I’m still unsure how I feel about this film, even though quite some time has passed since I first saw it. There’s definitely a personal perspective at play here. My feelings toward the Democratic National Committee in 2018 were pretty strong...but looking back to the early 2000s and continuing today, George W. Bush felt to me much like Nixon did for Hunter S. Thompson. Honestly, I can't think of a president I dislike more than W. So please excuse any bias that might come through; I try to keep politics out of these reviews in this incredibly politically charged era. That being said, on one hand (and I’ve been critical of Stone recently), this is a genuinely strong Oliver Stone film. Unlike *Snowden* and *World Trade Center*, it delivers what you'd expect from an Oliver Stone movie. And that’s something I can appreciate. Whether or not you agree with Stone’s political views, you watch an Oliver Stone film because he puts his stamp on it...and this one certainly has that. It's enjoyable to sit down and experience that clear "I'm watching an Oliver Stone movie" feeling, and this delivers just that. However, a decade has passed since its release, which somewhat diminishes the impact. When it came out in 2008, Bush was still president, and simply seeing it then made you feel good about being American. Few other countries would allow someone to release a film critical of their current leader while he’s still in office. It gave you that great feeling of “this is what makes America special,” "this is what sets us apart from the rest of the world." Thank you, Oliver Stone. But now, ten years later, you don't get that same reaction. You don't feel driven to buy a ticket and then return to celebrate the First Amendment. Because of this, it feels like the film would have been better released more recently. Now, you remember the people celebrating in the streets when he left office. You recall that sense of relief that Bush was no longer president. You remember the victory of Barack Obama...you remember the events in St. Paul and the feeling that the DNC could have put forward almost anyone and they would have won. After all that, you’re left wondering if Stone should have waited another year to make the film. Despite those thoughts, it was a fair film; balanced (unlike this review). That's probably because of something my late father used to say: he disliked W. as president but felt he would have liked him personally—an attitude you’re unfortunately not really allowed to express these days. Still, it doesn't change the fact that you feel like you are watching an Oliver Stone movie. It doesn't erase that sense of pride from seeing *W.* in theaters when it was first released. And it doesn't change the fact that it remains a good film...even if it resonates more with those old enough to remember the time period.

Source on TMDB