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After American private corporation Tamerlane assumes control of war-torn country Turaqistan they send in assassin/political operative Hauser (John Cusack, who also co-wrote the script) to knock off a key enemy and simultaneously oversee a high profile wedding for pop star Yonica Babyyeah (Hilary Duff) as a media distraction. But Hauser finds his own distraction in the form of sexy and savvy reporter Natalie Hegalhuzen (Marisa Tomei).

Big question: Does this satire have even a shred of the entertainment value of Cusack’s previous assassin comedy “Grosse Pointe Blank” or anything intelligent to say about current events?

Skip it: No matter what your political beliefs are, you can't be happy that the Iraq war has dragged on so long it’s now inspiring satires as painful as this and Uwe Boll’s “Postal.” At least “War, Inc.” has a quality cast and some funky ideas—including an amusement park-style war simulator for journalists—but the slipshod filmmaking squanders whatever potential there was for something worthwhile.

Catch it: For the missed opportunity of pairing Cusack and Tomei in a romantic comedy. There’s enough here to suggest they could’ve been great together if they had the right material. This is far from it.

Bottom line: You know you’re in trouble when Duff’s vaguely Middle Eastern accent is one of the most convincing elements of a movie. This satiric trainwreck is just embarrassing for everyone involved.

Bonus: This is the tenth time Cusack and his sister Joan have shared the screen, but she really should’ve turned this one down. Even if it would’ve made next Thanksgiving a little more awkward than usual.

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