Netflix’s sci-fi thriller "War Machine" has been an unexpected crowdpleaser this month, raking up nearly 40 million views in its debut weekend and providing a cinematic thrill ride in its depiction of a Ranger squad, led by the nosey neighbor-defeating "Reacher" star Alan Ritchson, encountering lethal alien weaponry during a training mission.
Directed by Aussie filmmaker Patrick Hughes ("The Expendables 3"), "War Machine" is locked and loaded with an exceptional supporting cast, including veteran actor Esai Morales ("Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning," "Mission: Impossible — The Last Reckoning"), who plays the badass Ranger sergeant Officer Torres.
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Ritchson has admitted in multiple press interviews that this was an incredibly physical shoot that took him to the brink of sheer exhaustion, and Morales luckily escaped the full brunt of it.
"By the time I got there, they’d already been training and shooting, and they bonded," he notes. "I was different. I'm set aside". This separation from the rest of the cast's early bonding experiences worked to Morales advantage, though.
"As a first sergeant character, you’re not here for their feelings," explains Morales. "You’re there to weed out the weak and the fragile [...] If you're the tip of the spear, you’re there to lead. This is all mission-oriented. So it's very similar in a way to doing a film. In a sense, making a film is very much a mission possible."
Chatting to Morales, it's clear that the role was a natural fit for him.
"I just love being a hard ass," he reveals. "Like R. Lee Ermey, the real-life drill sergeant in 'Full Metal Jacket.' He and my cousin were my two inspirations for this character. I love digging deep and sinking my teeth in with abandon. We wanted to make it real. The script had an innate realism. It didn't feel like a sci-fi movie. It felt like a real movie that all of a sudden takes the shift that's 'What on Earth is happening?'"
Morales is game for tough challenges, having gone toe-to-toe with Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt in the last two "Mission: Impossible" films, portraying the devious global terrorist, Gabriel.
"I felt good because at my age, I guess I’ve earned a degree of credibility, and the actors were very kind and very appreciative of my previous 'tours.' I felt like there was an innate respect there," says Morales of his time working on the venerable action franchise.
Working with Hughes, Morales was inspired by the director's unbridled enthusiasm and inspiring creative spirit.
"Patrick is like a big kid in the nicest of ways. He has this joy for filmmaking and the story that's infectious," he notes. "He's all, 'Ah man, we're gonna play, and we're gonna have a bangin' movie.' You really want to do your best for him. With 'Mission: Impossible,' it took five years to make two movies, and that's no joke. The training for that not only included stunt training for the first film that was more stunt-heavy, with knife fights and such."
Regarding the real possibilities of a "War Machine" sequel, Morales would love nothing more than for his Officer Torres to get into a savage mano-a-mano smackdown with a killer alien battle robot.
"You know, that's what I want," he admits. "I wouldn’t mind having a shot at showing what brought him there. It's not only about fighting strong; it's about fighting intelligently. It's about using your wits. There's nothing like experience to train soldiers. I'd rather go to war with an older, experienced survivor than any brutally strong, inexperienced cadets."
"War Machine" is currently streaming exclusively on Netflix.
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