Whiskey Tango Foxtrot – Movie Review

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot – R
Release Date: Fri 04 Mar 2016

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is the story of journalist Kim Baker (Tina Fey) in Afghanistan in the early 2000’s based on a book by Kim Barker called “The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

With trailers focusing on the comedic aspects, the movie feels like an ongoing bait and switch as it never really establishes itself as a full-on comedy, romance or particularly adept message about the war. It ends up having elements of these genres but seems to move forward without any of those threads leading anywhere but dead ends. This probably worked much better as chapters in a book in a story about real life events than an adaptation led by a comedic actress the audience keeps expecting to deliver funnier material. Everything, including a romantic interest with Martin Freeman’s character seem pointless in the end and leave the movie feeling like much ado about nothing.

This isn’t to say the source material is at fault, but the decision to adapt it into a movie without creating some kind of clear narrative to hang onto doesn’t hold up. Fey manages to hold the movie together and keep the audience from outright revolt, but one can’t help but wonder if she was used as some kind of trick to draw an audience to see a movie they wouldn’t normally be interested in.

Those looking for comedy need not apply, and even so Whiskey Tango Foxtrtot is more of a Redbox curiosity than an essential theatrical affair.

Kelli, Aaron, Amber, and I saw it in the theater and had a discussion in the car: