Comedian Tina Fey embarks on slightly more serious fare in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, the adaptation of a book about an American TV reporter posted to Afghanistan.
Fey teams up with the filmmakers behind breakout hit Crazy, Stupid, Love and together they bring a similar irreverence and pace to proceedings.
Fey is Kim Baker, a desk-bound TV reporter going nowhere fast.
A sudden rash decision finds her going somewhere after all, on a bumpy flight into a warzone and her first international assignment.
She's agreed to be embedded in the US military force based in Afghanistan, something she regrets the instant she touches down.
Aussie Margot Robbie and hobbit Martin Freeman immediately welcome the fresh blood into the war-jaded media pack, but Baker has much to learn about being an international war correspondent.
What she lacks in experience she is intent on making up for with sheer tenacity, as she is sucked into the adrenaline-pumping chase for the story regardless of the danger to herself and others.
It's clear all three of these main characters are on a collision course and the rather surprising outcome is one of the strengths of this entertaining outing.
There are some shifting tonal issues here which took the shine off a little for me, but the film nicely explores the rarefied clique of the reporter war-room from a fresh and most welcome female perspective.
Fans of Fey should not be disappointed to see her in a slightly less comedic form I enjoyed immensely.
Three-and-a-half stars.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot:: Director: John Requa, Glenn Ficarra:: Starring: Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina:: Rating: R16 - Violence, offensive language, drug use & sexual material:: Running Time: 112 minutes:: Release Date: April 21, 2016
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