Riveted by first half of the movie

Rating: 8/10 (14 May 1999)

Like nearly all of the previous commentaries, I was riveted by the first half of the movie. Former real life D.I. Lee Ermey made me laugh (nervously) with his obscene insults. I went through boot camp and it was extremely realistic. Memorable moments: Lee Harvey Oswald and Charles W. Whitman being held up as "outstanding" examples of Marine marksmanship; the soap attack scene; and having "These Boots are Made for Walking" in the background as the scene shifts to Vietnam. "You keep playing where you shouldn't be playing, you keep thinking you'll never get burned" somehow seems like it's being applied to the United States' involvement in the war.
After that scene, the movie went downhill in holding my interest.