Stanley Kubrick made several great movies; FMJ isn't among them

Rating: 6/10 (27 December 2014)

Bringing an intellectual's approach to the ultimate visceral subject - the Vietnam War - Kubrick fails to imbue Full Metal Jacket with authenticity.
Belying its ambition, parts of the movie feel cheap and TV-like: the story is very episodic, the no-name actors try valiantly but lack pizazz, and the sets are so obviously not in Asia it's a bit painful to see. (In fact, the entire movie was shot in the UK, making use of (among other things) fake palm trees neatly planted in every scene. It's a bit amateurish, especially compared to the Vietnam masterpieces of Coppola and Stone.)
You should still see it - it's Kubrick, for heaven's sake, and he does deliver compelling cinema in the final 30 minutes.