Full Metal Jacket

I thought the book was much better than the movie but the movie

I thought the book was much better than the movie but the movie was good
also; first real marine corps boot camp on screen. Harry

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

R. Lee Irmey is a scary dude!!

This movie was brilliant. I never read the book but all the actors were terrific. War is hell, just watch this movie. R. Lee Irmey scared me. He & Vincent D'Onofrio should have won oscars! They were robbed!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I'm marine veteran and the first half of this movie even scares me!!!

Now, being a former U.S. Marine drill instructer, I have to say I wish the intial training for these new marines was like it used to be. It is very accurately portrayed in this movie and gunnery sargeant hartman even scares the hell out of me!! This movie was the catalyst that made my son want to join the marines. Unfortunatley, we cant treat these new marines like we used to. We have to be soft on them. no profanity, no hitting, no namecalling. No wonder these new marines go AWOL all the time and get caught doing drugs. I recommend this movie for everyone old enough to enlist! But be weary, I now have one foot. I lost my right foot during a training exercise during peacetime. This is what the marine core did for me and I admit it isnt for everybody.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Epic and Legendary! Ü

i'll definitely keep a copy of this movie as it entails the story of great war..

one seriously amazing movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

one seriously amazing movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

"I love My Rifle"

An anti-modern world, anti-establishment farce that only Kubrick could do. The most revealing parts and which I think are more of the trademark of Stanley Kubrick, myself, is the sadistic Gunnery Sergent Hartman, played by real Vietnam Veteran R. Lee Ermey, a "lifer" by the way, which was appropriate. I think if they had concentrated on this instead of the traditional battle scenes, which Platoon inhabited is really the master of. Kubrick, the master of themes of surrealism and the cruelty that are endemic in man, truly has an eye for dark humor.

All-Time Great War Movie

What else needs to be said about this movie that hasn't already been said in the 18 years since it's release? But I will add that this movie was filmed in 'open matte'. So the DVD is called Pan and Scan but it's really the ORIGINAL DIRECTOR'S INTENT. Cover portions of the top and bottom of the screen and you have the widescreen picture that was shown in theaters.

a disturbed masterpeice

Full Metal Jacket might be the best movie about the mentality of a soldier in Vietnam. Kubriks characters are nothing short of brilliant. From the dictating Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, played by Lee Ermey, to the nervous, and sometimes paranoid squad leader, Cowboy, played by Arliss Howard, and the characters in between, all of them have there own viewpoints on the war. Some belive that the war is pointless, that America is there to, in a sense, make us look tougher. Others believe that this is the most important foreign struggle in the world. The movie, tough very dark, has its share of humor thanks to Lee Ermey's tough and vulgar comments to his squad. This movie is one for the ages.

this movie gave my uncle flashbacks of boot

I love this film,and so does my brother who is an active duty marine and has been for 15 years.In his opinion the first half of the movie is the most accurate depection of the training recieved at paris island anyone who hasnt enlisted will ever see(my uncle chuck who served in the corp during vietnam agrees completely) Now for my gripe: why would anyone in there right mind in this day and age buy a pan and scan version of such a deep and well shot film?What rocket scientist decided to only make the letterbox availble in the kubrick collection? For 2 years I have been trying to locate a non pan&scan version and had no success.Every retail outlet within 20 miles of my house has a stack of pan&scan versions marked down to $9 ,and noone wants them,4 years ago they avereged 25 dollars here in NJ,for a year they were marked 19,then 15 now like I said 9,and they do not move(my local circuit city has 15 in inventory and has for the last 2 years. I have been keeping track every time I go in there). The non letterbox will never sell,a kubrick fan will not watch 66%of each frame that 'saint' stanley bothered to film.Mr kubrick was one of the most meticulous directors ever,He would spend 4 sometimes 5 years editing a film after principal photography had finished. It is a catch 22: until the stores sell out there P&S stock they will not order the letterbox even if it is available as most DVD retail outlets have plenty ,and noone wants the pan and scan as I mentioned above,so there will never be enough orders to encourage the studio to do another production run. I sit here depressed realizing I will soon breakdown and effectivly spend 98dollars on one dvd because I already own dr strangelove,and a clockwork orange. And I have no desire to own the rest of the collection: 2001 is a little slow for my taste,the shining doesnt work for me as I read the book before seeing the film,didnt like lolita,and even though mr kubrick directed the shots that make up eyes wide shut,he didnt get to pay his usual attention to detail during the editing process,and it just seemed something was missing.If I could buy a leterbox version i would have given it the true 5 stars it deserves.

IGNORE THE 'HISTORY BUFFS'

TAKE THIS FILM FOR WHAT IT IS...ENTERTAINMENT! THIS FILM IS WORTH RENTING IF ONLY FOR THE BOOT-CAMP SCENE.

Th Truth

This film is unquestionably the best war film ever made. It shows the futility and horror of war without demeaning the characters. The unrelenting imagery is haunting and deeply moving. A must see!

Not Pan and Scan

The theatrical release of this film removed the top and bottom of the frame, however Kubrick brought it back when it went to tv and vhs. This is true with all late Kubrick fullscreen dvds. There is no widescreen release and it is NOT pan and scan. UGGHHHHH.

insulting to anyone who has any military knowledge or experience

I rented this jumbled, incoherent mess to see what all the fuss was about. I must say this is the most ridiculous piece of pop art trash, made even worse considering the important subject matter. How does Kubrick choose to portray a very complex international conflict spanning four decades? With bad acting (with the exception of Ermy), utterly stupid, pointless and tactically bogus ''combat'' (i.e. actors with toy guns running around playing Rambo spraying unlimited amounts of amunition and ordinance- a common movie effect which does nothing but look stupid- into every window in every village in south vietnam, all after recieving ''expert'' marksmanship training in the corps?!) scenes resembling some weak high school psychological drama (ooohh a female combatant- what trite five minute moral dilemma comes next), and ending with the Mickey Mouse Club theme song. NOW THATS ART! As to anyone claiming it to be an accurate picture of the vietnam war: PLEASE stop spreading such blatant misinformation. Every scene is another example of how Hollywood seems content to distort reality in order to sell some hollow, moronic wreck that will be a big hit with the Kubrick cult, as well as all those theory laden ''post-modernists'' who think because they read Nietzsche they are an expert on everything including the combat tactics, protocall, and capabilities of the US Marines in 1968. What a pompous, ridiculous, insulting, and vulgar film for anyone who values accuracy, and objectivity (DID I MENTION ACCURACY?) when being shown a representation of history. For all the people who served, i am truly sorry this is what many people believe to be your experience and what you fought for. If you want a -better- (but still a movie) glimpse of squad level combat watch Saving Private Ryan. All this film accomplishes is creating frustration, and sadness for those who wish to see the complexities of war approached with dignity and true insight. Skip this misleading waste of time...

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

great

The acting is great and the directing is wonderful. It accuractly portrays the trauma of volunteer marines in the Vietnam War. Some grpahic images may still be with you after you've seen it. Full Metal Jacket is without a doubt,one of the great war movies ever made.

I Loved It!!

I loved every part of the movie, but more especially the boot camp scenes. This movie is what started America`s love affair with R.Lee Ermy (which was a former Marine and DI). Even Force Recon even said that anyone going to Marine recruit training needs to watch this and take notes. It was a great dramatic and action-packed movie.

just read the book

Truly all hail kubrick the guys a great filmmaker. But I was disappointed in the films translation from the book. If Kubrick would have been more faithful to Gustav Hasford's vision in his book (The Short Timers) upon which this film sadly seems loosely based. People would not be saying things like Saving Private Ryan or e.t.c are showing a no holds barred, gritty, and superbly realistic view on war. They would be talking about this film. It is still a great film but it sometimes pains me to watch it after reading the book, and think about what could have been. So yes Kubrick is Great but Hasford was God.

Brilliant, just...brilliant.

The movie deserves 5 stars just for the boot camp part. (A real marine drill instructor was cast as the d.i.) A great depiction of boot camp and vietnam, realistic or not. Kubrick has forgone character development to use his charcaters to present a story of lost innocence.

The Full Metal Jacket

This movie is the best war movie ever made, it explains how important being in the marines or any force is the best thing to do for your country and even thought they play mind games with you, you just have to fight it and have fun.

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No text was provided for this review.