Platoon meets Full Metal Jacket?

Rating: 8/10 (28 March 2006)

JARHEAD is based on Anthony Swofford's 2003 best selling novel. Critically acclaimed and brilliant. Exceptionally photographed and so real you can almost feel blowing sand and smell burning oil. This military drama follows Marine Anthony Swofford(Jake Gyllenhaal) from boot camp to the Middle East, where Desert Shield becomes Desert Storm. There is innocence becoming dark and rowdy. War among other things is sobering. Swofford finds himself a sharpshooter in Saudi and fighting in Kuwait alongside his Staff Sgt. played excellently by Jamie Foxx. There is also Peter Sarsgaard as Troy, who always seems to be the sounder of reason. Lucas Black plays Kruger, who thinks he actually has rights in the military. There is also oddball Fowler portrayed by Evan James. Dennis Haysbert is cast as Major Lincoln, who barely has screen time enough to take a dump. Also in the cast are: Brian Geraghty, Chris Cooper, Lo Ming and Katherine Randolph as the savvy TWA stewardess. It isn't easy to fight an enemy you can't see; let alone understand the real cause of their actions. Semper Fi.