Almost too real

Rating: Null/10 (11 December 2002)

I thought I was watching a replay of my time in Boot Camp during the first part of this movie. Of course, I was a "Hollywood" Marine (San Diego Boot camp), but R. Lee Ermey definitely remembered his Drill Instructors. All the phrases, comments, and abuse come straight out of MC Boot Camp.
The movie description mentioned a "sadistic" Drill Instructor. I kept waiting for the "sadistic" part. This was very real to life.
The only problems were you NEVER use "I", you would never be able to smuggle food back to the barracks, and you would never be in possession of ammunition, all which Pyle did. Of course, then there wouldn't have been a story. Also, helmets weren't instituted during pugel stick training until the mid-70's, when a lawsuit was brought against the MC by parents of a boot who ended up in the hospital with possible brain damage from a pugel stick upside the head.
For the unintiated: The Navy has SAILORs, The Army has SOLDIERs, the Air Force has AIRMEN, and the Marine Corps has MARINEs. It is the ONLY branch that lends it's name to it's personnel. There are no Drill Sergeants in Boot training, but there are Drill Instructors. You never used the word "you" with a Drill Instructor, because they translate it to "ewe" which is a female sheep. Your poorly used "you" during Boot Camp would result in the Drill Instructor asking if you wanted to f*$@ him. Then punishment would follow.
A good book to read about some Corps history is "Flags of our Fathers", about the five Marines, and Navy Corpsman, who raised the flag on Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima.