Full Metal Jacket Reviews

these boots are made for walking

Cinema doesn't get much better than this.

The film is effectively in 2 parts. The first shows the marine recruits in training, having every last bit of individuality trained and bullied out of them. Brutal.

The second half is in nam on tour. Beautifully shot.

A breath of fresh air.........

.......finally a director who was prepared to make a film that shows the truth about the hypocracy of the vietnam war and one that doesn't show the americans as heros for a change!

Thank you Stanley Kubrick - the master!

Kubrick’s gritty, unglamorous Vietnam War film.

The first half of the film is superb and shows the (essential) dehumanising of ordinary men to turn them into soldiers, killers; able to perform their task without a thought. The casting of a former marine drill instructor is inspired. The first scene, even with the recruits have their hair shaved off, starts this process off.

The final scene of this half shows the progress that the recruits have made. The second, slightly weaker half focuses on combat with the sudden violence, confusion and boredom of being in the field. Kubrick looks at what happens to men under such strain. Some men cope, some don’t, some die and others kill.

A top piece of film making, even my wife enjoyed it!

Best of the Best

From beginning to end this is one of the finest films, let alone a fine war film.

With its examination of the thoughts and feelings of the actual soldiers involved, all the way from raw recruit, it gives a realism sometimes missing from war films. Taking this step it also engenders real feeling towards the central characters, meaning that you actually feel something when the bullets start to fly.

One of the true must-see films whether a fan of the director or genre, or not.

Born to kill...

Excellent war movie from Kubrick here, and you can definetly tell it's his movie and contains much of his trademark whackiness. Character development suffers in this film which is odd as it's not the average war film full of heroics and explosions (e.g. blackhawk down)but actually quite slow paced. Much of the film is devoted to a training camp and irocicly is probably the 5 star third of the film. This in not a bad thing but much of the screen time is devoted to what happens rather than the charcters themselves, reult being you know almost nothing about the lead (Joker) and nothing about the rest. This makes it harder to connect with the characters. Thee film is a great one, but it's not Apocolypse Now either. 4 stars.

Kubrick mastery

This film is magnificent as the perfect caricature of the insanity of war, a spot-on jab at the mindlessness of it all. One of the two films I can remember that I watched so many times that I actually wore the videotape so thin it snapped in the machine (the other was Pulp Fiction).

The soldiers we see from the beginning are treated like animals, and animals they become, as we observe their lives after they finish their training and head out to the Vietnam War.

Some beautifully shot scenes - as always, the set and backdrops are right on, and the environment Kubrick creates is beyond perfection, especially in Vietnam, in the second half of the film.

Considering the entire film was shot in Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, the Vietnam constructs are particularly impressive, and the casting is flawless. Each and every character has their own unique facets, which we grow to love or hate (or most likely a little of both). Modine is excellent, and the casting of Ermey is, as always genius. Originally not intended to be in the film, he was merely on set (being a former drill instructor having served one and a half tours in Vietnam) to advise the actor on how to play the part, but did such a good job that he was hired to play the part himself.

A work of the master, one of Kubrik's best. I can't recommend this film enough.

10/10 - One of the best.

Try Platoon instead

The first half is effective enough (although the skies give the Hertfordshire set away!)

In the second Kubrick relies almost entirely on long dolly shots along tracks, which become very repetitious. (Unintentional?) lens flare, sudden jarring lighting changes and, after very effectively dispensing with music throughout the film, suddenly the orchestra strikes up in the last ten minutes.

Not much in the way of characterisation, or insight other than the stunningly obvious "war is hell".

One of the most amazing pieces of cinema ever made! Film is split into 2 parts, the first hilarious yet brutal with a shock ending, the second, a lesson in war film making with yet again another disturbing and uncomfortable conclusion. Great soundtrack from the time and a slightly haunting score almost match what is going on on the screen! One of my favourite films of all time!

Customer Review

Perhaps, in its time, this film worked as a social commentary.

Perhaps in the 1970's U.K. this film tugged on our conscious, but I'm afraid post Iraq 'we are a bit more sophisticated.'

I've never understood that 'phrase' when politicians use it today, but now having seen this film I sort of understand where they are coming from.

Perhaps notable as the first 'war commentary' film

A valiant attempt of its era, but says nothing compared to today's issues.

There are far better Vietnam war films

Truly Awsome

Awsome film, very well acted by all the cast, lovely little pockets of scathely humor too.

Language is VERY course though, makesure the children are asleep!