Colin Farrell is Mesmerizing!

Rating: 8/10 (12 December 2005)

"Tigerland" is a Vietnam War movie the way that "The Unforgiven" is a Western.
It's more a Universal Soldier movie, as "Fortunate Son" is not on the soundtrack, or virtually any other period music. It is comparable to the fine, underrated "Full Metal Jacket" as it's more about basic training than Vietnam. It certainly won't be a recruiting film for Today's Army that is trying to use participatory Sigma Quality Management Circles to retain better educated soldiers.
Colin Farrell is mesmerizing as the Rebel With A Cause--to clear the Army of misfits, sadists and undesirables, including himself. There's a neat, original scene when he gets a tough barking sergeant to reveal his first name.
In general, young hard-bodies are feasts for the eyes, even if it's hard to tell crew-cutted objects apart.
The cinematography looks effectively TV newsreelish, especially as it's really a memory play about our youth looming large and mythic over the rest of our lives.
(originally written 10/7/2000)