MovieFest Movie Marathon: 'Full Metal Jacket' Review!


• MovieFest Marathon #9 • Full Metal Jacket, 1987 • 8.2/10 •

Although this is a film about the Vietnam War, it could just as easily be about recent events. The ugly realities of war, and what soldiers have to endure before they even get there, are a timeless theme, and 'Full Metal Jacket' looks at the whole picture.

There isn't really a lot of plot -- the soldiers go from training to war and they fight for their lives -- but the relationships among the men and the extremity of the situation they're in are riveting. The film captures both the excitement and the tedium of war, but ultimately loses something by not having a stronger storyline and a stronger leading man. Modine is a good actor, but he is something of a cipher here. We don't know enough about him to care deeply for him, but he's the moral center of the film. It's a well-made film that is powerful and still relevant, but it somehow doesn't quite deliver what it seems it could.

P.S - I now understand why R. Lee Ermey is, and will always be remembered for this role. What a character! Never in my whole 25 years have I heard so many brutal yet brilliant quotable insults fired out of someone's mouth like an AK-47 on heat. I'm sure none of us will forget this legend anytime soon!

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