The Pentagon Wars

The Pentagon Wars

They aimed to build the ultimate fighting machine... they missed.

R 1998 · 104 min · ★ 6.9 · Comedy, Drama, War, TV Movie

From the director of “Made In America” and “The Money Pit” comes a hilarious look at one of the most expensive blunders in military history. Over 17 years and almost as many billion dollars have gone into devising the BFV (Bradley Fighting Vehicle). There's only one problem. . . it doesn't work. (Spoiler alert: 25 years later ... it does work.)

Directed by Richard Benjamin

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

HBO Max

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 20m together

The Pentagon Wars

Deconstructing Harry

Both from Richard Benjamin.

More from Richard BenjaminSee all →

Hallmark Hall of FameHallmark Hall of Fame · 1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
8.81951
SeriesDrama
Long-running anthology program sponsored by Hallmark Cards. Beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2019, the series received 80 Emmy Awards, 24 Christopher Awards, 11 Peabody Awards, 9 Golden Globes, and 4 Humanitas Prizes. Early seasons were a weekly live drama, eventually transitioning to videotaped and then filmed productions broadcast as occasional specials.
Pushing DaisiesPushing Daisies · 2007
Pushing Daisies
7.92007
SeriesDramaSci-Fi & Fantasy
A pie-maker, with the power to bring dead people back to life, solves murder mysteries with his alive-again childhood sweetheart, a cynical private investigator, and a lovesick waitress.
Deconstructing HarryDeconstructing Harry · 1997
Deconstructing Harry
7.21997
MovieComedyDrama
Writer Harry Block draws inspiration from people he knows, and from events that happened to him, sometimes causing these people to become alienated from him as a result.
Mrs. WinterbourneMrs. Winterbourne · 1996
Mrs. Winterbourne
7.21996
MovieRomanceDrama
Connie Doyle is eighteen, pregnant and alone. She accidentally ends up on a train where she meets Hugh Winterbourne and his wife pregnant Patricia. The train wrecks and she wakes up in the hospital to find out that it's been assumed that she's Patricia. Hugh's mother takes her in and she falls in love with Hugh's brother Bill. Just when she thinks everything is going her way, her ex-boyfriend shows up.
The Last of SheilaThe Last of Sheila · 1973
The Last of Sheila
7.01973
MovieCrimeDrama
A year after Sheila is killed in a hit-and-run, her multimillionaire husband invites a group of friends to spend a week on his yacht playing a scavenger hunt-style mystery game—but the game turns out to be all too real and all too deadly.
Childrens HospitalChildrens Hospital · 2008
Childrens Hospital
6.92008
SeriesComedy
A hospital isn't a place for lazy people. It's a place for smart people who take care of people who aren't smart enough to keep themselves healthy. So begins Children's Hospital, a parody series that follows the lives, loves and laughs of a hospital staff.
The Sunshine BoysThe Sunshine Boys · 1975
The Sunshine Boys
6.91975
MovieComedy
Lewis and Clark, aka The Sunshine Boys, were famous comedians during the vaudeville era, but off-stage they couldn't stand each other and haven't spoken in over 20 years of retirement. Willy Clark's nephew is the producer of a TV variety show that wants to feature a reunion of this classic duo. It is up to him to try to get the Sunshine Boys back together again.
TitusTitus · 2000
Titus
6.92000
SeriesComedyDrama
Titus is an American dark comedy sitcom that debuted on Fox in 2000. The series was created by its star, Christopher Titus, Jack Kenny, and Brian Hargrove. This sitcom was based on Christopher's stand-up comedy act, more specifically his one-man show Norman Rockwell is Bleeding, which was based loosely upon his real-life family; lines from Norman Rockwell is Bleeding were spoken by Titus as commentary. Titus plays an outwardly childish adult, who owns a custom car shop. The show follows him and his dimwitted halfbrother Dave, his girlfriend Erin with the "heart of gold", his goody-goody friend Tommy, and his arrogantly lewd, bigoted and multiple-divorced father Ken "Papa" Titus.
QuarkQuark · 1977
Quark
6.81977
SeriesComedySci-Fi & Fantasy
Quark is an American science fiction situation comedy starring Richard Benjamin broadcast on NBC. The pilot first aired on May 7, 1977, and the series followed as a mid-season replacement in February 1978. The series was cancelled in April 1978. Quark was created by Buck Henry, co-creator of the spy spoof Get Smart. The show was set on a United Galaxy Sanitation Patrol Cruiser, an interstellar garbage scow operating out of United Galaxies Space Station Perma One in the year 2226. Adam Quark, the main character, works to clean up trash in space by collecting "space baggies" with his trusted and highly unusual crew. In its short run, Quark satirized such science fiction as Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Flash Gordon. Three of the episodes were direct satires of Star Trek episodes. The series won one Emmy Award nomination, for costume designer Grady Hunt's work in the episode "All the Emperor's Quasi-Norms, Part 2". The complete series was released on DVD on October 14, 2008.
WestworldWestworld · 1973
Westworld
6.81973
MovieAdventureScience Fiction
Delos is a futuristic amusement park that features themed worlds populated by human-like androids. After two patrons have a run-in with a menacing gunslinger in West World, the androids at Delos all begin to malfunction, causing havoc throughout the park.
Mad About YouMad About You · 1992
Mad About You
6.81992
SeriesComedy
Young, urban newlyweds Paul and Jamie Buchman try to sustain their marital bliss while sidestepping the hurdles of love in the '90s.
MermaidsMermaids · 1990
Mermaids
6.71990
MovieComedyDrama
Fifteen-year-old Charlotte Flax is tired of her wacky mom moving their family to a different town any time she feels it is necessary. When they move to a small Massachusetts town and Mrs. Flax begins dating a shopkeeper, Charlotte and her 9-year-old sister, Kate, hope that they can finally settle down. But when Charlotte's attraction to an older man gets in the way, the family must learn to accept each other for who they truly are.
Catch-22Catch-22 · 1970
Catch-22
6.71970
MovieWarComedy
A WWII military pilot makes a valiant effort to be certified insane in order to be excused from flying missions. But there's a catch.
The Money PitThe Money Pit · 1986
The Money Pit
6.51986
MovieComedyRomance
After being evicted from their Manhattan apartment, a couple buy what looks like the home of their dreams—only to find themselves saddled with a bank-account-draining nightmare. Struggling to keep their relationship together as their rambling mansion falls to pieces around them, the two watch in hilarious horror as everything—including the kitchen sink—disappears into the Money Pit.
Milk MoneyMilk Money · 1994
Milk Money
6.51994
MovieComedyRomance
Three young boys pool their money and pay V, a kindhearted prostitute, to strip for them. Afterward, she drives them home to the suburbs -- but then her car breaks down. It's just as well, though, because a mobster named Waltzer is after her, and V realizes the suburbs are the perfect place to hide. But things get a lot more complicated when V falls in love with Tom, a single father who is unaware of her real profession.
Love & WarLove & War · 1992
Love & War
6.41992
SeriesComedy
A woman running a bar in New York City while trying to maintain a romance with an egotistical opinionated columnist.

More Like This

The Straight StoryThe Straight Story · 1999
The Straight Story
7.71999
MovieDramaAdventure
Retired farmer and widower Alvin Straight learns one day that his estranged brother Lyle has suffered a severe stroke. Alvin is determined to make things right with Lyle while he still can, but his brother lives in Wisconsin, while Alvin is stuck in Iowa with no car and no driver's license. He then has the idea of making the trip on his old lawnmower, thus beginning a picturesque and at times deeply spiritual odyssey.
The PianistThe Pianist · 2002
The Pianist
8.42002
MovieDramaWar
The true story of pianist Władysław Szpilman's experiences in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. When the Jews of the city find themselves forced into a ghetto, Szpilman finds work playing in a café; and when his family is deported in 1942, he stays behind, works for a while as a laborer, and eventually goes into hiding in the ruins of the war-torn city.
Schindler's ListSchindler's List · 1993
Schindler's List
8.61993
MovieDramaHistory
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
A Beautiful MindA Beautiful Mind · 2001
A Beautiful Mind
7.92001
MovieDramaRomance
From the heights of notoriety to the depths of depravity, John Forbes Nash Jr. experiences it all. As a brilliant but socially awkward mathematician, he made a groundbreaking discovery early in his career and stands on the brink of international acclaim. But as the handsome and arrogant Nash accepts secret work in cryptography, he becomes entangled in a mysterious conspiracy. His life takes a nightmarish turn and he soon finds himself on a painful and harrowing journey of self-discovery.
Erin BrockovichErin Brockovich · 2000
Erin Brockovich
7.42000
MovieDrama
A twice-divorced mother of three who sees an injustice, takes on the bad guy and wins -- with a little help from her push-up bra. Erin goes to work for an attorney and comes across medical records describing illnesses clustered in one nearby town. She starts investigating and soon exposes a monumental cover-up.
12 Mighty Orphans12 Mighty Orphans · 2021
12 Mighty Orphans
7.22021
MovieHistoryDrama
Haunted by his mysterious past, a devoted high school football coach leads a scrawny team of orphans to the state championship during the Great Depression and inspires a broken nation along the way.
FargoFargo · 1996
Fargo
7.81996
MovieCrimeDrama
Jerry, a small-town Minnesota car salesman is bursting at the seams with debt... but he's got a plan. He's going to hire two thugs to kidnap his wife in a scheme to collect a hefty ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. It's going to be a snap and nobody's going to get hurt... until people start dying. Enter Police Chief Marge, a coffee-drinking, parka-wearing - and extremely pregnant - investigator who'll stop at nothing to get her man. And if you think her small-time investigative skills will give the crooks a run for their ransom... you betcha!
AmadeusAmadeus · 1984
Amadeus
8.01984
MovieDramaHistory
Disciplined Italian composer Antonio Salieri becomes consumed by jealousy and resentment towards the hedonistic and remarkably talented young Salzburger composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
CapoteCapote · 2005
Capote
7.02005
MovieCrimeDrama
A biopic of writer Truman Capote and his assignment for The New Yorker to write the non-fiction book "In Cold Blood".
Zero MotivationZero Motivation · 2014
Zero Motivation
6.42014
MovieDramaComedy
Filmmaker Talya Lavie steps into the spotlight with a dark comedy about everyday life for a unit of young female Israeli soldiers. The human resources office at a remote desert base serves as the setting for this cast of characters, who bide their time pushing paper, battling for the top score in Minesweeper, and counting down the minutes until they can return to civilian life. Amidst their boredom and clashing personalities, issues of commitment—from friendship to love and country—are handled with humor and sharp-edged wit.
Fail SafeFail Safe · 1964
Fail Safe
7.81964
MovieThrillerDrama
Because of a technical defect an American bomber team mistakenly orders the destruction of Moscow. The President of the United States has but little time to prevent an atomic catastrophe from occurring.
MonsterMonster · 2003
Monster
7.22003
MovieCrimeDrama
In 1989, prostitute Aileen Wuornos befriends and enters a relationship with a young woman named Selby. Determined to straighten out her life, Aileen's limited education lands her back on the corner. She's raped by a trick, who she kills. A string of murder and robbery follows that ultimately leads Aileen to becoming America's first female serial killer.

More on MaxSee all →

InterstellarInterstellar · 2014
Interstellar
8.52014
MovieAdventureDrama
The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
The Dark KnightThe Dark Knight · 2008
The Dark Knight
8.52008
MovieActionCrime
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.
InceptionInception · 2010
Inception
8.42010
MovieActionScience Fiction
Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone · 2001
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
7.92001
MovieAdventureFantasy
Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he learns to harness his newfound powers with the help of the school's kindly headmaster, Harry uncovers the truth about his parents' deaths—and about the villain who's to blame.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets · 2002
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
7.72002
MovieAdventureFantasy
Cars fly, trees fight back, and a mysterious house-elf comes to warn Harry Potter at the start of his second year at Hogwarts. Adventure and danger await when bloody writing on a wall announces: The Chamber Of Secrets Has Been Opened. To save Hogwarts will require all of Harry, Ron and Hermione's magical abilities and courage.
Mortal Kombat IIMortal Kombat II · 2026
Mortal Kombat II
7.82026
MovieActionFantasy
The fan favorite champions—now joined by Johnny Cage himself—are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.
DuneDune · 2021
Dune
7.82021
MovieScience FictionAdventure
Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence - a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential - only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 · 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
8.12011
MovieAdventureFantasy
Harry, Ron and Hermione continue their quest to vanquish the evil Voldemort once and for all. Just as things begin to look hopeless for the young wizards, Harry discovers a trio of magical objects that endow him with powers to rival Voldemort's formidable skills.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring · 2001
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
8.42001
MovieAdventureFantasy
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King · 2003
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
8.52003
MovieAdventureFantasy
As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.​
Lee Cronin's The MummyLee Cronin's The Mummy · 2026
Lee Cronin's The Mummy
7.92026
MovieHorrorMystery
The young daughter of a journalist disappears into the desert without a trace—eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.
The BatmanThe Batman · 2022
The Batman
7.72022
MovieCrimeMystery
In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.
SupermanSuperman · 2025
Superman
7.32025
MovieScience FictionAdventure
Superman, a journalist in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.
One Battle After AnotherOne Battle After Another · 2025
One Battle After Another
7.32025
MovieThrillerCrime
Washed-up revolutionary Bob exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his evil nemesis resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, father and daughter both battling the consequences of his past.
The MatrixThe Matrix · 1999
The Matrix
8.31999
MovieActionScience Fiction
Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells the story of a computer hacker who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban · 2004
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
8.02004
MovieAdventureFantasy
Harry Potter's life is in danger once more as dangerous wizard Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban Prison and is heading to Hogwarts.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two TowersThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers · 2002
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
8.42002
MovieAdventureFantasy
Frodo Baggins and the other members of the Fellowship continue on their sacred quest to destroy the One Ring--but on separate paths. Their destinies lie at two towers--Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where the corrupt wizard Saruman awaits, and Sauron's fortress at Barad-dur, deep within the dark lands of Mordor.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 · 2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
7.72010
MovieAdventureFantasy
Harry, Ron and Hermione walk away from their last year at Hogwarts to find and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, putting an end to Voldemort's bid for immortality. But with Harry's beloved Dumbledore dead and Voldemort's unscrupulous Death Eaters on the loose, the world is more dangerous than ever.
The Dark Knight RisesThe Dark Knight Rises · 2012
The Dark Knight Rises
7.82012
MovieActionCrime
Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent's crimes to protect the late attorney's reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department. Eight years later, Batman encounters the mysterious Selina Kyle and the villainous Bane, a new terrorist leader who overwhelms Gotham's finest. The Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire · 2005
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
7.82005
MovieAdventureFantasy
When his name emerges from the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter becomes a competitor in a grueling battle for glory among three wizarding schools. Signs of Voldemort's return emerge as Harry's friends help him prepare for the Triwizard Tournament.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter