Thanks to the success of The Hurt Locker, I had a lot of anticipation for the newest Iraq War film, Green Zone. The pedigree of Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass didn't hurt either, not to mention a four-star review from Roger Ebert. What I got was a much more preachy action film than I'm used to, and I'm still not sure how I totally feel about it. Just go with me here.

Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Damon) is on the front lines of the search for Weapons of Mass Destruction, but each supposed WMD site he investigates is bogus. Suspecting faulty intelligence, he miraculously meets the man in charge, Clark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear), who reassures him that his source is accurate and confidential. A burly CIA bureau chief (Brendan Gleeson) tells Miller he's right to have his suspicions, and a Wall Street Journal correspondent (Amy Ryan) gives him her card, in case he has anything important to disclose.

This is getting complicated. Oh wait, this is an action film! Miller is also pursuing Al-Rawi, a high-ranking former general in the Iraqi army (the "jack of clubs" using the Army's deck of cards containing all high-profile members of the military), based on a tip from a one-legged Iraqi passerby calling himself "Freddie"(making it easier for the audience to remember and categorize him as one of the "good guys"). Poundstone mysteriously sends his own team to capture Al-Rawi, led by Col. Briggs (Draco's dad in Harry Potter, his unicorn's mane trimmed down and jet-black), so Brown backs Miller to capture him and divulge what he knows.

The film's standpoint is decidedly anti-Iraq War, in particular the subject of non-existent WMD's and its motivations in the incursion (the opposite of Greengrass's earlier film United 93, which looked solely at the events of 9/11 and not its aftermath). Honestly, I'm not sure how I stand personally on the subject, because I don't know as much as I should. The strongest reviews I've seen on the film have been because of the critics' own political leanings, and that's just not how to do it.

Overall, I was underwhelmed by Green Zone. Greengrass utilized too much of the SteadyCam technology employed in the Bourne trilogy, creating shots that could've been much more effective had the audience been able to see clearly. The screenwriter, Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, one of my all-time favorite scripts), excels at making the military lingo and jargon easy to understand, but the dialogue occasionally falls flat because of the lack of real drama. I've felt that Matt Damon has been very stiff in his last few films (particulary Invictus), and this one was no exception. Despite the superb ensemble of a snake-like Kinnear, a worn-out Gleeson, and a determined Ryan, the message and performances were unable to hold the film together.

Still, it's worth viewing, especially if the war in Iraq is a topic of interest for you. I award Green Zone three pitchforks; despite a stellar cast and the previous collaborations between the lead actor and director, the pointed political overtones and overused camerawork bog down the action.