Has it's flaws but packs a few

Rating: Null/10 (15 March 2004)

What can you say about this film apart from it being very entertaining. Well for the first 45 minutes. I came home one when I was young and my dad was watching it and my dad never had a problem with me watching films that were not for my age group as he always said it was own decision to watch tertaining. whatever I wanted to and I sat down to watch the continuing story of Full Metal Jacket. It started off like no other film I had ever seen before and it kept me glued to the screen. But Full Metal Jacket could have been a short film about the marines and it would still be talked about as much as it is today. I have nothing wrong with the rest of the film it's just that first three quarters of an hour stick with me. Kurbrick was obviously looking for an angle to use for this to be a bit different to other Vietnam films. I've noticed that there are a huge range of Vietnam films and when I think about it I have never seen a bad one. My all time favourite is Apocalypse Now followed by The Deer Hunter and Full Metal Jacket is somewhere in my top ten. But I do think after the story after the marine training goes a bit sour and just tries it's best to come up with a story. It's like a TV film split into two parts where the first one starts strong but the second not so much. I wouldn't even go that far to say that this has much good acting. If I was to say two characters that stand out to all the rest then it would be Cowboy who at first is very creepy and you don't know what he is going to be like, for example when he is in the marines he doesn't say much and when the camera zooms in him it's a face of hate towards Gomer Pile who is the next character who stands out, actually how can I forget R.Lee Ermey, can't forget that bad ass. The chemistry of hate and forgiveness between the drill sergeant and Pile are hilariously funny and very dark. It's a great build up of tension between these two characters when the end of their training nears. I don't like the voice over of Matthew Modine in this either, I think what he says isn't really relevant to the story and I think it would have given a more sombre mood to what it already had. At the end when the soldiers are marching towards there point and singing Picky mouse I hated that Modine's voice over clouded that moment where it was a background of tragedy and fire but they still try and keep up moral despite their losses. Just no need for the voiceover. Let's be grateful Scorsese didn't direct it, voiceovers all over the place which is not a bad thing but the only voice over that works and will ever work in a Vietnam film to feel the mood is Apocalypse Now. I do love Full Metal Jacket, I just wished it was all about the marines and not about the inventory.