Watching "Lord of War" is a frustrating experience. Scenes that entertain are followed by ones that evoke groans. Even worse, though the subject matter, the dangers posed by international arms dealers, is of great importance, writer-director Andrew Niccol has little of value to say.

"Lord" centers of the rags-to-riches tale of Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage), whose family secures passage from the Soviet Union to the United States by falsely claiming to be Jewish. Realizing early on that he has no desire to take over his father's kosher restaurant, Yuri becomes a dealer on the weapons black market, selling to those who cannot make purchases through legitimate channels. It helps that his uncle, a high-ranking officer in the Ukrainian army, is sitting on a...