Still excellent

Rating: 8/10 (12 December 2002)

This is still the best, most realistic film about the horrors of the Vietnam war. It captures the madness like Apocalpyse Now, the brutality like Full Metal Jacket and the loss-of-innocence angle like no other.

It could do without the melodramatic "good sgt. vs. bad sgt." subplot, but then again, the casting-against-type of both Berenger (known for his good guys up 'til then) and Dafoe (known for his bad guys)was inspired.

One thing I can't *stand* about this film is that goofy (and fake-looking) shot of Berenger rearing up like King Kong, silhouetted against the exploding napalm while a Skyraider comes through and "saves the day." That one shot has struck me as false from the first time I saw this. For that alone, a downgrade of two points to a seven of ten.