it's like the big bag of chips, that's half full. (vacuum packed)

Rating: Null/10 (13 November 2005)

this movie could have been so much more.
any review you'll read talks about the "amazing" cinematography. so I won't waste my keystrokes. it's true for the most part. desert + sky + night + oil fires... I don't know how you could mess that up mendes does do a good job with this movie, there's no denying that.
Now the plot... that's where the weakness shows a little. Some will argue that it's trying to illustrate the fruitless sense of that war. OK. You might even read about how they depicted the emotions and boredom of the soldiers in the desert. Sure, they did... but what if I told you I was going to make a movie, in real-time about some guy who doesn't have a job, and just sits around all day in a dark basement apartment?
"it totally grasps the reality of boredom" yeah but I see films for one of two reasons.. to be entertained or to be informed.
Did jarhead entertain me? Yes. I laughed; some of it was pretty funny. But seeing doodes high five each other in the theatre at some of the jokes... not so much.
Rent this movie; don't pay 9 bucks to see it.