After the bootcamp training it felt like the movie was just another war movie... I hate this Joker, a real forgetable character he turned out to be
D'Onofrio is such a fantastic "villian" in this film. Chills every time I think of that look he gives in the bathroom.
One of Kubrick's best.
The first half of movie feels like a completely different movie, would rate a 10 if it wasn't the other half part of it, the other half its just a typical war movie. This is a 8 and half star movie, would watch again if they realese the 4K version.
I must confess I have trouble digesting war films, as they tend to be either tedious propaganda, patriotic boredom, or just brainless action. It was not the case at all with "Full Metal Jacket".
Stanley Kubrick uses sarcasm and pitch-black humor to document the war in an uncomfortably cold, uncinematic way. As the whole training camp section suggested, soldiers are entirely dehumanized: they don't feel anything, don't know what they are fighting for, their deaths do not even matter at all. Joker seems to be the only character to still retain some kind of humanity, his sarcasm as a way to detach from the system and protect his individuality. However, it's not clear if he managed to go through the last scene intact or if he just became the "minister of death, praying for war" he was trained into being.
It's a highly atypical but masterfully written and directed film, with some of the most iconic prologues ever.
I am afraid i have to agree with most people..Training first part of movie is just brilliant but war part isn't that good we have seen way better things..Anyway this movie is a brilliant movie with great atmosphere and directing..7.9/10
These are great days we're living, bros. We are jolly green giants..walking the Earth..with guns. These people we wasted here today are the finest human beings we will ever know... After we rotate back to the world, we're gonna miss not having anyone around that's worth shooting.
I don't think I've met anyone who didn't love the first half of this film, but I have heard of people not liking the second half. While I like the first half more, I like it more by just a touch. The whole film is flat out amazing.
The thing about the first half that is amazing to me is how fast it moves. While watching this time, I looked down at the run time when it was finishing and noticed that 45min had gone by when it felt like 15. This section starts off humorous for sure. All the phrases used to put down the new soldiers make me laugh, and different reactions to them as well. Then, the longer we go into the sequence the more we start to feel how dark this is. The tone shift is wonderful, and sets you up for the halfway finale.
The second half does the same thing, but in a totally different context. Joker starts off using humor to deflect what he's feeling, but then by the end you really get into his emotion and personal conflict. That last major shot (no pun intended) makes you stay with him and his reactions instead of seeing everyone else.
Frankly, this is one of Kubrick's best films, and that is saying a lot.
It's worth watching just to see R. Lee Emery's drill sgt. routine. Besides that, it's nothing special.
"Full Metal Jacket" is a Kubrick film that doesn't quite compare to the others I love like "2001" or "Dr. Strangelove". I think it's because the first half of the film the boot camp story is totally engrossing while the second half with the freshly trained Marines fighting in Vietnam though gripping can't stand up to it's previous half.
This is due of two things. One of course the Kubrick direction and the other being the performance of R. Lee Ermey. His character Sgt. Hartman is one of movie legend. The ending of the boot camp segment is certainly shocking. If you've never seen it it really hammers you.
I have to agree with the majority of the comments about FMJ: It's almost like two entirely separate movies, the first one which is great followed by the second which is "meh, whatever". As a combat veteran, I was drawn in to both aspects of the movie, and I can tell you that drill instructors can definitely make your life miserable; and we had a couple of washouts in my boot camp (but fortunately, live rounds were much more difficult to come by) who couldn't hack the pressure. The second half was true-to-life as much as the movies can make it, but let's face it: nothing can really portray the horrors of war, or the 1000-yard stare that gets mentioned in here. The movie was great in its depiction of the ultimate apathy of a combat soldier, but apart from that, it really was nothing extraordinary. If there'd been any way they could have stretched out just the first part of this movie and made the whole "boot camp" sequence a story of its own, that could have taken home some Oscars, I do believe. The acting by R. Lee Ermy and Vincent D'Onofrio was acting, and I found the scene where Modine had to cover his ears - to block out the sound of D'Onofrio's crying - very emotionally stirring. Definitely worth watching...and even worth watching again.
Born to Kill. From director Stanley Kubrick comes the nihilistic Vietnam War film Full Metal Jacket. The story follows a marine as he goes through basic training and does a tour in Nam as a war correspondent for Stars and Stripes. Unfortunately the storytelling is weak and disjointed, and uses randomly inserted voice-over (delivered ham-fistedly by Matthew Modine) to try to tie everything together. None of the performances are especially good, aside from R. Lee Ermey; whose performance as a drill sergeant has become iconic. However, Kubrick’s directing is impressive, and features some incredibly evocative imagery. Yet without a compelling story, Full Metal Jackets ends up falling flat.
So I've seen it a few times already. For the first time in HD, which looks good, but not great. Maybe I'm just too spoiled these days.
Anyway, the movie itself is always worth watching again. It is timeless in it's topic, it works in every generation. Because it is all live action shooting it doesn't look aged at all.
The first half is the R. Lee Ermey show and in my book he should have gotten the Oscar for that part. He pulls you in instantly. His background cleary shows and is a huge asset for the movie. Not to be downplaying the other actors - especially D'Onofrio who is very convincing - but they look like extras for the most part. Sadly, I must add, because I don't connect much with the characters which doesn't make me care for them in the second half of the movie.
That is the part about the war. Now, is the depection of war real? Luckily, I haven't been to war so I can only guess. But it looks much more realistic than movies today. Owed in huge parts to the fact it's a real scenery and not CGI. It doesn't look very Vietnamese, though.
Despite the little criticism it is a great movie that shows a lot of the mindset back then.
I was a little surprised to see it "just" made 46mil USD, which compared to a 30mil USD budget seems like a bust.
Sir it's Brilliant movie, Sir!
The first half of this movie is perfect. The second half turns into a great war movie but can't quite live up to the first half. R. Lee Ermey (RIP) steals the show. He plays one hell of a drill sergeant. Vincent D'Onofrio is fantastic too. The war half feels gritty and real. I love the music but they are a little cliche.
Although ostensibly following Modine's character, Kubrick's detached style makes it difficult to care about him or any of the principal characters. Instead, the characters exist to serve a series of vignettes detailing the nature of war and the cost to the soldiers that are trained. This could be any war - substitute the jungle for the desert and you could also have the Iraq war. There are some memorable moments in this film which also feel disturbingly horrific and beautiful at the same time - the reveal of an enemy sniper, D'Onofrio's greeting in the bathroom, and the final shots of soldiers walking through a burning city - but then Kubrick certainly knows how to frame a shot. The occasional voiceover from Modine, however, feels completely unnecessary.
If you are looking for fun, it is not your movie, but, on the other hand, if you want to do an examination of conscience, yes. Not suitable for sensitive.
My Top 10 favorite movie.
I laugh so fucking hard during the bootcamp scenes.
Modine's delivery is about as natural as a coconut palm in Fairbanks, but Kubrick turns-out another excellent meditation on the futility of war.
The bootcamp is brilliant and iconic. The war part is okay, but nothing special. Personally I don’t care for movies that feel so different in the first and second half. It makes me feel that both parts are missing something. That’s not the case for this per se, but it still takes me out of it.
Full Metal Jacket is an excellent war movie that leaves a lasting impact. It combines intense battle scenes with a deep exploration of the psychological and emotional struggles faced by soldiers during the Vietnam War. The film's portrayal of war is unapologetically realistic, and it doesn't shy away from showing the harsh realities of combat and the toll it takes on the human psyche. It masterfully captures the camaraderie and bonds formed between soldiers, as well as the mental and emotional challenges they endure. A must-watch classic for those who appreciate gritty realism and a thought-provoking narrative.
Emotions ran through me like a pregnant women on crack. I was sad, I was happy, I sat on the edge of my seat and fell off at some point. Sadly only for the first half. The movie takes a turn and becomes a copy of every war movie in the 2nd half. Not the worst, not the best. It's an average movie that you'll enjoy, but you can't help but feel the potential it had.
The vision of the war in Vietnam from the great director Stanley Kubrick.
Everyone shits on the second half (and I used to do it too, by the way ) but the more times I watch it, the more I like it.
This is probably one of the best war movies of all times.
I will never understand why people conflate things that are technically impressive as being good. This movie, like most of Kubrick's movies are, technical feats. Now just because the movie is technically impressive doesn't mean that it goods. Yes the sets and costumes look great in this movie but that will never make up for its laundry list of short comings. To put it simply this movie is a boring slog.
Although ostensibly following Modine's character, Kubrick's detached style makes it difficult to care about him or any of the principal characters. Instead, the characters exist to serve a series of vignettes detailing the nature of war and the cost to the soldiers that are trained. This could be any war - substitute the jungle for the desert and you could also have the Iraq war. There are some memorable moments in this film which also feel disturbingly horrific and beautiful at the same time - the reveal of an enemy sniper, D'Onofrio's greeting in the bathroom, and the final shots of soldiers walking through a burning city - but then Kubrick certainly knows how to frame a shot. The occasional voiceover from Modine, however, feels completely unnecessary.
Innocence is lost forever…left on the ground by the corpses and their `Full Metal Jackets'.
Excellent war movie
Shout by DeletedBlockedParent2016-12-17T10:13:23Z
This truly is one of the best "war movies" out there. The visuals in this movie are so incredible.