Best War Comedy With TV’s Biggest Stars Streaming On Amazon
War films have been along since the dawn of moving pictures, and have spawned a wide array of projects with a massive spectrum of quality. One of the best semi-recent films in the military genre is a dark comedy headed by some of television’s finest performers, titled Last Flag Flying. While it lacks the guts and gore of a traditional war movie, Last Flag Flying, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, depicts the culture and shared experience of veterans in a deep, fascinating, and humorous way.
The Cast
Last Flag Flying was written and directed by Richard Linklater, with some screenwriting assistance from American author Darryl Ponicsan, who penned the novel of the same name. Before launching the war comedy, Linklater was best known for helming such hilarious films as Dazed and Confused, School of Rock, Bad News Bears, and Bernie.
Last Flag Flying stars one of the best cinematic trios in modern history, with Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne taking on the lead roles, as Vietnam war veterans who reunite for an emotional road trip experience.
Their Work
None of the aforementioned actors require any additional introduction, but just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the entirety of the 21st century, the leading men have each found massive success as television stars in the last several decades.
Steve Carell is best known for portraying Michael Scott in The Office, while Bryan Cranston brought the dramatic character of Walter White to life in Breaking Bad. Laurence Fishburne is best known for his film work, even beyond Last Flag Flying, though he has also seen success as a leading man on the hit television series Black-ish.
The Story
The narrative of Last Flag Flying centers on Marine veteran Larry “Doc” Shepherd (Carell) as he tracks down a pair of his former brothers in arms, Sal Nealon (Cranston) and Richard Mueller (Fishburne).
Though he first claims to have bumped into the pair by random happenstance, Doc reveals over dinner that his wife and son have both recently passed away, prompting him to seek the comfort and support of his peers.
Doc explains that his son followed in his footsteps by joining the armed forces, and subsequently died in Iraq.
The Emotional Journey
Bereft with grief, Doc asks Nealon and Mueller to accompany him on a trip to pick up his son’s body and bring it to the forthcoming funeral services, to which they both agree. Over the course of the trip, however, the trio clash over their conflicting feelings regarding their dark past, and exchange a few harrowing stories about the time they spent in Vietnam together.
I won’t give away too much of Last Flag Flying‘s emotional plot here, but suffice is to say, the film takes a number of twists and turns that will leave you laughing, crying, and laughing again.
Stream It Now
GFR SCORE
Today, the film maintains a certified fresh critic score of 76 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, though I personally would say this score does not do Last Flag Flying justice. If you’re interested in seeing how it all shakes out for yourself, be sure to stream Last Flag Flying on Amazon Prime Video today.
