I liked it for its character arch.

Rating: 9/10 (4 November 2005)

I like Tonys characters growth in the movie. Every character needs to start at a place and end up at another in a movie, however, I particularly enjoyed the metamorphasis from confused young teenager, to hardened marine that Jake G. manifested on screen. I love Jakes acting and every movie he is in seems to become a favorite of mine quickly. He obviously has a talent for making a character his own, and it really shows in this movie when you follow his painful yet inevitable struggle with his "back home relationship" Jamie Foxx really did his homework on this one also. He definitely was your typical marine, yet he brought a modern, fresh, smart element to the character that made me want to watch his every move and decision because you knew there was a reason for it. I only wish the movie was longer because in seems when I watch war movies I tend to enjoy living in the characters struggles, and feeling, in some small way, my own sense of time being stretched across my conscienceness. They did a good job of illustrating the boredom of the characters, and I am sure it was long enough for everyone else, but I truly enjoy just getting seriously lost in the middle of a movie and really feeling like I'm there with the characters. As long as its done right of course. I also thought the end did not provide enough conclusive elements and now I must read the book.