Movie review
December 25, 2018 · 132 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Vice is a 2018 biographical black comedy directed and written by Adam McKay. It traces Dick Cheney's path from Wyoming to becoming one of the most powerful vice presidents in U.S. history under George W. Bush, with heavy focus on his influence over post-9/11 decisions including the Iraq War and interrogation policies. The film uses sharp satire and stylistic flourishes to portray political maneuvering and expanded executive authority through a critical lens on Republican leadership. A brief family sequence shows differing views on same-sex marriage within the Cheney household.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Vice.
Woke representation / casting
Casting follows historical accuracy with appropriate actors for real figures such as Tyler Perry as Colin Powell; no audience-visible diversity quotas, identity signaling, or mismatched reinterpretations.
Woke political dialogue
Satirical scenes and narration directly criticize Cheney and Bush administration actions as manipulative power plays and policy deceptions, delivering a clear critical stance on conservative leadership.
Identity-driven story themes
A short family sequence depicts real tensions over one daughter's lesbian identity and same-sex marriage views, but this remains incidental personal context within the dominant political narrative.
Western institutional / cultural critique
The film targets the expansion of vice presidential power and specific national security decisions under Bush as overreach, presented as historical political satire without reframing into modern activist themes around identity, patriarchy, or systemic social issues.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant. The film dramatizes documented figures and events with standard biopic interpretive choices.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Conservative audiences and reviewers largely rejected it as liberal propaganda or a partisan attack on Republicans and Cheney, with complaints centered on political bias and accuracy rather than identity politics or DEI elements.
Creator track record context
Adam McKay and select Plan B producers carry left-leaning or socially themed credits, yet the project centers on traditional political satire of power and policy without foregrounding identity-driven or representation-first approaches.
Production
