Hard to believe this was directed by Joel Schumacher!

Rating: Null/10 (25 July 2001)

I'm still scratching my head over the fact that this great, great movie was somehow directed by the same man responsible for the travesty that was _Batman and Robin_. In fact, his entire career to this point has been rather lackluster. But _Tigerland_ is, simply put, a revelation. It is a film in the "men go through bootcamp" vein, but it is more than that. There are more than a few similarities to Stanley Kubrick's _Full Metal Jacket_, but the film stays with the bootcamp experience and doesn't follow its characters to actual combat in Vietnam.
Basically, we follow the story arc of a reluctant leader, Bozz (played by Colin Farrell), as he goes from platoon screw-up to respected leader. Bozz is doing what he can to hold onto his sanity in the face of a system designed to turn him into a remorseless killer.
Farrell is the standout in what is a largely unknown cast, but all the actors do solid work here and this is the sort of film where, I predict, we'll be seeing more of these actors in the years to come, the kind of film that introduces a solid new group of unknowns who go on to make names for themselves. _Tigerland_ is a great film and one which will appeal to a wide range of audiences.