I think if Stone had only done W up to him being elected president it would have been infinitely better. The events of his presidency and the characters much too current to appear any more vivid or scary than they were in real life. Seeing it opening night in Hollywood, in a packed audience, there was the sound of only one pair of hands clapping at the end. A somber sign in tinsel town.… Expand

W.’s most fascinating censure was subtle. Few seemed to acknowledge the seemingly appeasing conduct of George Tenet portrayed in the film by Bruce McGill, or the clever spoof of the Fox News network. I bought Josh Brolin’s imitation of President Bush, but nobody quite screws up like the man himself.

What better way to make a left wing liberal statement but with this pathetic portrayal of George Bush. Not only is he castrated as an inept bumbling President but is depicted as a mentally unstable alcoholic unsure of his manhood trying to prove to his tyranic father that he could finish the job by getting Sadaam Hussein. As for Richard Dreyfus as VP Dick Cheney he portrays him with hated as War Mongor who is the real power behind the inept President Bush. Facts mean nothing as the entire staff is portrayed as bumbling fools as in the Good Ole Boys. Rice is portrayed as a Secretary, not of State, but one who does the dialing for Bush when he needs to make a call. What a joke? If this film had been made in the Middle of East instead of the Good US of A Oliver Stone would have been beheaded. A fact that somehow the left wing liberals still do not understand. The film is ridiculous and nothing more than Obama propaganda. Not worthy of your time or money.… Expand

Nothing particularly enlightening about the movie.

Horrible. at least when ur not from USA. cant say good things about this movie.

No plot, not point. Very poorly made, and an extreme let down.

Even if you think Bush is the second coming of Hitler, like many on the radical left, you will fine this movie boring and tiresome. It's very long and there isn't much of a story. And because it's from Oliver Stone, you can be sure that what little story there is is probably completely false and made up. I saw an early preview with a bunch of Obama supporters and theye were basically all bored.… Expand

Before this movie was announced, I thought Oliver Stone was a washed up has-been. After seeing it, I still think that. He tries so hard to be clever and controversial, sort of like a drugged-out Michael Moore. Epic fail. I don't like GWB, but then again this movie isn't actually about him.

horrible movie, not worth the money. nothing we didn't already know. Bush will still go down as the worst president in history. Stone felt sorry fior him, we don't- Jack

Spot On Perfection!! Nobody does Presidents like Oliver Stone, can't wait for McC! A standing ovation to Josh Brolin, Richard Dreyfuss, Jeffrey Wright, Ellen Burstyn, Thandie Newton And Toby Jones. Bravo Mr. Stone!!

Eight years of Bush is not enough! Americans like me love this movie because we demand more wars, a bigger deficit, and a president as intelligent as Bush who is buying up more private sectors than a communist regime! Those who hate this film are “tax-raising liberals”!!!

Very interesting and compelling movie. Acting was very strong. Would like to have seen more on the story of his Presidency (Katrina etc) but nonetheless a good movie.

Where is Monty Python when you need him? This movie cemented in my mind that Roger Ebert has passed into senility. I wanted to laugh out loud. I wanted my money back.

The reviews seem to be mixed, first of all, because lots of critics are automatically suspicious of Oliver Stone, as they have been for years. But "W" doesn't include much of the speculative ('unofficial history') material characteristic of "JFK" and to a lesser extent "Nixon". Secondly, everyone has their own strong opinion of Bush and what a movie about him should be like in terms of its political slant. Those in his devoted ~20% fan base won't be happy, but neither will liberals eager to see an angry hit piece. The film is a real, human drama that is both funny and tragic, and focuses primarily on the relationship between father and son. But while I'll argue that the film is generally accurate and sympathetic, I won't say it's entirely unbiased or apolitical. Two sequences seem for me to be especially relevant to the current election: W's reaction to his loss in a 1978 congressional race ('I'll never be out-Texaned or out-Christianed again') and Cheney's explanation of his real motives for invading and occupying Iraq.… Expand

If you interested in how someone like W can get into office or just interested in the man himself, this is the movie for you. This is Oliver Stones best movie in over a decade. Nixon being the last. Josh Brolin is amazing, as is Dreyfus. The rest of the cast is way above average, EXCEPT Thandie Newton who is horribly miscast. Go see it.

This movie was incredibly lame. It failed to tell me anything which I didn't know about Bush, namely that he's an incompetant moron who acts before he thinks and is a horrible leader. The film trys to garner sympathy for the man the entire time and made me want to Gag. It wasn't funny, and about halfway through I just wanted to get up and leave, and I've NEVER had that feeling before.… Expand

I did expect that the movie would cast Bush in a bad light, but do so in an interesting and educative way. This was a Bush critique at the level of a Middle School yard fight. Virtually every scene showed him as a weakling, bafoon, or eviildoer. It was a boring and obvious caricature, not a movie that explained his (perceived) failures in an intelligent or illuminative light. There was no hint of the qualities and strengths that made him president, and before that, a successful and immensely popular Governor, and therefore, no explanation why these qualities failed him and the country during the last eight years.… Expand

A little long and too much symbolism for my taste.