A group of journalists covering George Bush's planned invasion of Iraq in 2003 are skeptical of the president's claim that Saddam Hussein has 'weapons of mass destruction.'
If this swift, entertaining film, set during the post-9/11 run-up to the Iraq war, brashly leans left, it has history on its side as well as, it seems, the interests of our soldiers.
Though at times the reporters seem too prescient, and the script suggests an exaggerated awareness of future history, this is an entertaining film about a frustrating situation.
It... captures an aspect of journalism not often portrayed: the fear of being wrong when the conclusions of your reporting break from those of your competitors.
Are we supposed to take this as some sort of cautionary tale about what happens when governments and journalists fail in their duty to tell the truth? I'm afraid we're long past those particular warning lights, Mr. Reiner.
The filmmaking here is so pedestrian, flat-footed and overly-obvious as to leave Shock and Awe one of those second-rate dramatic movies that make you wish that it had been a top-notch documentary instead.