This is Sheen's movie, pure & simple

Rating: Null/10 (29 November 2001)

I only watched this for the sake of Tom Berenger. (Sgt. Barnes) But the movie really belongs to Sheen. He's an innocent who quits college to go to 'Nam to serve his country. When he gets there, he's racked with stinging ants, murder & chaos & a loss of his own innocence as he kills 'one of his own'. Not until he does this dirty deed does he realize he has just become what he wanted to get rid of. And he got rid of Sgt. Barnes, the scar-faced 'shot 7 times & hasn't died yet' Tom Berenger in an oscar-nominated role.

Johnny Depp was in this, too & should've had more air time. He spoke Vietnamese & was used much as a translator. I don't veer towards war films, especially about 'Nam but like I said, I saw it for the sake of Berenger. He was compellingly 'evil' but it's understandable why. It's also understandable why many who return from war are apt to relive their worst nightmares from over there & end up in prison or just continually violent throughout their lives. "Where does the war end & real life begin?!?" They can't figure it out. This is what war does to people. I say remain neutral & leave the blood & guts routine to those who don't want a future.