“Even the most powerful machines have their limits.” 

The words delivered to 81 (Alan Ritchson) by Sheridan (Dennis Quaid) in Netflix’s War Machine are intended to remind our protagonist that everything and everyone has a breaking point, no matter how unstoppable they appear — and if you push yourself too far, you might explode in a brilliant flash of self-destruction. 

It’s a tale as old as time. Man vs. machine. Pure power packed into an unstoppable machine versus the human need to achieve one’s goals through nothing else but grit and determination. Even with the knowledge that the odds are against you, a man like 81 knows that there is absolutely nothing in this world (or galaxy) that will keep him from completing his mission.

But how does one human defeat a relentless killing machine from another world? As 81 discovers, even the most powerful machines do indeed have a fatal flaw. Ahead, we break down 81’s journey to that final explosion.

PHOTO BY BEN KING

Who is 81 in War Machine? 

When we first meet 81, he’s serving as a combat engineer in Afghanistan working support for the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Spartans. He arrives to help a broken-down convoy; his brother and team have become stuck thanks to improper engine maintenance after using too much Stop Leak to plug leaks in their vehicle’s coolant systems.

As 81 repairs the vehicle, his brother (Jai Courtney) excitedly informs him that they are both finally eligible for the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (RASP) — a goal the brothers have shared since first joining the Armed Forces at 18 years old. Becoming a Ranger has been so important to them that they both got matching tattoos — DFQ for “Don’t Fuckin’ Quit”— as part of their commitment.  

81 agrees to apply for RASP along with his brother, and the two are celebrating their new chapter when the convoy is suddenly ambushed by enemy forces. 

Everyone save for 81 is killed in the ambush. Heroically, the combat engineer carries his brother’s body back to base, only to collapse a few hundred feet away from safety. After earning a Silver Star and a reputation for his unstoppable determination, 81 decides to honor his brother by applying to RASP a few years later. 

Despite his experience and rank as an E6, 81 eschews leadership duties, politely refusing any opportunities to advance. He’s only there to keep his promise to his brother and cross the finish line at the end of the eight-week program. 

Still, working harder than anyone else, 81 achieves high marks and earns a reputation as the unit’s “Superman,” since he appears to never need to rest, sleep, or eat. 

Despite his intensity and performance, 81 finds himself on thin ice with the Ranger leadership. They begin to worry that he’s in the training program for all the wrong reasons. As one sergeant reminds him during a meeting, the finish line at the end is actually a starting line. 

PHOTO BY BEN KING

What is the Death March in War Machine?

The Death March is the final mission, which, if the squad can complete it within 24 hours and cross the finish line back at the base, they will earn their patch and tan beret and become known as one of the best of the best. 

Their mission: An experimental aircraft has crashed, and the squad has been tasked with finding the wreckage and destroying it with C4 so the new technology doesn’t fall into “enemy” hands. 

Their secondary objective is to rescue the pilot, who’s being held in a village not far from the “crashed” aircraft. All the while, the squad is expected to avoid detection and accomplish their goals within the given timeframe. 

Because this is a training exercise meant to test their strategy, teamwork, and survival skills, the squad is sent in without any meaningful weaponry beyond the explosives they’ll need to destroy the downed aircraft. 

It’s during the Death March that the squad first encounters the alien machine. Sent by unknown intelligence from another planet, the machine is still dormant. 

What is the Alien Machine? 

During much of the movie, we get glimpses of news reports about a mysterious object that has entered the solar system. Similar to the extrasolar object ’Oumuamua discovered back in 2017, the object is from another star with mysterious origins. Unlike ’Oumuamua, however, this object breaks apart as it approaches Earth’s orbit; one piece crash lands near the squad. 

Mistaking the alien craft for the experimental plane they’ve been ordered to destroy, the squad attaches the C4 to its hull and detonates it. However, the explosion only serves to piss off the otherworldly vessel. The machine awakens and attacks, killing several members of the squad and severely wounding others.  

The attack is brutal, with the squad taking heavy casualties. Thinking fast, 81 organizes an escape, trying to get his people back to base. But despite their clever tactics, the squad continues to take casualties as, one by one, the machine eliminates members of the squad. 

How does 81 kill the Machine? 

“First law of thermodynamics, energy can’t be created or destroyed, so it’s gotta go somewhere.”

This is one of the first lines delivered by 81 to his brother as he chides him for using too much Stop Leak to keep their vehicle running in harsh conditions. It’s an important lesson that 81 realizes he can use against the machine when he notices the alien craft needs to vent the intense heat that constantly builds from its engine.

Using that inspiration, 81 leads the alien machine to a nearby quarry and uses the equipment to trap it under a rock crusher. As hundreds of tiny rocks begin flooding the vents of the alien craft, clogging it, the craft is incapacitated. 

“Block the vents, heat can’t escape, pressure builds until the radiator explodes,” as 81 put it to his brother. And boy, does it explode. 

PHOTO BY BEN KING

Does 81 cross the finish line and keep his promise? 

After bringing his final surviving companion and squadmate 7 (Stephan James) back to base, 81 is able to deliver crucial intelligence on how to defeat the machines — thousands more have arrived — to the rest of the Armed Forces, who, as it turns out, have also been battling the alien machines with limited success across the world. 

Thanks to 81’s ingenious solution, humans are ready to fight back against the invasion. As the helicopters take off, taking them to their next fight, 81 closes his eyes, allowing himself a moment to rest, knowing he has kept his promise to his brother and achieved their goal of becoming an Army Ranger. 

War Machine is now streaming, only on Netflix.