One of the best War films ever

Rating: 10/10 (29 January 2003)

Full Metal Jacket is the first Stanley Kubrick film I've ever seen, and boy was it good. It managed to withhold realism during the entire film but not the kind of Saving Private Ryan or Black Hawk Down realism. This movie was more about the physcological effects on the soldiers more then the war itself (i.e. Boot Camp sequence). I found it to be greatly entertaining with no flaws at all. Acting wise you get good stuff from Vincent D, Matthew Moddine, and most of all the Drill Instructor. Plot wise it was good, it wasn't some annoying so called tribute to the men that died there (i.e. We Were Soldiers) it was more of the way they had to fight the war and how you never knew what was around the corner. There was always the sense of duty to your fellow men (i.e. Sniper scene). The film got violent and bloody at times but I felt it wasn't too bad, but it still deserved the R rating. There was some sexual situations in this flick (Vietnamese Prostitute) but it never really showed anything which I'm kind of glad for. There was also some humor in this movie, I laughed occasionally at the drill instructor about how so over the top he was to his trainees it was funny. My favorite line is, "We are here because there is an American in every Vietnamese waiting to come out!" I also enjoyed it how Private Joker had "born to kill" on his helmet and the peace symbol on his shirt. Overall, a good movie in general that I'd say is one of the best war movies or movies in general (Apocalypse Now Redux was a bit better). I give it a 10/10